Alameda Police Department’s Animal Control Officers Emily Crum and Alaina Onesko are well known around town for their compassion and skill with rescuing animals, but sometimes they go above and beyond the normal call of duty to help.
[1]Recently, when a blind pedestrian and guide dog were struck by a vehicle that was backing out of a driveway, Crum and Onesko were called to assist at the scene, according to an APD report [2] on Facebook.
Thankfully, no injuries were sustained in the accident. But while they were on the scene, ACO Crum and ACO Onesko noticed that the guide dog’s vision was obstructed by overgrown hair and learned that the dog had not been properly groomed for quite some time.
The dog’s obstructed vision made it harder for him to safely assist his companion. The owner shared that they had been trying to get their dog groomed, but were turned away due to a missing vaccine. Despite ongoing efforts, circumstances beyond their control made updating the vaccine difficult. Crum and Onesko immediately jumped into action, the APD report stated.
The ACOs connected with Pup Spa [3], a mobile dog-grooming service. After hearing the story, Pup Spa generously offered to provide grooming services free of charge.
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[5]Following a fresh new haircut for the guide dog, Crum and Onesko administered vaccines to ensure the dog is up to date.
Now both guide dog and owner are back out exploring Alameda again—with confidence.
“A huge thank-you to Officers Crum and Onesko for their compassion and dedication, and to Pup Spa for their tremendous act of kindness,” APD stated in its report. “This is what community looks like.”