Victoria
John GurrieriA Dalton, Ga., police officer saved a Dalmatian hit by a car in the middle of Walnut Avenue.
The dog was rescued by Officer John Gurrieri, who took on part of the cost of her care out of his own pocket, according to a news release from the police department.
The accident happened on Sunday, June 30. The Dalmatian had a badly broken front left leg. Despite being hurt, it was trying to jump into Gurrieri's patrol car.
There are no emergency vet services in Dalton on the weekend, and officers were afraid the dog would be euthanized if animal control was called.
Gurrieri took the dog home, his family named the dog Victoria and drove her to the RIVER (Regional Institute for Veterinary Emergencies and Referrals) veterinary clinic in Chattanooga and paid more than $400 to have the dog's leg put into a splint.
"When I saw the extent of the injuries was only what appeared to be a broken leg, I just couldn't allow myself to see that dog be put down," Gurrieri said.
Surgery for the Victoria's leg, however, would cost more than $2,000. Family members of other Dalton officers got involved from there. Searching the internet, they found the Dalmatian Rescue of South Florida which agreed to cover the cost of amputating the dog's broken leg and to adopt the dog. Victoria will serve as a goodwill ambassador for the organization which is based in Miami. Victoria had surgery yesterday in Chattanooga to amputate her shattered leg and the Gurrieri family will drive her to Macon on Saturday to meet a plane which will carry her to her new home in the sunshine state.