See Police Officer Help Rescue 3 Pit Bulls Trapped Inside Sewer Drain
The dogs were freed from a sewer in Florida.
— -- One Florida police officer happened to be in the right place at the right time last week after finding and assisting in the rescue of three frightened pit bulls trapped inside a sewage drain.
"I am a a big dog lover," Officer Matthew Rush of the Cocoa Police Department told ABC News. "When we get a call like this, you could just turn it over to animal control, but I didn’t want to leave."
Rush said he was driving on the highway at 7:45 a.m. on Oct. 21 during a routine shift patrol when he heard excessive barking next to the car door.
"I got out and I came up to this sewer," he said. "I looked down in the sewer and you could see all three pit bulls. They looked all scared and distressed. That’s when I notified my dispatch 'Hey, we need to get animal control over here.' I later found out right before leaving and there was a big sewer drain and they must have dug their way down and gotten stuck."
Rush said within minutes animal control arrived on the scene. The fire department was able to remove the heavy grate, freeing the three gray pups, who were all in good health.
After 45 minutes the dogs were pulled out of the sewer and returned to their rightful owner. Twelve responders showed up to help with the rescue.
The Cocoa Police Department shared footage of the rescue shot by ABC affiliate WFTV, where it has received over 24 million views.