NORTH CHARLESTON, SC (WCSC) - The North Charleston firefighter whose rescue of a three-month old puppy went viral on social media last weekend gave the puppy a forever home Saturday.
Rocky was rescued from beneath a pile of rocks and concrete slabs on March 30. Capt. Paul Bryant, a 34-year veteran of the North Charleston Fire Department, dug the shepherd mix puppy out from under a pile of rocks and concrete slabs on March 30 His crew responded after bike riders heard the puppyās cries.
Despite his many years as a firefighter, he had never been involved in an animal rescue before.
āHow can you not carry that dog home?ā Bryant said at the Charleston Animal Society Saturday afternoon. āHeās just adorable.ā
Bryant said they treated this rescue like any other: they carefully evaluated the situation, realized the animal was underneath the debris, and took a shovel and began trying to move rocks. Bryant was finally able to dig out enough earth around the puppy to free him.
āThen once we got him out, he was like, āHey, how are you?'ā Bryant said. āIt was just an absolutely gorgeous experience.ā
Bryant soon learned the puppy had not been microchipped and was headed to the Charleston Animal Shelter.
āI said, āOh, no,ā this was meant to be, heās my dog and heās coming home
He said his family decided on a appropriate name: Rocky. When the two were reunited, Rocky was all smiles and gave his rescuer plenty of kisses and tail wags.
What Bryant says heās most looking forward to is giving Rocky the stable home and the love the pup deserves.
Bryantās family lost their last dog three years ago and had been looking for another one but up until the rescue, it seemed it wasnāt meant to be.
āAnd this was just absolutely incredible, doing the rescue, and the good Lord just said, āThis is your dog,'ā he said.
The Charleston Animal Society neutered the puppy and microchipped it and Bryant completed the adoption process immediately after working a full shift at the Cooper River Bridge Run.
He and Rocky left the North Charleston facility Saturday afternoon headed home for new adventures together.