Woman Allegedly Punched in the Face Saving a Baby Seal From Abusers

Animal abusers are dangerous to everyone. Just ask Sarah Tough, who reportedly was viciously assaulted when she came across a group of teenagers torturing a baby seal.

While out walking her dog Tally along Crimond Beach in County Durham, England, Tough came across approximately eight teenagers rolling the baby seal around and taunting him or her with dogs.

According to Tough, the teens were trying to bury the seal alive. She couldn’t believe the sight, and she knew that she had to do something.

When she intervened, she told the abusers “to **** off” or she’d call the police. It was at this point that one of the teens punched her in the face so hard that her nostril piercing punctured her septum. After Tally helped defend her, the group of cowards ran off.

But to her dismay, the seal lay exhausted and unmoving.

Living up to her name, Tough still called the authorities. Staff members of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) quickly responded, and thankfully, they found that the seal was healthy and had suffered no serious injuries.

An RSPCA spokesperson said, “We were not aware of what happened to the woman who intervened, and hope she is okay.”

Tough seems to be in high spirits knowing that the seal was fine. She even wrote that she “took one for the seal team!”

Heroes speak up.

Earlier this year, PETA acknowledged Navy veteran Garry Blough, who intervened when three men in Daytona Beach, Florida, were torturing a helpless turtle outside an apartment complex— going as far as lifting the animal above their heads and smashing him or her onto the pavement. The men were charged with cruelty to animals, but unfortunately, the turtle died.

Blough was attacked by the men as well, but he stated, “I’d do it again and take the beating again if it meant saving that turtle.”

Animals can’t successfully defend themselves against such abuse, so they need you to speak up for them.

Thanks to Tough, this seal’s story ended on a happy note. But what if she had ignored these abusers and walked the other way?

Never be silent if you witness animal abuse—even if it means calling the police from a safe location. If authorities are unwilling to help, contact PETA.

You can help save thousands of other animals by taking action today. It takes only a second, and it makes all the difference them.