Crews rescued a Golden Retriever stuck in a canal in southwest Miami-Dade Monday.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said bystanders witnessed the dog swimming for at least 20 minutes in the canal near Southwest 144th Street and 157th Avenue.
The responding crew has divers that are part of MDFR's Technical Rescue Team who are trained for these types of rescues.
They said the dog was in distress and exhausted when they arrived. They were able to jump in and retrieve her out of the water.
Capt. John Meizoso was one of the rescuers who jumped in to save the dog, assisted by his crew: Rick Reboso, Tony Marino and Mike Knott. Venom One was also on the scene.
"Her head was starting to dip in the water. So I think, had we waited a little bit longer, we may not have had a happy ending," Capt. Meizoso said.
"It was great to be able to save this dog and work as a team," Reboso expressed.
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The dog was taken to Miami-Dade Animal Services, where they discovered she has a microchip. The company has been contacted to help identify the owner.
"I think it was heroic of them to get to her, because she would not have been here for sure," said Maria Serrano with Animal Services.
While the dog is feeling better, including having a healthy appetite back, she has some hip and arthritis issues due to old age. She is estimated to be between 10 and 15 years of age.
MDFR said these types of situations can become very dangerous as bystanders sometimes jump in to assist and then become victims themselves, and they did the right thing by calling for help.
