Blind dog rescued from drowning in NYC's Baisely Pond Park
NEW YORK - As a pet owner, the thought of losing your dog is just heartbreaking, but then to find out it was stuck in a scary situation is a whole different story.
Thanks to quick-thinking NYPD officers, this one has a happy ending.
It wasn't a typical call for help for NYPD Officers Branden Williams and Marc Esposito, who were responding to Baisely Pond on a brisk Halloween morning, where a blind Border Collie was drowning in the water.
"We saw the caller. She was on the phone and she waving her hand up in the air, flagging us down," Esposito said.
She pointed out where the dog was trapped. The officers said it was tough to see him in the brush, but they could hear him.
"It was honestly really sad to hear," Esposito said. "We called our Emergency Service Unit. They said they were coming, but just by listening to the dog, we knew we had to do something."
They jumped into action. Esposito's body camera captured how difficult it was to get to the dog.
"Stepping on the floor, it was so uneven. Everything was soft. So you'd step, you'd be fine. You'd take another step, and you'd drop in all the way, six feet. Like, right up to my neck," Esposito said.
"It was definitely a workout," Williams said.
"That it was. It was freezing, too," Esposito said.
They were determined to do what it took to save him, getting the dog out of the freezing water and into their patrol car, blasting the heat and wrapping him in a jacket.
"I was just thinking, God forbid this was my dog. I would hope somebody would hop in and save the dog," Esposito said.
The dog was taken to a local animal hospital. With the help of Animal Care Centers of New York City, they discovered the 8-year-old dog, named Sparky, was reported missing by its owner a day prior. Together, they made sure he returned home safely.
"Definitely proud of what we did, and definitely would do it again," Williams said.
We're told Sparky is back with his owner and is doing great.
The officers expressed gratitude to everyone involved, from the 911 caller to BluePearl Pet Hospital and ACC, saying it was a team effort to get the dog home safe.