Puppy rescued at local canal

Boynton police had been practicing exercises nearby

Tatiana Idrobo, 22, took her 11.5-pound, 7-week-old huskypuppy, Anala, out for a walk, along with Minnie, her 4-year-old Yorkie, on a recentTuesday afternoon.

The sound of a duck in a canal distracted Anala, and “before I knew it, Anala had wriggled free of the leash and slipped into the canal,” Idrobo said.

Idrobo, whosays she’s not a good swimmer, called 911 and told the operator Anala was scared, floundering and had swallowed water. The embankment of the canal was steep, and Idrobo estimated the water was between 6 and 7 feet deep.

Luckily for Idrobo, the Boynton Beach Police Department was practicing SWAT exercises in the area, and when the call came over the radio, Sgt. Matthew Zeller responded immediately, as did other members of the force, including the supervisors from the detective bureau and SWATofficers.

“I was first on the scene, but I’m confident that whoever arrived would have done whatever they could to rescue Anala,” said Zeller, who had just finished practice and was on his way home to shower. “As soon as I got there, I ran toward the canal and took my gun belt off. I sawthe dog in the middle of the canal. She started to go under like she was tired andwas trying to come back to the embankment, but it was too steep, and she fell back in.

“I grabbed the bushes on my way down the embankment and reached out and grabbed her by the back of

SUBMITTED PHOTO Boynton Beach Police Department Sgt. Matthew Zeller rescued this 7-week-old husky puppy, Anala, from a canal.