Luckily, Officer Puglia saw what happened and acted quickly. Despite the serious danger to life and limb, Puglia stopped his car and rushed out onto Interstate 272 in order to save the hurt pup.

At first, Puglia wasn’t sure if the pup had survived the impact, but then he drew a breath of relief when he saw that the pup was still breathing. He wrapped the dog in an emergency blanket and then carried it back to his car.

Once the pup was safely in the car, Puglia notified dispatch of the situation and they, in turn, notified Pinellas Animal Hospital that Puglia was on his way to them with a hurt dog. Once Puglia and the pup got to the hospital, the pup received a thorough medical examination.

The vet then revealed the fantastic news that the little pup had not received any life-threatening injuries. He’d been left with some minor cuts and some soreness but was expected to make a full recovery. After receiving treatment for his minor wounds, the pup was taken to the local animal shelter where he’s waiting for his family to claim him. Nobody has been able to locate his family, but even if no one comes forward to claim him, he won’t have to spend too much time in the shelter. Officer Puglia’s family members have expressed a wish to adopt the little pup if his original family never turns up. The pup has been nicknamed “Lucky” and it’s certainly a fitting name; while some people devalue animal lives and don’t think they are as important as human lives, there are also people like Officer Puglia in the world who value all lives – big and small, human and non-human, and luckily, Puglia happened to be at the right place at the right time. Puglia saved this little pup’s life, and we’re sure that Lucky is forever grateful to him.