VENTURA : Teen Honored for Rescuing Boy from Dog

A teen-ager who stopped a family dog from mauling a Ventura boy was honored for her bravery Monday with an award from the city Fire Department.

“If not for her, there’s a 7-year-old who would not be here tonight,” fire engineer Vern Alstot said.

Rachel Szatkowski, 19, of Simi Valley wrenched the 75-pound Akita off Jeffrey Landry last September while the dog was attacking him in the back yard of his home in the 6800 block of Norton Avenue.

“I don’t really think I deserve all this,” Szatkowski said, giggling nervously. “I didn’t think about it. I just did it.”

The boy had been leading the Akita, named Bear, by the collar to the back-yard dog run, when the dog knocked the boy to the concrete patio and attacked his face, the boy’s father said.

Szatkowski, rushing to Jeffrey’s aid, was bitten on the forearm by the dog, firefighters said. The boy’s head and face were severely mauled, firefighters said.

Bear was later put to sleep while Jeffrey, who was 6 at the time of the attack, underwent four hours of plastic surgery.