Police officer saves dog trapped in Mesa canal
Aug 3, 2017, 2:17 PM
PHOENIX — A police officer came to the rescue of a dog that was trapped in a Mesa canal on Monday and the rescue was caught on video.
The Mesa Police Department said the dog, Sparky, was on a walk with his owner, John, when he spotted some ducks in the canal and jumped in after them.
John said he would have gone in after Sparky but could not spot the dog after it was swept away by the current.
“If I had sight of him in that canal, it would have been both of us in there,” he said.
About 30 minutes later, someone spotted Sparky in the canal near Center and Brown roads and called police. Officer Robert Goodrich, a three-year veteran of the department, responded and was able to pluck the dog from the water.
Brian Yeager, who posted video of the rescue to YouTube, said Sparky was swimming back and forth across the canal in an attempt to get out.
Sparky had a microchip and, after being taken to a veterinarian to be checked out, was returned home to John.
“I can’t thank everyone enough,” John, a Vietnam War veteran who had been diagnosed with PTSD, said. “It’s all wonderful. It’s a miracle.”
