What is it that comes to your mind when you think about a hero? If you are like most people, you probably envision something out of a movie, such as a man flying around the city wearing a cape. In fact, there are heroes that live among us that include everything from everyday individuals who do amazing things to first responders, who put themselves in the line of fire. One of those heroes is a police officer from the Lakeland, Florida Police Department. His name is Kareem Garibaldi and he became a hero in 2016 in a very touching way.
As he was working a very long shift over the weekend, he came across a small puppy that was running the streets. In fact, he almost hit the puppy with his police car. Fortunately, he was able to miss the dog and he brought her into the patrol car and named her Hope. For two days, he searched the neighborhood to find out who owns this puppy and when he was unable to do so, he decided to take matters into his own hands. It was after a very long shift overnight that he took the dog to the SPCA to make sure that she was okay and he stayed by her side for over three hours.
One of the workers at the SPCA was able to grab a picture of him resting beside the dog in the waiting room. They said: “City of Lakeland Police Department Officer Garibaldi snoozing after rescuing a puppy named Hope this morning following a long shift.”
Although this happened in 2016, it is still a story that warms our hearts. It went viral online and eventually, a dispatcher from the police department brought the dog home and gave her the TLC she needed and a forever home.