The way one treats animals is a sign of what kind of person they really are. It takes a certain kind of evil to purposefully hurt an innocent and defenseless creature.
Similarly, showing kindness and care for animals, especially ones in need, is something that compassionate individuals do.
And that’s exactly what this Florida officer did when he came across an injured dog.
A touching sight
It was one cold winter day when Deputy Sheriff Josh Fiorelli witnessed a car accidentally hit a dog. The dog began crawling their way towards the grass, perhaps looking for a safe place to recuperate. That’s when deputy sheriff Josh approached the injured animal.
He immediately called animal control to report the accident and come get the pit bull for emergency medical attention. Knowing how long it might take for them to arrive at the scene, he decided to keep the dog company.
Deputy sheriff Josh even covered the pup with his own coat as he sat with her and comforted her until help arrived. It was a rainy day and the dog was freezing in the cold on top of being injured.
That was when a local, Carlos Irizzy, spotted the duo. Carlos was just out for his daily walk and was touched by the officer’s kind deed. He ended up taking a photo of Josh and the injured dog. That image quickly went viral.
The officer simply said this an interview with WFTV 9:
“It was cold out. She was wet. She didn’t have anyone there so I decided to be that person.”
Life-saving act
Source: Osceola County Pets
Soon enough the Osceola County Animal Services arrived and took the dog into their care. They later on discovered that the pit bull incurred some serious injuries including a dislocated hip and damage to one of her legs. Fortunately, the organization was able to provide her with proper medical attention to recover.
Safe to say, she would’ve ended up worse had the officer not spotted and helped her out. Because of his heroic act, Josh has caught the attention of the staff of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who even sent him some vegan cookies as well as a framed certificate.
What more, PETA’s vice president, Colleen O’Brien, hopes that the officer’s actions can serve as an inspiration for other people to similarly treat animals with compassion.
According to statistics from The Pet’s Tech, around 1.2 million dogs actually die on United States roads each year. And the figure is even much larger for cats (an estimated 5.4 million).
Luckily, the dog saved by this deputy sheriff didn’t become a statistic. Now called Fiona, she’s feeling better and looking for a new home.
Going above & beyond
Fiona and her savior’s story can’t help but remind us of officers of the law who have gone above and beyond their duty to ensure the safety of a dog in need.
In Grandview, Missouri, police officer Stefany Jones and her partner, Griffin, not only promptly responded to a dog hit and run call but also spent time driving around looking for the injured canine.
Once they found the dog, they took it upon themselves to personally get her to the nearby Crest Animal Hospital instead of waiting for animal control.
In the end, they made the right choice and Lassie, a husky dog, survived and was able to return home to her eight newborn puppies.
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