NSF, 22, rescues dog hit by car, gets bitten 6 times, but stays with it to wait for SPCA

A full-time national serviceman (NSF) has been hailed a hero after putting himself in danger to save a lost dog that had been hit by a car in Bedok on Aug. 3.

Ilham Jufri, 22, is currently serving in the police force's K-9 unit.

He had been trained in handling dogs and is a lifelong animal lover, his father Jufri Salim wrote on Facebook on Aug. 5.

The police told Mothership that around 7:10pm on Sunday, they were alerted by an off-duty police NSF to a suspected hit-and-run involving a car and a dog along Bedok South Road towards Bayshore Drive.

The incident sent Ilham to the hospital with injuries on his fingers — some caused by the dog, which bit him out of fright.

No hesitation

In an interview with The Straits Times, Ilham said he had been out for a run when he spotted a toy poodle scurry into the bushes near a park connector.

When he approached the bushes and tried to coax the dog out, it darted across the road and was hit by a car, which continued to drive off.

Jufri, who is also the organising secretary of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), described the car in his Facebook post as "likely an MPV [multi-purpose vehicle] or SUV [sport utility vehicle]".

According to Jufri, Ilham did not think twice — he dashed over to the injured dog and carried it off the road.

"He wanted to just bring the dog out of harm's way," Jufri told Mothership.

"He was really afraid that the dog might be met with a fatal accident, and he mentioned that he could not live with that guilt knowing he could have done something about it."

As Ilham comforted the dog, it appeared to be having spasms, so he called the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the traffic police.

While he was on the phone, however, the dog ran off across the road again and was nearly struck by another car, Ilham told ST.

Ilham and about 10 passersby rushed to grab the dog, which started to run around a multi-storey car park and void decks appearing distressed.

When they finally caught it after about 30 minutes, Ilham took the dog and ensured it was safe while waiting for the authorities.

Bitten six times

As he waited, Ilham realised he was bleeding badly.

The dog, out of fright, had bitten him six times on three of his fingers, Jufri said.

Despite the pain, he stayed with the dog until the SPCA and police arrived.

His parent, who were at home that evening, received a message from their son about what had happened.

When they learnt that he had been bitten by the dog, they were shocked and worried, Jufri told Mothership.

They dropped everything and went to look for him.

They washed his wounds with water while waiting for the traffic police to take his statement, then took him home to further attend to his injuries.

As Ilham's fingers were wounded and could barely move, and his parents wanted him vaccinated for rabies, they brought him to the hospital that night.

They were shocked when an X-ray showed that one of Ilham's fingers was fractured.

He did not need a rabies shot, but had to get a tetanus shot and undergo a debridement procedure, which removes damaged or infected tissue.

The next morning, he went into surgery for three hours, which made his mother extremely worried, Jufri said.

Fortunately, it went smoothly.

When Ilham's parents saw him post-surgery their son "was still in pain yet appeared to be high-spirited", according to Jufri.

Ilham told ST that despite getting injured, he would do what he did again in a heartbeat.

Speaking to Mothership on Aug. 8, Jufri said his son is now recovering well.

He was discharged from the hospital on Aug. 6, and currently resting at home.

A hero

A couple whom Ilham met during the rescue visited him while he was at the hospital, calling him "our young hero".

Ilham's father agreed, and said his son has made his family feel proud.

"What he did was commendable and noble," Jufri told Mothership. "We, the entire family, are very proud of what he did."

"We also felt relief that he and the dog are now safe from any harm," he said.

According to Jufri, the dog had been wearing a harness during the incident, which suggested that it was someone's pet and not a stray.

However, Ilham did not see anyone who appeared to be the owner at the time.

Police investigations into the hit-and-run are ongoing.

The day after the incident, Ilham reached out to SPCA to ask about the dog, Jufri said.

SPCA told them the dog was in good condition and had been retrieved by the owner.

When contacted by ST, SPCA said the dog, about five years old, was examined by a clinic and found to be unhurt, but had a poor coat condition and dental issues.

The owner also visited Ilham at his house on Aug. 7 to thank him, Jufri told Mothership.

On Aug. 7, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) commended Ilham's bravery in a Facebook post.

Top images from Jufri Salim's Facebook