Police officers are sworn to protect and serve their communities.
And for one Florida police officer, this means the four-legged citizens too.
Deputy Josh Fiorelli was heartbroken when he saw a log lying on the side of the road. The dog had been injured after it was hit by a car.
Fiorelli just couldn’t leave the poor doggie lying there all alone.
So, the officer sat next to the dog and placed his own jacket over her so she could keep warm until help arrived.
“It was cold out. She was wet,” Fiorelli told WFTV9. “She didn’t have anyone there so I decided to be that person.”
Fiorelli said the dog just looked helpless and like she needed someone to be there for her.
“I know a lot of dogs become defensive when they get hurt. She was not defensive at all. She was acceptive of me trying to pet her and take care of her,” he said.
Fiorelli had no idea that anyone was watching his act of kindness.
Carlos Irizzary was walking his own dog on Royal Palm Drive in Kissimmee and snapped a picture of the officer who was comforting the dog.
“This is something that you don’t see every day,” he said.
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The photo was posted on the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page. They applauded their deputy for his efforts.
“Deputy Fiorelli cares for an injured dog who was hit by a car and waits with him until animal control arrives. Thank you Deputy Fiorelli for serving with care and compassion,” their post said.
That post ended up going viral and was shared by several news outlets across the country.
As for the dog, she suffered a dislocated leg.
She is currently at the Osceola County Animal Shelter where she is being cared for.
They are monitoring her condition and giving her pain medication. Though she can’t move around all that much, she is still able to wag her tail a bit.
The dog will need surgery but is expected to survive and be OK.
Unfortunately, the shelter is having a little bit of trouble locating her owners since she doesn’t have a collar or microchip.
The shelter is required to wait three days for someone to claim her. If no one does, they’ll move forward with her surgery on Thursday.
Fiorelli says that he also hopes that the dog will be reunited with his family soon.
He also wanted to urge the family and other families to microchip their pets.
“Keep an eye on them. They may only be a part of your life, but you’re their whole life,” he said.
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