Cheryl Pietromicca was taking her Boxer puppy Gracie to the vet when the dog got loose and ran off. She’d only had the dog for three weeks after rescuing her from a puppy mill, and the pup was still so scared and timid.
Gracie had to be carried into the vet, but as soon as the hatch released, she was gone.
Later, a witness saw the dog in the Ellicott Creek and called 911. The Cheektowaga Police arrived on scene, and patrolman James Rutkowski spotted the dog holding on for dear life on a tree branch in the freezing cold water.
Fellow patrolman Troy Blackchief showed up and joined Rutkowski in the water for the rescue. They lifted the dog out of the creek with the help of animal control, and the entire thing was caught on the officer’s body camera. Gracie was returned to her owners who took her back to the vet to be checked over.
“They are absolute heroes, I cannot express in words how thankful we are. They went above and beyond in every way,” Cheryl told WGRZ.
H/T – WGRZ
