It is always heartwarming to see people go the extra mile to save animals in need. Numerous police officers and state troopers have gone above and beyond to assist.
This was the case for one trooper, who crawled through a drainage pipe to save a lost and terrified dog.
Lilah, a golden retriever of 13 years, disappeared from her home in Conklin, upstate New York. Rudy Fuehrer discovered Lilah in an unexpected location while walking his other dogs a few days later.
He realized it was his lost dog when he heard a howl emanating from a culvert pipe near his residence. I said, ‘Oh my God, that’s Lilah!’” he told AP.
Even though the dog was eventually located, it was challenging to get her to safety. Randy contacted the police for assistance when he was unable to coax the frightened dog out with food.
Trooper “Jimmy” Rasaphone and his partner Trooper Ana Reynas arrived with the New York State Police. They realized that one of them would have to travel through the pipe, which had a diameter of less than 2 feet and was extremely narrow.
Trooper Rasaphone, the smallest of the officers who responded, knew he was the right man for the job. To save the lost golden retriever, he descended 15 feet into the confined pipe, which was no easy feat, but well worth it.
“He crouched down and literally disappeared into the hole with a lead that had a choker on it,” Randy recalled to AP. “He was able somehow to manipulate his arms and get the choker around the dog’s head.”
Lilah was frightened and drenched, but otherwise unharmed when he rescued her.
The department thanked Trooper Rasaphone for going the extra mile after the uplifting rescue went viral on the Internet.
“Troopers, thank you for going above and beyond and showing compassion to help get this pup back home to her owner,” reads a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, Randy reports that Lilah has recovered well from the ordeal and that he will now keep her on a leash.