Sometimes a hero comes along with their courage and selflessness, simply second to none. And when that hero gets involved in animal rights, a whole world of pet lovers gathers to protest. One such hero is Detective Julia Caldwell of the Ewing, NJ, police department.
Caldwell made headlines earlier this month when she saved the life of a beautiful shepherd girl caught in a house fire. At 9 a.m. on June 2, Ewing police responded to reports of a house fire on Browning Avenue.
Thankfully, by the time police arrived, members of the household were safely out of the blazing flames. And it seems that within minutes, police and firefighters have a lot of trouble finding a safe entrance to the house due to the location of the fire.
While safety officials tried to bring the fire under control, dispatchers received word from the family that their beloved dog, Lei Lei, was still trapped inside. Hearing this news, Detective Caldwell immediately ran around the side of the house looking for the entrance to the room where Lei Lei was trapped.
Officials informed Caldwell of the dog’s location and pointed her toward a small window as a safe entry point. Caldwell’s colleagues surveyed the size of the window, informing her that there was no way she could fit it:
“Yes I can. Clock!” Caldwell said.
Caldwell ducked through the small window and located Lightning, terrified and trapped in her pen. Caldwell immediately ran to the petrified dog and started playing with the locks all the time, assuring Lei Lei that everything would be fine.
“We have to move here fast, man,” Caldwell said to the puppy, “I have friends, honey, I have friends. Stay strong, sweet angel.”
When the pen was opened, Caldwell approached Lei Lei. “I will help you,” she said. Caldwell wrapped Lei Lei in a blanket and carried her across the room, carrying her through an open window and into the arms of a colleague. Lei Lei was safe from the fire.
In the tape recording of Caldwell’s bodycam footage, released by the Ewing police department, we can hear dispatchers desperately trying to inform officers of Lei’s location. Caldwell jumped on the radio, assuring dispatch that the puppy had been taken to safety. “I took him out. He was out,” the heroic officer reported.
Caldwell was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation and is expected to make a full recovery. And according to all sources, Lei Lei will also make a full recovery. Thank you Detective Caldwell for your selflessness and bravery. You are a real hero!
