Maine: Police credited with helping save German shepherd that fell from roof

MAINE -- Casper, a 10-year-old German shepherd, was awaiting the return of his owners the evening of July 19 when, for some reason, he jumped or leaned against a window screen on an upper floor of the sea captain's home where he resides.

Next, Casper is sliding down the roof, his claws gouging the shingles as he tries to stop his fall.

When Gwen Mallozzi, who owns the home, and her best friend Linda McCuen, Casper's owner, returned from dinner in town, they discovered Casper fell about 10 to 12 feet to the hard ground. Fortunately, he missed striking any tools that were scattered around the yard, as the house is undergoing major construction, Mallozzi said.

Casper, left, rests in the back of a vehicle after he
tumbled out of an upstairs window and fell about
10 feet to the ground. Photo: Gwen Mallozzi

Mallozzi said Casper was in shock following his fall, but he managed to make it inside and up some stairs before he eventually collapsed. Unsure how badly he might be hurt, Mallozzi and McCuen maintained a vigil through the night, their anxiety growing as Casper's condition deteriorated.

“The dog was in agony,” Mallozzi said.

By now it's early in the morning of July 20 and that's when Mallozzi and McCuen reached out to a veterinarian to get Casper help. That veterinarian was unable to get to the house so the two reached out to Belfast Police Department, desperate for any assistance officers could offer.

Sgt. John Gibbs and Officer Mike Rolerson happened to be on duty that morning and went to Mallozzi's home on Searsport Avenue. Gibbs said when they arrived they found Casper in “a tremendous amount of pain.”

Because they were afraid moving Casper could cause further injury, Gibbs and Rolerson reached out to a local veterinarian in town who was able to send someone to Mallozzi's home. At about the same time, Gibbs and Rolerson were called away to handle a two-vehicle crash just a short distance from the home.

Once Casper was made more comfortable, he was loaded onto a gurney and taken to an animal hospital where he was being treated as of July 21, Mallozzi said. Surprisingly, despite his fall, Mallozzi said Casper did not break any bones.

“He [Casper] got banged up really, really badly,” she said.

Mallozzi credited Gibbs and Rolerson for Casper's positive prognosis because the two officers responded so quickly to her call for help. For Gibbs, though, Wednesday's incident was no different from other calls for service.

A quick glance through the department's Facebook page shows numerous posts about wayward dogs found around the city, or announcements about missing felines. More recently, officers handled a slightly more unusual call when a woman contacted police after a young raccoon crawled into her vehicle's wheel well and refused to budge. That situation was resolved once the critter was coaxed out of his hiding spot with a little gentle persuasion.

“We just treated [Casper] like he was a human,” Gibbs said.

Mallozzi said she is hopeful Casper can return home soon to continue his recovery.

“The puppy gods were watching out for him,” she said.

(The Republican Journal - July 27, 2016)