He just couldn't bear the thought of her being all alone again.
What would you do if you came across a stray animal? Will you give it up or help it? This is a matter of course for Lakeland Police Officer Kareem Garibaldi (Kareem Garibaldi). He wants to ensure the safety of this stray animal.
And that is exactly what he did. Officer Garibaldi was monitoring the neighborhood early Saturday morning when he noticed a pit bull roaming through it. The puppy was about eight to ten weeks old and had no identification or tag. Officer Garibaldi traveled throughout the area looking for his master.
When his search revealed no results, he surrendered the dog to the Lakeland Police Department. He fed the dog and provided him with a makeshift shelter to live in while he finished his shift. And what did Officer Garibaldi do after his shift? He brought the dog home and cared for him. What a selfless person! But he didn't give up looking. He snapped photos of the puppy and shared them on social media in the hopes of locating its owner. Unfortunately, his search produced no results. But he needed to make sure the puppy was all right. And he took him to the SPCA of Florida to be examined. Officer Garibaldi remained by his side at all times.
Connie Johnson, the SPCA shelter's safety net manager, noticed them at that point. Johnson told The Dodo, "I came in and that's when I noticed him and the puppy." “He was tired, the dog was tired, and they were both sleeping. It was one of those heart-wrenching moments. He was so determined to get her assistance.” Officer Garibaldi had to wait another three hours while the dog, eventually named Hope, was examined.
“It was obviously a selfless act. He had no intention of returning home to sleep. “He was considering what he could do to assist this puppy survive,” Johnson noted. “He actually woke up at one point to check on her, then went back to sleep.” nt-family: "Yu Gothic Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-Latin;">
Johnson took this photo because she wanted to prove that good people and good activities must be recognized. “This must be made public. “This is a truly noble act,” Johnson told The Ledger. “He had been awake all night, but he was determined to keep this baby safe.” Officer Garibaldi, on the other hand, felt this was a natural thing for him to do.
In fact, he paid for the Veterinarian appointment out of his own cash. When they were finished, Officer Garibaldi returned Hope to the police station. What happened in the police station, by the way? Hope was spotted by a dispatcher who fell in love with him. Hope that day I found a new home forever! And it's all thanks to Officer Garibaldi, who sacrificed his life to ensure the safety of another living creature.
The Lakeland Police Department honored him with the Hometown Hero Award for his unselfish efforts. “It is cops like him who make the Lakeland Police Department genuinely distinctive. Officer Garibaldi found the energy at the end of his shift to help man's best buddy despite having worked a long weekend,” Lakeland said on Facebook.
To learn more about Garibaldi and Hope, please watch the video below.