Months After His Beloved Dog's Death, Cop Finds Abandoned Labrador in Stolen Car
When a California police officer was dispatched to hunt down a stolen vehicle last month, he was surprised to find himself face-to-face not with a criminal, but with man’s best friend.
Officer Andre Thomas of the San Diego Police Department had vowed never to adopt another dog, according to a Saturday Instagram post from the City of San Diego.
Heartbroken over the death of his beloved yellow lab, Melakai, the officer decided that inviting another furry friend into his heart would be just too hard.
“Andre and Melakai were so close that when his faithful, canine friend passed away of old age in March, Andre made a vow to never get another dog,” a representative for the account wrote.
According to the post, the loyal labrador had been Thomas’ constant companion during some of life’s biggest milestones — walking by his side each step of the way for more than a decade.
At 18, Thomas had moved from his native city of Fresno, California, to San Diego to start a new chapter, and of course, he brought Melakai with him.
But after over 10 years at his master’s side, Melakai passed away in March 2019.
As anyone who has lost a beloved pet knows, no matter how many beautiful years you have spent together, it’s always hard to say goodbye.
Afterward, Thomas never expected to own another dog.
But all of that was about to change.
On Oct. 7, Officer Thomas’ department received a report about a stolen vehicle, and he was dispatched to investigate, never suspecting that the ordinary call would lead to a life-changing surprise.
Before long, he tracked down the abandoned car but quickly discovered that the vehicle wasn’t the only thing that had been abandoned. In the back seat, a frightened yellow lab stared back at him through the window.
The little dog — the same breed as Melakai — was completely alone.
“Following protocol, Andre immediately took the dog to the San Diego Humane Society hoping that his owners would reclaim him,” the Instagram post explained.
“Yet when three weeks went by and nobody had come to pick up the dog, Andre knew exactly what to do.”
Seeing that the special labrador was in need of a forever home, Thomas decided to give him the best life he possibly could.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B456fp7HEYZ/?utm_source=ig_embed
“He adopted the pup, took him home and gave him a name worthy of the adversities the dog had overcome: Victor. The two have been best friends ever since,” the City of San Diego wrote.
Though no pup will ever replace the dog he lost, the kindhearted police officer will once again have a loyal best friend to come home to at the end of the day.
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