Puppy trapped under rocks adopted by the firefighter who rescued him

A dog rescued from underneath a pile of rocks by a firefighter now has a new home thanks to his rescuer.

On March 30, Capt. Paul Bryant of the North Charleston Fire Department responded to a call from a family out riding bikes about a puppy trapped under some rocks. The family had tried to free the dog but was unable to reach it, the fire department said.

Cellphone cameras were rolling as Bryant got on his hands and knees to pull the dog to safety.

"You can do it. You can do it," Bryant could be heard saying as he coaxed the dog out. "Come on! There we go! How are you?"

Bryant was captured in video posted by the fire department cuddling the dog as he checked for any injuries.

The family that found the dog took it to an emergency veterinarian to see if he was chipped and belonged to someone. He wasn't so he was sent to the Charleston Animal Society where he was put up for adoption.

Bryant said that when he found out that no one had claimed him, he went in for the rescue again. He said his family had lost a dog three years ago and had been looking for a new one.

"This is meant to be. He's my dog and he's coming home with me!" the firefighter said in a touching video posted by the Animal Society in April.

Bryant said he was looking forward to getting the dog home and into a stable environment, and "just giving him the love that he deserves."

Bryant said his family already had a fitting name for the pooch: "We’re going to call him Rocky!"

In April, the two were reunited.

"Every day I go to work and save people. Some days, I'm lucky enough to save an animal," Bryant said in a video posted by North Charleston. "I mean, how can you not fall in love with him whenever you pull him out out of the little rubble that he's in and the first thing that he does is kisses you on the face. ... [I've] been on a high ever since."

Bryant took time to recognize all the first responders who helped save Rocky, from the dispatcher who took the call to the police officers who joined in that day to help.

"We have an amazing bunch of people," he said.