The actions of a sheriff’s deputy saved the life of an elderly dog who nearly perished from exposure in a ditch.
According to a Facebook post, the Sagadahoc County Sheriff’s Office in Maine responded to a call about a dog in dire need of assistance on Saturday.
Deputy Mark Anderson arrived on scene in Arrowsic and immediately began searching for the dog. In nearby ditches, he discovered an elderly female dog that appeared “almost frozen to death.”
Clearly, the 14-year-old dog was attempting to escape, but he was trapped in the freezing ditch in subzero temperatures.
The sheriff’s office wrote, “There were claw marks where she had attempted to climb out of the ditch before her paw got too cold”.
As Deputy Anderson approached the dog, she whimpered and raised her paw as if pleading for assistance. He picked up the dog and drove her to a nearby dispatch centre in his police cruiser.
The dog was cared for by dispatchers who warmed her with blankets and a portable heater. They also gave her food, and once she stopped shivering, she reportedly “ate the plate clean.”
Deputy Anderson then created lost dog flyers and began knocking on local doors in an attempt to locate the dog’s owner. Anderson discovered that the dog had escaped the previous evening at 9 p.m., and the owner was quickly located.
The dog’s elderly female owner reportedly waited up all night for the dog’s return. They were quickly reunited.
The sheriff’s office commended Deputy Anderson and Communications Specialists Shaun and Dori for their actions. “The efforts of these three Sagadahoc County employees, without a doubt, saved the life of this precious pet,” the office wrote on Facebook.
Many people have praised the employees for their lifesaving actions after the story went viral on social media.