A beloved family dog was saved by police on Wednesday following a fire in a South Ozone Park home.
On May 23, police and firefighters responded to a 911 call at 12:56 p.m. about a blaze on 109th Avenue near 130th Street.
Sources said the fire started on the first floor of the house when a plumber was working on the first floor bathroom and performing welding work.
Police Officer Michael Leary of the 106th Precinct was among the responding personnel, and made sure that the mother and son who were inside exited the home safely.
After all members of the family were removed from the house, police said, a female resident informed Officer Leary that their dog Champ was still inside.
Putting his own safety at risk, police said, Leary re-entered the home and heard the dog barking in the basement. The officer retrieved the pet and brought him outside to his family’s waiting arms.
All members of the family, including Champ, were safely removed and did not suffer any injuries.
Officials said that the FDNY were able to successfully extinguish the fire a short time later.
Captain Brian J. Bohannon Jr., commander of the 106th Precinct, praised the officer’s work in a post to the precinct’s Twitter page.
After a mother and son were forced to evacuate their house because of a fire, they told Officer Leary of the 106th Precinct that their dog Champ was still inside. Officer Leary rushed in, heard Champ barking and retrieved the beloved pet unscathed. pic.twitter.com/S7u56gorbA
— NYPD 106th Precinct (@NYPD106Pct) May 24, 2018
