It was out of the frying pan and into the fire for one little mixed-breed puppy on Saturday.
Just 4 months old, Bee Bee has already experienced a lot in his short life, and now he can add “rescued by police” to the list.
Bee Bee hails from the Caribbean. Animal Haven rescue in New York partners with a nonprofit organization in Antigua to try to find homes for stray dogs there.
“We’re trying to remove as many animals off the island before we get to the summer months when hurricane season hits,” Tiffany Lacey, executive director of Animal Haven, told the New York Post. “Their temperament is wonderful. They’re very, very sweet dogs.”
Bee Bee may be sweet, but after all his adventures, he’s lacking a bit in the courage department.
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“This 3-month-old little dude recently flew to NYC from the Caribbean island of Antigua, where he’d been rescued from a life on the streets,” Animal Haven posted on Facebook on March 7. “He’s still pretty unsure of people at first but gradually warms, especially if you offer delicious treats.
“We’ve been actively working with him, helping Bee Bee adjust to the newness and excitement of NYC, and he’s making progress! He still startles at loud sounds and sudden movements, but Bee Bee’s getting a little better every day.”
His shyness is certainly understandable, and nothing a little time, affection and trust-building won’t solve, but it didn’t help him any when Saturday’s events transpired.
Can Liu, who works at Animal Haven and was fostering Bee Bee, was taking Bee Bee out for a walk along with his own two dogs. They were enjoying the sights and sounds along the East River and were near the South Street Seaport around 9 a.m. when a loose dog came barreling at them.
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The off-leash dog, whose owners were nearby, attacked Liu’s rottweiler. As Liu tried to intervene, Bee Bee got free.
“He latched onto my dog’s face,” Liu said of the aggressing canine. “I was trying to separate them. The little guy must have gotten spooked by the big dog, then he was wandering around.”
Trying to help, one of the off-leash dog’s owners approached Bee Bee to try to secure him, but he wasn’t having that and ran — directly into the very cold river.
“He’s scared of people,” Liu said. “I guess he found like a crevice by the pier and just jumped in.”
The cold water quickly picked up the puppy and carried him under Pier 17.
“That’s when everybody started freaking out,” Liu said. “This is like a little 4-month-old puppy in freezing cold water.”
A worker at a nearby bar had seen what had happened and called the police. The New York Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit was soon on the scene and in the water.
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Photos of Bee Bee’s rescue show just how terrified he was during the ordeal, but soon he was safe a cozy back at the rescue.
“He seems fine now, much better,” Liu said. “He’s eating. He’s still playing.”
Additional pictures of a very relieved puppy “BeBe” as our #ESU members pass him off to his anxiously awaiting owner pic.twitter.com/BgSY7bp6ew
— NYPD Special Ops (@NYPDSpecialops) April 2, 2022
And it looks like this pup might be getting a bit of stability in his life now, as someone spotted him and took a shine to the timid puppy. Local Rayshon Modeste and his family have adopted from Animal Haven before and had a dog named Dash.
Modeste said as soon as he saw Bee Bee’s photo, he was smitten.
“My soul talked with Bee Bee just from the picture I saw of him on the website, the same way my soul talked with Dash,” he said.
Hopefully, life will be a little less exciting for Bee Bee until he can settle in and warm up to his new family.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
