A Florida trooper woke up to find himself somewhat of an Internet star, after a photo someone snapped of him without knowing went viral over the weekend.
The photo showed Deputy Joshua Fiorelli comforting a dog that had been hit by a car. Both were in the grass on the side of the road, in Kissimmee, Florida, and Fiorelli had taken off his coat to wrap the injured pup in. He stayed by the dog’s side until animal services arrived and were able to assess its condition, before taking it to a shelter.
Carlos Irizzy snapped the photo in question: he was out walking his own dog and was touched by what he was seeing. He posted it to social media because he thought such a kind gesture is not “something you see every day,” and the reaction it got proved him right.
However, Fiorelli tells WFTV that he only did what he knew in his heart was right: he saw the injured dog and ran to offer whatever assistance he could.
“It was cold out. She was wet. She didn't have anyone there so I dedicated to be that person,” he tells the media outlet. “I know a lot of dogs become defensive when they get hurt. She was not defensive at all.”
The dog is now at the Osceola County Animal Shelter, where it’s being prepared to undergo surgery for a dislocated leg. According to the latest update from WFTV, it’s expected to make a full recovery. It doesn’t have a chip and no one has come to claim it yet.
The shelter is using the wave of media attention they’re getting thanks to the pic to remind dog owners to chip their pets, so as to be able to track them down when they’re lost or injured.
Carlos Irizzy snapped the photo in question: he was out walking his own dog and was touched by what he was seeing. He posted it to social media because he thought such a kind gesture is not “something you see every day,” and the reaction it got proved him right.
However, Fiorelli tells WFTV that he only did what he knew in his heart was right: he saw the injured dog and ran to offer whatever assistance he could.
“It was cold out. She was wet. She didn't have anyone there so I dedicated to be that person,” he tells the media outlet. “I know a lot of dogs become defensive when they get hurt. She was not defensive at all.”
The dog is now at the Osceola County Animal Shelter, where it’s being prepared to undergo surgery for a dislocated leg. According to the latest update from WFTV, it’s expected to make a full recovery. It doesn’t have a chip and no one has come to claim it yet.
The shelter is using the wave of media attention they’re getting thanks to the pic to remind dog owners to chip their pets, so as to be able to track them down when they’re lost or injured.