The Englewood Police Department is going viral for
posts that help reunite lost dogs with their owners, but most of the attention has nothing to do with the pooches.
Social media users left hundreds of noteworthy comments on two posts featuring officers holding lost dogs. One user simple said, 'Arrest me please.' Another inquired whether the officer in the photo comes with the puppy. A third wanted to know whether the officer in the photo would find them if they got lost in Englewood as well.
Officer Jesse LaGrosa said all the buzz started when he responded to a call about a loose dog this week.
“There was a dog running around. A bystander grabbed it. I picked it up, and we brought it back here,” LaGrosa said. “They had me take a quick picture. I did not think it would be posted because the owner came about 10 minutes later to get the dog.”
Despite the quick reunion, the photo, which showed LaGrosa holding a French bulldog, was shared online.
The post quickly drew a large number of comments, most of them focused on the officer, not the dog.
Officer Kevin Silva had a similar experience weeks earlier, after posing with another lost dog for a social media snap.
"I saw it kind of like blow up over night and just progressively kept getting more and more comments until it got to where it now is." Silva said. “Very surprising.”
Officers said the engagement, while unexpected, has helped strengthen their connections with the community.
"I thought it was funny," Officer Lagrosa said. "It's like a different side, good interaction with the community.”
The Englewood Police Department told News 12 that its glad to have the opportunity to engage with the community and make sure all local dogs find their way home.
Credit: Englewood Police Department