Lake County Sheriff’s Department officers on Tuesday afternoon rescued a dog caught on the roof of a three-story house in Gary after the Fire Department refused to do it.
A bystander who’d spotted the dog on top of the house around 1 p.m. February 4 flagged down an officer near 18th and Malcolm X Drive, Lake County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman Pam Jones said in a release Tuesday night. When the Gary Fire Department was contacted, they declined to help because they didn’t want to risk firefighters’ safety, she said.
Lake County officers then asked workers with the nearby Townsend Tree Company to bring out a boom lift or cherry picker to snag the dog, Jones said. Once they got it down safely, Gary Animal Control and Silver Strays Rescue took it.
“I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to (the officers) for their bravery and compassion. We thank them for going above and beyond the call of duty,” Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said in the release. “Also, a big thanks to Townsend Tree Company, Gary Animal Control, Silver Strays and all of the members of the community who pitched in to save the dog.
“It’s wonderful to see so many people working together to help an animal in need.”
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
