When most people take their dogs for a walk, they typically don't need to be on high alert or conscious of surroundings.

That wasn't the case for one Billings family who say that disaster almost struck if it wasn't for their family pet.

Autumn Dolbear faces a lot of challenges every day. The 16-year-old Senior High student has cognitive disabilities that make her life difficult. Most days, she finds comfort when walking her dog, Pancake, but that unfortunately wasn't the case a couple of evenings ago.

“She already struggles so much all the time that it’s just scary, and it’s not fair to her,” Autumn's mom Jessica Dolbear said Wednesday. “She’s got some disabilities, so she always takes the dog for a walk in the evenings."

According to the Dolbear family, Autumn was recently attacked in Central Park during one of her regular walks. Thankfully, Pancake came to the rescue.