A deputy from the Flagler County Sheriff's Office in Bunnell, Florida, sprang into action to rescue a dog in distress in a canal.
In a post on Facebook, the sheriff's office shared the details of the incident: "Deputies responded to a report of a dog in distress in the canal in the W-Section of Palm Coast. There, they encountered a citizen in a kayak who was trying to rescue the dog," the post read.
Despite her best efforts, the resident was unable to get the dog to safety. But thankfully the team arrived and Deputy Alex Wolfe took over, using the kayak to get closer to the stranded dog.
Once he was close enough, Wolfe jumped into the canal, pulling the frightened dog to shore. After the rescue, the dog was turned over to Animal Control, where it received care before being safely reunited with its owner.
Newsweek reached out to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office via email for comment.
The heartwarming post gained an outpouring of support from the community on Facebook. Local resident Pattie Pittie Ramos commented: "Who knows how long that poor baby was struggling out there... Thank you to the universe that there was no alligators in there. Another miracle! That officer is a hero without a cape!"
Another commenter, Jan Heintz Zipf said: "Thank you for saving that lucky pup!! It was definitely a group effort, but special thanks to the hero who jumped in and rescued the pup from the water!! You all did a great job!"
"That is awesome. High five to all who assisted in getting the dog to safety," said Facebook user Rebecca Cox.
Sadly, the dog's predicament isn't unusual. According to the Animal Humane Society, nearly one in three pets will go missing at some point, with millions of animals reported lost each year across the U.S.
Data from the Best Friends Animal Society reported that 2.4 million pets enter U.S. animal shelters as strays, yet only 20 percent of lost pets are reunited with their owners.
About 70 percent of lost dogs are found within a mile of their home, while 52 percent of dogs and two out of every five cats are returned to their owners thanks to a microchip.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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