What would you do when you chance upon a stray animal? Would you leave it or would you help it?
For Lakeland police officer Kareem Garibaldi, it was a no-brainer. He was going to make sure this stray animal was safe.
And that’s what he did.
Officer Garibaldi was patrolling early Saturday morning when he saw a pit bull running through the neighborhood. The dog was about eight to ten weeks old and didn’t have any tag or identification. And Officer Garibaldi searched the neighborhood for his owner.
When his search yielded nothing, he took the dog to the Lakeland Police Department. He fed the dog and gave him a temporary shelter to stay in while he finished his shift.
And do you know what Officer Garibaldi did after his shift?
He took the dog home and took care of him. What a selfless man!
But he didn’t give up his search. He took pictures of the dog and posted them on social media, hoping to find the owner. Unfortunately, his search still yielded no results.
But he wanted to make sure the puppy was okay. And he took him to the SPCA Florida to have him checked out.
And once again, Officer Garibaldi never left his side.
Having just gotten off a twelve-hour late-night shift, he went straight to the clinic. While they waited patiently for their turn, the two of them napped side-by-side in the waiting area.
That’s when SPCA shelter safety net manager Connie Johnson spotted them.
“I walked in, and that’s when I saw him and the puppy,” Johnson told The Dodo. “He was exhausted, the puppy was exhausted, and they were sleeping. It was one of those moments that just grab your heart. He was so determined to get her help.”
Officer Garibaldi had to wait another three hours while they checked the dog, whom they later named Hope.
“It clearly was a selfless thing to do. He wasn’t thinking about getting home to sleep. He was thinking about what he could do to help this puppy survive,” Johnson remarked. “He actually woke up at one point just to see if she was OK, then he went back to sleep.”
It was Johnson who took this photo because she wanted to show that good humans and good deeds must be recognized.
“This needs to be known. This really is a good deed,” Johnson told The Ledger. “He was up all night long, but he was determined to make sure this baby was safe.”
But for Officer Garibaldi, this was a deed that felt natural for him to do.
In fact, he even paid for the vet visit out of his own pocket. And when they were done, Officer Garibaldi took Hope back to the police station.
And do you know what happened at the police station?
A dispatcher saw Hope and fell in love with him.
That day, Hope found a new forever home! And it’s all thanks to Officer Garibaldi, who took the time out of his life to make sure another living being was safe.
The Lakeland Police Department recognized his selfless efforts by awarding him with the Hometown Hero Award.
“It’s the kind-hearted officers like this that make the Lakeland Police Department truly unique. Having worked a long weekend, Officer Garibaldi still found the energy at the end of his shift to help man’s best friend,” LakelandPD wrote on a Facebook post.
Watch the video below to learn more about what happened to Officer Garibaldi and Hope.
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