Devoted officer goes above and beyond to save a runaway puppy.
On occasion, dogs find themselves in difficult situations and require the assistance of caring individuals. This was precisely the situation for a young, anxious puppy who was rescued by a brave police officer willing to get wet.
The puppy, named Sese, was only five months old when she escaped from her family and became frightened by a passing car in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. In her fear, she darted into a tunnel through which a brook flowed and ended up stuck approximately 25 feet inside. With no way to escape, she clung to the tunnel’s wall, helpless.
Despite the locals’ best intentions to rescue the dog, their efforts only made matters worse. Peggy Edwards wrote, “We tried to help but were afraid of scaring her further in.”
“This tiny dog was running free and was frightened by a passing car. It ran into a tunnel that a nearby brook flows through,” Peggy wrote on Facebook. “She was stuck about 20-25 ft. in and was clinging to the side.”
Rather than persisting with their own efforts, they contacted the police and fire departments, who arrived to lend assistance. Officer Joe Brazil was dispatched to the scene and prepared to provide aid.
Officer Brazil removed his shoes and socks and ventured into the flooded tunnel. He soon emerged, carrying a soaking wet and frightened Sese in his arms.
Rescuing a dog from a tunnel is not a typical duty for a police officer, nor is it a story that typically garners attention. Nonetheless, Peggy believed it was a heroic act worth commending, and shared the tale on Facebook, where it has been shared almost 5,000 times.
“It may not seem like much to most people but it meant a lot to us and to that scared puppy, it made a world of difference as certain death was at the end of that tunnel,” she wrote. “Thank you Officer Brazil.”
As it turned out, the adorable dog was not a stray but rather belonged to a caring family. In another interview with WJAR NBC10, it was revealed that the puppy’s name was Cece.
Michelle Perez, Cece’s owner, was overjoyed when she learned that her beloved dog had been found. She explained that her mother-in-law had given her the lovely puppy, but it had managed to escape the very next day.
“She’s only 5 months old. I wasn’t able to sleep,” the owner said. “All I kept doing was just driving around, calling her.”
Thanks to the efforts of Peggy Edwards and the compassionate Officer Joe Brazil, Cece was rescued from the terrifying tunnel and reunited with her owner. We are all thrilled that Cece was rescued and returned to her loving human family!
Learn more about this rescue in the video below!
