Bus Driver Spots Two Lost Dogs in Freezing Cold, Helps Get Them Home Safely for Christmas
In the mad rush that amps up before the holidays, it can be easy to miss things or even to decide not to reach out and help with someone else’s problem when we have so many of our own to deal with. But despite the Christmas insanity that settles over many people, some are still able to step up and help when they see the opportunity.
Jamie Grabowski is one of those people. She’s a bus driver for the Milwaukee County Transit System, which — if you’ve been paying attention to stories of bus drivers doing good deeds — is the group that seems to be doing the most heroics.
It was Dec. 18 when Grabowski was just finishing up her shift. It was around midnight, her bus was empty and she was driving back through the dark streets in below-freezing weather to get to the garage and then home.
As she drove past a residential area, she spotted two pups running through the night. She slowed down and spoke to them through the window, and as soon as they saw the large vehicle stop and heard her voice, they came over, tails wagging furiously.
“Hey, you two!” she called, according to the MCTS video. “You need to go home right now.”
Seeing them beeline for her, she changed her suggestion: “C’mon, c’mon inside!”
It took a little coaxing, but the pit bull and Doberman were eventually convinced to get aboard the empty bus, and they snuffled around the seats for a while before sitting themselves down politely at the back of the aisle.
The dogs acted very sweet and happy, and it’s clear to see from the video that these two — despite being members of often-feared breeds — were lovebugs out for an unapproved midnight jaunt.
With the dogs safely out of harm’s way, Grabowski settled down to figure out how to get them home. She called MCTS dispatchers, who got in contact with the Milwaukee police.
An officer showed up to escort the escapees to the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission, which held on to them until the dogs’ very-worried owners could pick them up.
According to MCTS, the owners had been frantically searching for their dogs but hadn’t been able to locate them. Grabowski later found out she’d picked them up about 2.5 miles from their home.
“MCTS Bus Driver Jamie Grabowski got to reunite today with the two pups she found,” the MCTS Twitter account shared, along with photos of the dogs, their owners and Grabowski. “She also met the dogs’ grateful family for the first time!”
MCTS Bus Driver Jamie Grabowski got to reunite today with the two pups she found. She also met the dogs’ grateful family for the first time! #MCTSExcellence https://t.co/MYavaVvziv pic.twitter.com/XH3G21cxN7
— RideMCTS (@RideMCTS) December 23, 2019
The animal control center also shared the heartwarming story two days before Christmas.
“MADACC was so happy to be part of getting these sweet boys back home,” it said in a Facebook post. “We loved having them around, but were so happy that they were reunited with their owners!”
“Thank you MCTS Bus Driver Jamie Grabowski, Milwaukee County Transit System and Milwaukee Police Department for being great partners!”
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