Police officers face many different rescue calls, but for the Glendale Police Department, Arizona, one particular mission stands out as especially memorable.
This unusual rescue involved a German Shepherd in distress, a creative plan, and some very unlikely bait: homemade muffins.
Muffins To The Rescue
The Glendale Police Department received a call from a worried passerby reporting a dog in trouble.
When officers arrived, they discovered a German Shepherd trapped in a canal. The poor pup was exhausted, frantically swimming back and forth with no way out.
According to the department’s Facebook post, officer Sorenson immediately jumped into action. He removed his ballistic vest and gun before entering the canal to try and save the dog.
Unfortunately, the frightened animal kept swimming away from him, too skittish to be caught. That’s when officer Downey came up with a clever solution.
He remembered that he had pumpkin muffins his wife had baked for his patrol shift. Maybe, he thought, they could be used to lure the tired dog closer.
Bodycam footage shows him walking back to his patrol car and retrieving the muffins.
“Try this, it’s my wife’s pumpkin muffins,” officer Downey said, handing one of the treats to officer Sorenson.
A Sweet Plan That Worked
The plan may have sounded strange, but it worked like a charm. Those homemade muffins must have been irresistible because the dog finally came closer.
“Officer Sorensen was able to use the muffins as a tool to get the dog close, at which time, he grabbed onto his collar and removed him from the canal,” the Glendale Police Department explained in their #FeelGoodFriday Facebook post.
“There goes my muffin,” officer Downey joked at the end of the video, clearly delighted that his wife’s baked goods helped save the pup.
Watch the video below to see the officers’ creative rescue in action:
A Happy Ending
Thankfully, the dog wasn’t injured and was quickly reunited with his owner, who lived just down the street.
This lighthearted rescue shows that sometimes the most unexpected tools, like a simple muffin, can make all the difference.
At the end of their post, the department added: “Great work by our patrol officers! Hopefully, Officer Downey’s wife was able to whip up a new batch of muffins for him!”
After such a heroic effort, we can all agree that officer Downey deserves plenty more muffins for helping save a very lucky German Shepherd.
Great job to the Glendale Police Department for keeping every member of the community, human and canine, safe and sound.