A 69-year-old man was taking a peaceful jaunt down the street with his Jack Russel Terrier in New South Wales, Australia, when a wild, enraged staghound attacked him and his dog.

Undaunted, he used his pocket knife to fend off the beast, slaying it in the process, another prime example in our series of how knives can save lives. 

Staghounds are often used, and, in many cases abused, during the process of hunting wild boars.  These dogs are can weigh up to 130 pounds and are often poorly trained by cruel owners who keep them in small confines.

According to this article from ABC News, these giant staghounds have been wreaking havoc on the Australian town of Wagga Wagga lately. Last month five people were injured when two staghound dogs attacked them and officials say that the unregistered, wild dogs present a continuing problem.

Ironically, we just reported the other day on how Australia is cracking down on pocket knife owners and criminalizing many types of knives.

Nobody wants to have to slay a dog, but when facing a dangerous situation with a wild animal, a knife can be a life-saver.  Let’s hope that’s something officials in Australia consider when they crack down on peaceful law-abiding knife owners.