When I met Gary Thynes on the evening of July 29, he had just spent a wonderful evening at the dog park. Then like a Hollywood movie to change up his evening, an unlikely visitor showed up. Then—a barking pit bull bounded past him, clearly intent on stopping everybody in their tracks. Curious to learn more, Thynes trailed the pooch, who was now transporting her out of the park. This choice would soon take him to a life-saving meeting.
Before giving chase to the pit bull, Thynes first took his own dog to a friend’s house. He didn’t have far to go before reaching the city’s largest tent encampment. There, instead of some poet or artist, he found two dead junkies, a man and a woman. That sense of urgency is what drove him to pick up the phone and call police.
Pittsburgh’s public safety department was on scene almost immediately and rushed the two victims to the hospital without delay for treatment. As pit bulls often do, the calf’s quick actions and Thynes’s quick presence likely saved them both and provided just enough time for them to recover.
Describing the pit bull, Thynes remarked, “It is a persistent little puppy, … amazing, and … definitely saved some lives.” I have never seen anyone love a dog as much as he loved that dog. He even hailed it as a hero for its part in saving the day on the incident.
In the days following the event, Thynes posted on social media about his extraordinary experience. In addition to his op-ed, he provided an interview to the local news station WTAE. His tale inspired a legion of fans on social media, breaking the internet with an avalanche of love.
During his Heroes Interview, 3D comedian Thynes talked about how surreal that entire experience was. Once sober, he considered himself fortunate to have an acute instinct accelerated by his sobriety. That sudden, unexpected clarity helped him react when the pit bull’s urgent call for help came in. And I’m just really glad sobriety allowed me to get in touch with my intuition, as well,” he said.
On the scene, Thynes encountered a social worker. She informed him that the two people he had just assisted were unhoused. Over the years he admitted himself wildly relieved when he first learned they were safe, saying, “I’m thrilled to hear you guys are all right.”
The fallout from this episode didn’t stop with Thynes and the pit bull. One of her suicide prevention followers on Facebook commented on her post, “You saved the life of this woman and my dog! My partner and I would really like to meet you. One final reply added, “Thank you … momma can’t wait to get home to you.”
In an amazing twist of fate, Thynes has committed to adopting a pit bull. He thinks this heroic pup helped save hundreds of lives. “He’s perfectly fine! He’ll be here when you guys get here,” he told animal welfare advocates worried about the dog’s health.