Two Manteca Animal Control officers were lauded as heroes by police and firefighters after they responded to a 911 call from a 57-year-old man having a heart attack in the 1400 block of Bridgeport Lane shortly before noon Thursday.
A dispatcher put out a call to a Manteca fire company saying she had lost verbal communication with the caller who had complained of having chest pain. The cell phone line remained open and she could hear a dog barking. Some four minutes later, firemen were heard pounding at the door.
The young Rottweiler was protecting her master and wasn’t about to let anyone in the door or near her owner.  The fire captain at the scene requested red light and siren police response to help his crew force open the door and control the agitated dog at her master’s side.
Three police units and two animal control trucks responded to the home located in the neighborhood south of Lathrop Road and east of Airport way to find the front door locked.  
Animal Control Officers Eric White and Stephanie Sandoval entered the residence with poles in hand that had capture loops on their extensions and coaxed the dog away from the heart attack victim. They put the loops around her neck and safely led the large dog outside and into the back yard.  
It was feared that police might have to shoot the animal in a final effort to reach the man but the two animal control officers made sure that didn’t have to happen.
The man was transported to an area hospital by ambulance for treatment.
 
To contact Glenn Kahl, email gkahl@mantecabulletin.com.