An adorable boxer named Cody got himself in a very bad situation recently when he got trapped in a swamp with no way to get out. His owner looked on helplessly as Cody cried for help, and he called in emergency services to come and rescue him.
Deputy Matt Patellis from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office was called to the Hidden Oaks swamp to save the dog. As soon as he arrived on the scene, Patellis jumped into the swamp with no hesitation while still wearing his uniform!
“Well, believe it or not, it was nice. It was a little refreshing,” Patellis laughed afterwards.
The swamp was likely full of dangerous animals like alligators and snakes, but Patellis still put his own life at risk to rescue Cody.
“It was in the back of my mind, I just didn’t really focus on it,” Patellis said of the possibility of alligators being in the swamp. “I saw a dog that was crying and he just looked pathetic over there, so I just wanted to go get him out.”
The rescue ended up being a bit tougher than Patellis was expecting.
“The usual tricks didn’t work like ‘Hey buddy, do you want for a ride? Do you want a ride?’ He was just nervous. He started kind of backing away from me a little bit, so I was petting him and saying ‘It’s alright bud, we gotta get you over there,'” the officer said.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office praised Patellis for his bravery on Twitter.
DOG RESCUE! Check out video. When an owner reported her boxer was trapped and crying on the far side of a small lake, Dep. Matt Patellis went into the water to comfort the animal and get him back home safely. HCSO..always on duty, even in swamp water. #dontdrinkthewater #teamhcso pic.twitter.com/GAegp0oL1p
— HCSO (@HCSOSheriff) June 28, 2018
Patellis met up with Cody again a few days later so that the dog could thank him.
“He was a good dog. He was happy and afterwards he thanked me and gave me kisses and loving on me, so this is one of those calls that makes you smile at the end of the day,” the deputy officer said.
God bless this officer for doing whatever it took to save this dog! SHARE this story so your friends and family can see this as well!
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