Every call Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) crews respond to comes with a degree of uncertainty. So when they received a report last Friday about “ducklings trapped in a garbage bin,” they weren’t sure exactly what they would find.
MDFR’s Engine 48 quickly
responded to the scene, but when the crew looked inside the bin, they were shocked.
“When they arrived, they instead found a dog inside,” MDFR wrote on Instagram.
To their surprise, there were no ducklings to be saved. Instead, a black Lab-mix pup was hiding in the dumpster, panting under the sweltering sun.
The firefighters carefully approached the dog and soon gained his trust enough to check him for injuries. They were thrilled to learn that he wasn’t hurt in any way, but when they checked for a nametag or phone number to call, they came up empty-handed.
The crew had no idea how long he’d been in the garbage bin or where he’d initially come from. But after meeting him for just a few seconds, they felt as though they’d known him forever and promised not to leave him behind.
They drove the dog back to their fire station, where he received VIP treatment and a new name.
“There, firefighters gave him food, a bath, and a safe place to stay,” MDFR wrote. “They also decided to call him Jack.”
You can see more footage from Jack’s rescue here:
Jack fit in with the crew as if he’d always been there. And he soon landed a temporary home with one of his rescuers while waiting to be adopted.
“One of the firefighters has taken him home and is fostering him while he waits for a permanent home,” MDFR wrote.
Not every call that MDFR responds to leads to gaining a new crew member. But after finding Jack in the dumpster and taking him home with them, the Engine 48 crew has grown by four paws — and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
“What started as an unexpected call for Engine 48 turned into a second chance for Jack and, hopefully soon, the beginning of his next chapter with his new forever home,” MDFR wrote.
