Little Dog Who Got Lost on the Subway Tracks Gets Heartwarming Rescue
It was frightening ordeal that no dog lover would want to experience. Dakota, aka Loppy the dog, was playing with her dog walker at a park in Brooklyn, New York, when she got loose and ran away.
The scared dog ran to a familiar place, the New York subway, where she ended up inside the dark and dangerous subway tunnel.
Being that the NYC subway runs off of an electrified rail, workers immediately shut the trains down and cut power to the subway once they heard that Loppy was loose somewhere in the tracks.
What happened next is a touching story of people coming together to help a tiny dog and her distraught human, Caroline Francis.
Coroline shared her story of Loppy’s heartwarming rescue:
“Yesterday, my best friend had a horrifying accident. While playing with her dog walker at the dog park, Loppy (known by most of you as Dakota) escaped. She ran—far—to the subway. It’s a familiar place for her, we commute together every day. She entered, ran across the platform, and at some point either fell or jumped in.
“The next hour and a half was brutal. The NYPD and MTA shut the train lines down and turned the power off the tracks. They patiently dealt with my wailing and begging to be let on the tracks, while they searched miles of pitch black tunnels for my little girl.”
“Over an hour later, things were looking devastatingly bleak. And then a miracle happened. An MTA officer took it upon herself to explore the tracks several stations away. And, against all odds, she found Loppy. Freezing, filthy, terrified, and with blood across her face.
“The joy I felt when the police officer showed me a photo and said ‘Is this her?’ was all-consuming. Being reunited with this little creature is something more powerful than I can explain.
“Loppy is recovering at Blue Pearl hospital. As of this morning, she’s doing really well. She appears to have slight damage to her lungs from the fall, but the docs are optimistic that she can recover quickly. She’s lost a number of teeth, but minor surgery should solve that.”
“New York can feel like a cold, hard city. But this city—the NYPD and MTA in particular—rallied around me at my darkest hour. They saved my best friend. That warmth and support moves me in a way I can’t explain. To all the commuters who got stuck for 60+ minutes, know that your sacrifice saved her life—thank you. I’ve been so touched by all who have reached out with kind words.
“Please keep Loppy in your thoughts as she recovers. Hug your loved ones extra tight. And, if you are a New Yorker, feel that New York pride burning extra bright today.”
“Thank you a thousand times over to the NYPD, NYPD-Transit District, MTA New York City Transit, Vinegar Hill Veterinary Group, BluePearl Veterinary Partners, and Patricia, our incredible dog walker (without her fast action I don’t know what would have happened). You are all my heroes. And to Sanya Hill, who found my little pup, you have no idea how grateful I am.”
MTA Supervisor Sanya Hill had the idea to search the tracks several stations away and found Loppy a mile away from where she entered the subway. Loppy was shaking in fear and curled up at the back of the subway platform, but no doubt relieved that someone had found her.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10213179675021510&set=a.10208489909180295.1073741825.1084350211&type=3&theater
Caroline says that Loppy has now been discharged from the hospital and is “doing great”. “Her big sis Sadie is watching over her like a hawk – sort of amazing, they’ve never been close, but now Sadie won’t leave her side.”
She added that Loppy will get minor oral surgery in a few weeks, “but other than that should be able to heal up nicely on her own. So very grateful.”
It’s a happy ending for everyone involved.
