Florida police dog leaps off bridge in dramatic video – then his partner steps in
Brevard County, Florida - A Florida sheriff's deputy hung on to her canine companion for dear life as he suddenly decided to jump off a bridge, in a dramatic scene caught on video.
The clip, captured by a dash cam and posted by Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey on Facebook, shows the K-9 German shepherd Zeppelin alongside his human partner, deputy Lauren Donaldson, walking past their cruiser on a bridge.
Out of the blue, the dog suddenly rushes towards the side railing and leaps over it, seemingly chasing something.
Thankfully, Donaldson is holding his leash, but the 75-pound pooch – well over half of his handler's body weight – almost drags her along with him.
Shouting "No!," the officer pulls with all her might and manages to haul the unruly Zeppelin back from the brink of disaster.
A 75-foot drop would surely have spelled the end for the dog.
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Donaldson was showered with praise by her boss, Ivey.
"Lauren and Zeppelin are two time reigning champions in the 'Hardest Hitting K-9' category of the Space Coast K-9 Competition and I could not be more proud of Lauren for all she does as a member of our team and to protect our community!" he wrote on Facebook.
"I'm still mad at Zeppelin for giving us all a huge scare," he added, "but am so grateful that he is okay and unharmed!!"
Cover photo: Facebook/Screenshot/Sheriff Wayne Ivey