Senior Dog Stuck At Bottom Of Icy Hill Saved By Officer

HANOVER, MD — As Marylanders shivered under the blanket of snow and ice Mother Nature dumped on the state, emergency responders were working overtime helping everyone they could — including a sweet senior dog who couldn't climb back up an icy hill to warmth and safety.

As the sun was peeking through trees in Melissa Hargreaves' back yard Tuesday morning, she was alerted to a problem unfolding outside. Her 13-year-old dog, Phred, had been walking in the back yard, safe at the top of the hill, while her human buddy was sledding.

Suddenly, the dog lost her footing on the ice and slid all the way down the hill. Once she reached the bottom of the back yard hill by the fence, Phred realized she couldn't get back up to the house.

Hargreaves attempted to rescue her fur baby by placing her on a sled and pulling her back up the hill, but that mission fell through. She couldn't lift the dog either. Out of options, she called the police department to see if they could spare an officer to help rescue her senior dog.

At 7:41 a.m., Howard County Police Officer Bittner entered the family's yard. His body cam footage shows him carefully trudging down the icy and snowy hill to Hargreaves and her dog. (See video below.)

Hargreaves told the police officer her dog was terrified.

"She just went sliding down the hill," Hargreaves said. "She's like, 'I'm ready to just get inside and get warm.'"

Bittner asked if the dog would be okay with him carrying her back up the hill and the owner replied, "She's so sweet. I just can't lift her."

As the officer gingerly but firmly lifted the senior dog, he said, "Alright girl, hopefully I don't go down with you."

In the end, everyone safely made it back up the hill and the dog gave a happy little body shake once she was set down at the top. Watch the rescue in the Howard County Police Department's body cam footage below.