Dog Saved By Officers Needs Help For Recovery

MIAMI (CBS4) - A dog is alive because a quick-thinking and caring police officer saved her life.

The German Shepherd was hit by a car and left to die Monday night.

"It broke my heart," said Miami-Dade Police Detective Roy Rutland, who was driving by just as the hit-and-run driver was taking off.

"I stopped, I hesitated whether or not I was going to go after him, or address the dog, and when I rolled my window down and looked at the dog, literally the dog was crying out for help," said Rutland.

He found Miami-Dade officer Debbie Hilliard-Johnson nearby.

"Anytime an officer asks for assistance, you don't think about it, you just do it," said Hilliard-Johnson.

She helped get the dog to an animal clinic and away from 36th Street and NW 24th Avenue.

"We have to protect them, because they don't know that's a busy, busy street," said Hilliard-Johnson.

Detective Rutland paid $200 out of his own pocket for the dog's medicine, but was told it might not survive.

"In my mind, the dog was going to be dead this morning," said Rutland.

But the dog survived. It's now at Miami-Dade Animal Services and might have a broken leg. But the shelter does not have an x-ray machine.

"Unfortunately here at Animal Services, we don't have the resources we need to provide the level of medical care that we'd like to," said Kathleen Labrada at the shelter.

And that's where you come in. If you'd like to help this dog, contact Miami-Dade Animal Services.

The dog has a micro-chip, but it is not registered, meaning the owner can't be found.

Detective Rutland said he'd love to adopt the dog, but he is very allergic.

To contact Miami-Dade Animal Services, call (305) 884-1101