Quick-thinking teen Ziegler saves neighbor

The helping instincts of McIntosh High student Saylor Ziegler helped save her neighbor and her dog. 

Ziegler, a junior, is a busy Chief, competing as a cheerleader and a pole vaulter for the school. She also works at Chick-fil-A. On a recent day when she happened to be heading to school early in the morning, she noticed her neighbor, Ms. Kristi, and her small dog in distress. Two large dogs who had gotten loose from elsewhere were following Ms. Kristi into the neighborhood. The dogs started to get aggressive as they passed in front of the Ziegler house. 

Saylor jumped into action, finding a makeup mirror in her car and using it to fend the big dogs off so Ms. Kristi could get inside with her dog. With her mother, Saylor was able to corral the aggressive dogs into their garage until an animal control officer arrived to retrieve them. 

The neighbor’s dog, Maddie, stayed overnight at Animal Medical Clinic to get her wounds patched up. Ms. Kristi was treated at the hospital for her injuries, but she shared grateful tears with the Ziegler family when she was back home. 

It could have been much worse had Saylor not coincidentally been around that morning and able to help. Saylor wants to go into the medical field, possibly as a doctor, and she has shown she has the quick-thinking to excel for patients in need.