Woodbridge Officer Saves Drowning Dog from Arthur Kill

Woodbridge, NJ - A Woodbridge Animal Control officer risked his own life Monday morning to save a runaway dog that somehow swam into the freezing waters of Arthur Kill — and was slowly drowning to death.

Early Monday morning, a 911 call via the Woodbridge police came into Woodbridge Township Animal Control: A dog was running loose in Alvin Williams Park in Sewaren. The dog had a collar, and a leash attached as it ran wildly. Someone tried to catch the pooch, but was unable to.

When Animal Control Officers Austin Clyburn and Sue Schaefer arrived, the dog had run into a marshy, high-brush area near the Sewaren Marina. Then Woodbridge Police Officer Stephanie Anderson spotted the dog swimming in the cold, fast-moving waters of the Arthur Kill waterway, the channel of water that separates New Jersey from Staten Island.

The officers called the dog to shore, and at first he began swimming towards them. Then, the dog abruptly turned around and began to swim farther out. The officers watched, helpless, as the dog began to lose strength and flipped over in the water.

That’s when Clyburn decided to jump in. He dove in, swam out and managed to grab the animal and swim him back to shore, a township spokesman told Patch.

Clyburn was taken by ambulance to JFK Hospital for hypothermia; the dog was rushed to the Woodbridge Veterinary Group to also be treated for hypothermia. Both were subsequently treated and released. That’s the dog above, thanking Clyburn for saving his life.

The dog is an adult intact male, Corgi mix, somewhere in the range of 8 years old, animal rescuers said. Although he was found with a collar and a leash, he has no tags or microchip. Please spread the word if you know this dog!

Photo credit: Woodbridge Animal Group