FREEPORT, Illinois (WIFR) – Two dogs were saved after their owners were unable to return home due to rising floodwaters.
Shawn Starry was unable to cross a bridge to his home due to flooding while his wife was at work.
Their two dogs, Chance and Snowy, were stuck at home.
“I figured I’d come back in the morning, hoping the water would be down by then enough that we could drive into our place. And at that point I realized the police were telling us that we could not cross the bridge at all,” Starry said.
So, he decided to reach out to the city for help.
The two dogs were picked up with an end loader and are waiting with animal control until their owners find a place to stay.
“I didn’t know if it was gonna get to a point where I had to sneak in and swim. I was going to do whatever it took, but I figured I’d reach out to city first and they came through, and they were really wonderful,” Starry said.
Altogether, Freeport firefighters rescued 14 dogs and eight cats from homes surrounded by floodwaters.
