Safety app saves rider’s life after potentially fatal dog attack

Rider Ashleigh Compton only just managed to escape the jaws of an aggressive dog while out riding thanks to the new safety app What3Words

Horse riders up and down the country will be familiar with the panic that crosses your mind when you see or hear a loose dog while out hacking. Where’s the owner? How’s this dog’s recall? Will he be aggressive? What should I do for the best? However, for one rider, Ashleigh Compton, that panic escalated beyond belief – and if it weren’t for the safety app on her phone, things might have ended very differently.

“It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life,” Ashleigh began, recalling the moment she heard a man shouting before, a split-second later, a dog appeared at her horse’s feet. “I jumped off to settle Sparks and as soon as I did the dog started biting at my legs and arms. I’ve got some really nasty wounds.”

Ashleigh was bitten six times on her arms and legs, but the nightmare was only just beginning. Once the dog eventually ceased chasing her, she realised she was mid-asthma attack. She continued, “It was only when I called 999 and spoke to the operator that it came to me that I didn’t know where I was, and I was in a situation where timing was of the essence. Then I remembered what3words.”

What3words is a safety app that can pinpoint your location to a 3m square area on a grid anywhere in the world – and, in cases such as these, can be a real lifeline. “They were able to pinpoint where I was in seconds. It saved my life,” Ashley added.

Ashleigh and Sparks managed to escape the frightful situation in one piece and Ashleigh is now recovering at home while Sparks was unharmed. She’s appealing for the dog’s owner to come forward so the dog can be identified for public safety.

For more information on What3Words and how it could help you, visit what3words.com