There is no greater heroism than risking your own life to save others. Average people have this kind of perception, but for rescuers, police officers, and firefighters, it is just an ordinary working day.
Nevertheless, we always admire the heroism of these incredible people, especially when they participate in saving helpless animals like dogs.
This is exactly what visitors of the Houston Botanic Garden in Texas witnessed after a tiny Chihuahua got stuck under the bridge over the Sims Bayou channel.
The firefighter got his job done perfectly.
Her Lucky Day
On Friday, November 29, 2024, visitors of the Houston Botanic Garden noticed a tiny dog stuck on a concrete beam under the nearby bridge.
They informed the garden staff about the situation, after which these people immediately called two local Houston Fire Department stations for help.
“We love knowing that everyone and everything in and around the Garden is in good hands with these trained community helpers on the job,” the staff wrote in their Facebook post.
The firefighters were soon on the scene, and one of them immediately went into the water and started swimming toward the concrete beam under the bridge.
When he finally got there, the Chihuahua got so nervous that she couldn’t stop barking, and when he got even closer to her, she jumped into the water and started swimming to the other side.
After the loud screams of the visitors who watched this rescue mission from a safe distance, the firefighter jumped into the water again, swam toward the tiny dog, and finally managed to get her in his arms.
According to KHOU, it wasn’t an easy job for the firefighter to get the nervous and stubborn dog to the shore as she was constantly biting him while he was holding her in his arms.
In the video they posted on Facebook, it can also be seen that the dog continues to bark nervously at her savior even when she is in the safety of the coast.
Emotional Reunion
Despite all the difficulties, the Chihuahua whose name was Burbie was finally safe to the major delight of all the firefighters and the other visitors who were watching the rescue that day.
These people, however, did not know how the pup ended up there in the first place, and they were also unaware of her health condition.
Fortunately, a veterinary technician named Judy Hausler happened to be there that day and decided to take the dog with her and try to find her real family. According to KHOU‘s second article, the dog was with her overnight before she found her family.
Judy was over the moon because of this turn of events, stating: “It just worked out that I was there, and I said, ‘I’m going to take the dog, and I’ll find it a home.’”
She knew that the reunion would be heartwarming, but she could not have guessed that it would be so emotional. “She was emotional here, because when they jumped out of the car and I had her in my arms, wrapped in this blanket I let her keep, they were all crying,” Judy said.
Burbie’s owners were so happy because their best furry friend was saved that they did not know how to put it into words.
However, one of the owners eventually said: “We are very grateful for the efforts of the first responders and of everyone involved to help us bring our baby home. I don’t think that there’s anything that we could possibly do to repay the efforts of those involved, but I will say that I am very grateful.”
Since Burbie didn’t have a microchip, which was the reason they couldn’t find her for four days, they promised to take her to the vet the very next day and finally have her microchipped.