Clearwater police rescue blind, deaf dog from canal

CLEARWATER, Fla., (WFLA) — Many animals were rescued during Hurricanes Helene and Milton, including a disabled dog that was trapped in a canal in Clearwater Beach.

The rescue happened within the days between the two hurricanes at Island Way Estates.

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"When I didn't hear [the dog], my heart stopped and I was very ready to take my vest off and gun and jump in the water," Sgt. Michelle Mahoney said.

Mahoney is an animal lover, which is why she said it was a no brainer for her to do all she could to help a dog in trouble.

"I feel like it took an hour, but it probably only took minutes. Maybe five minutes," she said. "It felt like longer though just because of wanting to get it out and [being] worried about it."

People had begun looking for the dog around 11 p.m. that night. The sergeant said she ran into a woman who had spotted the dog on a bridge near the canal.

But when she went to look for the dog, it was gone.

"Knowing that the waterway is right here, I looked in and the dog was swimming," Mahoney said.

By then it was clear to the sergeant that the dog was tired and losing strength.

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"Another officer helped me kind of — we thought at the time — call it over, and it started coming toward me," Mahoney said. "And with my dog pole, I was able to grab it and pull it out of the water."

Once rescued, police were able to find the dog's owner. That's when they found out the dog couldn't see or hear them.

"The owner was actually looking for the dog prior to knowing I was with it, and she happened to be fairly close," the sergeant said. "So, she came over and leashed her dog up, and was super, super happy."

Mahoney said everyone was thankful the dog was safe, because if they didn't know to look for her, she might not have been found.

"If a dog is blind, they're not going to know where to go. So, it feels good we were able to get it while it was here and not if it floated out there," she added. "It was very desolate on Clearwater Beach, because of the hurricanes. So, I don't know how many people would have seen it."

The sergeant cautioned owners to keep an eye on their animals as many pets can be easily spooked by storms.