The dog’s owner might have thought they were doing the right thing leaving their car window wide open while they went to shop. But that choice turned out to be almost fatal for their small dog. Police in Kansas came to the rescue of a dog hanging from his leash from the side of a pickup truck.
Sergeant Jason Legleiter and Police Officer Wade Hammond were at the Wal-Mart Store on North Summit in Arkansas City in response to a shoplifter on July 8, 2016. They had just secured the suspect in their patrol car, when a Wal-Mart worker rushed to tell them about the small dog hanging by his leash outside of a truck. The two officers quickly responded and saw that the dog “had essentially hung himself from the leash”.
Note: the following two images may be disturbing to some readers. Happier ones to follow. All images were taken by the officers’ body-worn cameras.
Arkansas City Police Department
“The dog was hanging motionless and appeared to be deceased,” Arkansas City Police Department wrote on Facebook. But Sergeant Legleiter was quick to think on his feet and used his patrol duty knife to cut the dog down in an instant. As the dog lay on the ground, Officer Hammond began to try and resuscitate him.
Arkansas City Police Department
“Officer Hammond helped the dog breathe by removing the constricting collar and applying pressure intermittently to the dog’s side,” the police department wrote.
Related: CPR for Dogs: Do You Know What To Do If Your Dog Stops Breathing?
“After several minutes had passed, the dog became more and more responsive and showed signs of life little by little,” they added. “Eventually, the dog appeared to have fully recovered from the incident and was able to stand under his own power.”
Arkansas City Police Department
They gave the small dog some water to revive him further. “There is absolutely no doubt that Sergeant Legleiter’s and Officer Hammond’s quick response and care saved this dog’s life,” the Arkansas City Police Department said. They shared photos from the officers’ body-worn cameras of the incident to “demonstrate the gravity of the situation and show in contrast what their actions did to prevent a tragic accident.”
Arkansas City Police Department
Arkansas City police say that it will be up to a prosecutor to decide if charges will be filed against the dog’s owner. As result, some facts regarding the case cannot be released to the public at this time. But the police reassured concerned people that if charges are warranted, they will be filed. They added, “For now we would just like to focus on the officers and the great work they did.”
I’m glad these two officers were in the right place at the right time to save the little dog. He looks so relieved and happy in the last photo. Share this rescue story with your family and friends!
