A lifeguard at Vilas Park got more than he bargained for Saturday afternoon when he tried to stop a dog from charging a small child, according to a Madison Police Department report.
The dog, which the report describes as “unleashed and aggressive,” charged at a small child on Vilas Park Beach at approximately 6:13 p.m. The lifeguard, a 53-year-old Madison man, attempted to intervene by spraying the dog with pepper spray, according to the report by MPD spokesperson Joel DeSpain.
After seeing the lifeguard spray his dog with pepper spray, the canine’s owner became agitated and sent the dog toward the guard. The guard was forced to use the spray again, this time in self-defense, DeSpain said in the report.
The owner then began chasing the lifeguard and punched and kicked the man, while the lifeguard tried to defend himself with a nearby rake, the report said.
Two other lifeguards quickly tried to intervene and break up the fight. A 29-year-old female guard was struck by the rake before another 20-year-old male guard was able to pull the dog’s owner off of the lifeguard, according to the report.
The dog’s owner has had previous run-ins with the lifeguard team at Vilas Park Beach and continues to return with his dog, even after being informed that pets were not allowed in Vilas Park, DeSpain said.
The owner was last seen riding off park property on his bicycle followed by his dog.
