Homeless Man Rescues Rabbit From River, Wins Award While Attacker Gets 4 Months

John Byrne was begging on Dublin's O'Connell Bridge when a stranger grabbed his pet rabbit and threw it into the freezing River Liffey.

Byrne jumped in after his beloved companion, gave the animal mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, and both were rescued by firefighters after 40 minutes in the water.

The Rescue That Changed Everything

Byrne, 37, had been homeless since age 14 and spent his days on the bridge with his rabbit Barney and dog Roxy, spending whatever money he earned on food for all three of them.

Gary Kearney, 20, snatched Barney from Byrne's arms and hurled the animal into the River Liffey below.

Around 200 people watched as Byrne struggled to save his pet from being swept away, clinging dramatically to a nearby ledge.

"I got him under the bridge and gave him the kiss of life," Byrne said after the rescue.

From Viral Video to Recognition

Sebastian Dooris uploaded video of the rescue to YouTube, where it went viral in 2011.

Animal charity Aran honored Byrne with the Compassionate Citizen Award for his bravery.

An animal farm owner in Tipperary offered Byrne a full-time job in animal care.

Byrne said he would consider the offer, though Tipperary was far from his girlfriend and three children living in Ballyfermot.

Justice and Reality

Kearney was sentenced to four months' detention after pleading guilty to animal cruelty and torture at Dublin District Court.

The court heard that Kearney was brought up in care, had 138 previous convictions, and was already in detention at St Patrick's Institution.

By 2017, a photographer found Byrne still homeless on Dublin's streets despite all the media attention and recognition he had received.

Barney the rabbit had been put down by then, but Byrne still lived with his dogs.