Rescuing a stray dog is not a police officer’s duty, yet some caring cops do it anyhow. Some people truly wish to assist children who are unable to help themselves. One of those outstanding persons is Officer Kareem Garibaldi of the Lakeland Police Department in Florida.

Officer Garibaldi worked a Saturday early morning shift in May 2016. He nearly hit a little Pit/Boxer mix dog while driving his patrol cruiser. The 8-to-10-week-old puppy lacked identification tags and wore no collar, and he was moving about freely.

Officer Garibaldi took the search for the puppy’s family into his own hands because he had no number to call or address to return to. He went around the area the next day and uploaded images on social media platforms in the hopes that someone would identify her. No such luck.

He brought the puppy to the LPD for food and warmth till the end of his shift because he couldn’t find any family members. He would never abandon her.

Officer Garibaldi realized he had more to do for this dog at the end of his third straight day working 12-hour shifts. He transported the dog to the SPCA Florida Medical Center for care and examination on his own time away from work.

Officer Garibaldi waited in the waiting room from 8:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. while the veterinarian examined the puppy. Connie Johnson, the shelter’s safety net manager, came upon the two that morning and snapped the now-viral shot.

“I could not resist taking this picture when I walked into the clinic at SPCA Florida this morning. Officer Kareen totally went out of his way after working all night to make sure this puppy was safe and sound. Thank you so much for all you do!! You are such an inspiration.”

After a hard weekend, the poor man definitely wanted to sleep, but he had other priorities. The poignant tale was published by the Lakeland Police Department on Facebook, where it gained a lot of attention.

“It’s the kind-hearted officers like this that makes the Lakeland Police Department truly unique. Having worked a long weekend, Officer Garibaldi still found the energy at the end of his shift to help man’s best friend.”

Johnson basically reiterated the department’s position. She emphasized the officer’s kind attitude toward this dog.

“It clearly was a selfless thing to do. He wasn’t thinking about getting home to sleep. He was thinking about what he could do to help this puppy survive. He actually woke up at one point just to see if she was OK, then he went back to sleep.”

Officer Garibaldi’s efforts, thankfully, proved tremendously beneficial. A dispatcher ended up adopting the dog later that day. She is now known as Hope, which is a fitting name for her.

The Lakeland Police Department stated that incidents like this occur all the time but are rarely reported.

“That is what happens with the officers in our department. So many of them do such wonderful things to help the community – but they are humble. They don’t do it for personal recognition so it usually goes unnoticed.”

Salutations to unsung heroes like Officer Garibaldi who go above and beyond for their furry friends. If she had the chance, Hope would definitely thank him again!

H/T: The Dodo 💚