It’s a police officer’s duty to look out for everyone in their community, whether they be human or animal. Recently, one group of NYPD officers came to the rescue of a blind dog who was trapped in a pond.
It was an especially scary Halloween this year for an 8-year-old border collie named Sparky, who ended up stuck in the frigid waters of Baisley Pond in South Jamaica, Queens.
Someone called 911 and NYPD officers Branden Williams and Marc Esposito, of the 113th precinct, responded to the call, according to WABC. They initially waited for additional assistance, but after hearing the dog’s call they knew there was no time to waste.
“It was honestly really sad to hear,” Esposito told CBS News. “We called our Emergency Service Unit. They said they were coming, but just by listening to the dog, we knew we had to do something.”
“We couldn’t see him but we could hear him crying out, so once we heard that, we knew we had to do something, we had to jump in there,” Williams told WABC.
Reaching the dog was a challenge: the water was deep and freezing cold. “It was shallow, but it was so uneven so you’d take a step, and then another step and that next step you just sank all the way down until you’re chest high, neck high, so it was a bit of a struggle to get to the dog,” said Esposito.
The rescue was captured in dramatic bodycam footage which was shared on Twitter:
Finally, they reached the freezing dog and brought him back to dry land. Seeing his clouded eyes, they discovered that Sparky was blind. Despite the ordeal he went through, he was said to be a good and friendly dog.
The officers brought him back to the precinct, where he was picked up by Animal Care and Control. Vets examined the dog and treated him for hypothermia. Sparky reunited with his owners, who had reported him missing the previous day, and he is now recovering at home.
It’s always inspiring to see people go out of their way to rescue animals like this, and the officers say they were happy to help a pet in need.
“In the moment you think, if this was my dog, I wish somebody would help,” Officer Esposito told WABC. “It’s a really good feeling knowing that we saved the dog and it got reunited with its family.”
“Definitely proud of what we did, and definitely would do it again,” Williams told CBS News.
Thank you to these officers for saving this poor blind dog! Please share this heartwarming news!
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