DUNDALK, Md. — A Baltimore County police officer climbed onto the roof of a two-story townhome on Pine Street in Dundalk to rescue a schnauzer that had crawled out an open window and become stuck.
The dog, named Silver, belongs to Stella Franco, who said she never allows her dogs into the top room of her home. On Tuesday, Silver found her way up there, got out a rear window, and ended up stranded on the roof.
"Silver is a chaser, so she goes after squirrels, also after birds. She's a very free spirit, so she probably saw an animal, tried to catch her, and she got herself stuck in the roof," Franco told WMAR-2 News.
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A neighbor called for help, and video captured the rescue as it unfolded.
Officer Alex Flores of the Baltimore County Police Department first attempted to reach Silver from inside the home.
"One of the residents was kind enough to let me into her home, let me into her attic, where I was able to be eye level with the dog. I was hoping I wouldn't have to go onto the roof, but every time the dog would get close to the window I was at he would just run away," Flores said.
Flores then climbed onto the roof, and coaxed Silver close enough to be retrieved. The fire department assisted in getting them both safely back down.
"The minute I got on the roof and she saw me, she just ran right to me," Flores told WMAR-2 News.
"The police officer, for me, I would hug her," Franco said, "Because she had saved my dog. My dog could have been injured, could have killed herself, break her bones, out of exhaustion could have fallen. I'm very blessed that she went above and beyond her service."
On Wednesday afternoon, Silver was in the care of Baltimore County Animal Services, which visited the home to conduct a welfare check.
A spokesperson said a veterinary exam and welfare checks on the other pets in the home are part of an ongoing investigation. Silver will remain in county custody pending those results.
For Flores, the rooftop climb was simply part of the job.
"I did my job, that's what I'm there to do. As a police officer, I wear a lot of hats. I guess animal services happens sometimes to be one of them," Ofc. Flores laughed. "But I went out there and did my job."
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