A Racine County Sheriff’s sergeant is being hailed a hero by the community after rescuing a dog that had been hit by a car Wednesday and left for dead.
Mateo the Corgi/blue heeler mix, called “Tato” for short, had slipped through a hole in his owner’s fence before he was struck by a driver in the roundabout intersection of Highway 45 and Highway 20. After an unknown amount of time, Sergeant Joseph Fazio saw Tato in the road, and took action:
*Warning: The below video contains content that some viewers may find graphic
Sgt. Fazio tells WTMJ he was nearly hit himself by an oncoming driver while he worked to get Tato into his car.
“Lucky I didn’t get hit myself as well,” said Sgt. Fazio.
When reflecting upon the incident, Sgt. Fazio says he wishes someone had called Tato’s injury in to the department, rather than being the one to find the dog in the road.
“I get peoples’ concern that they don’t have an emergency vehicle’s lights to get out and pick the dog more safely, but at least call it in so one of us is aware,” said Sgt. Fazio.
As of Monday morning, Tato’s owner Timothy Gross says he is back at home and in recovery. “Tato is stable at home eating and drinking well. Other than not really being able to move his spirits are good and seems like himself.”
A GoFundMe raising money for Tato’s recovery and medical bills has received over $13,000 in donations. As of Monday afternoon, the driver who struck Tato has not been located, and no arrests have been made.
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