THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, August 22, 1995 TAG: 9508220283
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY TONI WHITT AND REBECCA A. MYERS, STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Blanche is an old lady and her companion, Sadie, has a gimpy knee, but that didn't stop the two from holding down a man accused of attacking a woman in their neighborhood.
Being heroes hasn't changed their lives much, though.
Sure, there's the adulation from folks in Olde Towne. And tonight at 7, Mayor Gloria O. Webb will hang medals of honor around their necks. But mostly, the pair has received a few pats on the head and the occasional extra biscuit.
The whole thing might really be embarrassing to the alleged assailant except Sadie, a 75-pound Rottweiler, looks so darned formidable, and Blanche, who takes after Benji the movie-star dog, is pretty spry for being the equivalent of 70 in human years. The two will be the first dogs to receive the city's highest heroism award, joining three humans who also took part in the suspect's collaring.
The small band of Olde Towne residents chased down Clarence Swinton and held him for the police after he allegedly attempted to rape a woman in their neighborhood on July 12.
Swinton, who is being held in Portsmouth City Jail, is scheduled to go to court Sept. 5.
The dogs are actually a pretty unlikely pair of crimebusters. Sadie adores people. She sidles up to visitors and leans her 75 pounds against them, begging for attention.
Blanche is the smart one. She knows her master's commands and never needs a leash when she's on the town.
Katherine Schuhr was out walking the dogs when she heard screams in the neighborhood. The trio followed the commotion and saw Swinton running toward them.
Dan Swanson, who was already chasing Swinton, shouted that the man had just attacked a woman. So Schuhr, Sadie and Blanche joined the chase across a neighborhood park. The dogs never really knew why, Schuhr said; they were just up for a run.
Just then, Schuhr's neighbor John Rankin came out of his house. Schuhr screamed at Rankin, a former Marine, to stop the man. He tackled Swinton and threw him to the ground.
``I didn't even think about it,'' Rankin said. ``That's where my Marine training came into play.''
Schuhr arrived at the scene and told the man not to move or she'd turn Sadie loose on him.
Swanson got there about the same time. The four stood guard over the attacker, while Rankin ran to his apartment and phoned the police.
Sadie didn't sense much danger from the prostrate Swinton, Schuhr said, so the Rottweiler just drooled on him while Blanche sniffed around.
Police arrived in a few minutes. They searched Swinton and found a knife, then carted him away.
Swanson, Schuhr and Rankin are also receiving heroism awards.
Since the chase, Schuhr and her husband have been having a lot of fun with their pets' exploits. They even changed their answering machine message.
``Hey, you've reached the home of Katherine and her crime-stopping dogs,'' it says. ``We're out stopping a crime now, or maybe just out in the back yard thinking about stopping a crime, but if you need her services, please stay on the line, be calm, and leave a detailed message of the crime that's happening.
``If it's just a regular ol' call, again, be calm, leave a message and have a crime-free day. See ya.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by JIM WALKER, Staff
Blanche, left, and Sadie stood guard over an alleged attacker while
waiting for police to arrive.
KEYWORDS: ASSAULT by CNB