A New York City transit worker is being called a hero after he rescued an emotional support dog that escaped from her owner’s apartment and spent the day meandering subway tracks.
The dog, Lucy, made her escape Saturday morning from her owner’s eighth-floor apartment in Lower Manhattan while Molly Malone, the owner’s daughter, was in charge of caring for Lucy.
The owner, Susan Malone, 76, was recovering in the hospital from a broken arm and a leg at the time.
Lucy not only escaped the apartment itself, but she also boarded an elevator, was able to make it past the lobby without catching the attention of the doorman, ran outside, crossed the West Side Highway, and then descended into the Chambers Street subway station.
Lucy spent hours walking along the tracks of the 1 train until 14 blocks later when NYC Transit Train Service Supervisor Jose Bonilla found Lucy.
Bonilla had been briefed about the lost dog situation at the start of his shift, so he spent his entire shift trying to track down the pooch.
“I put myself in the path of Miss Lucy, who was at that time walking in a straight line,” Bonilla said. “She basically came up to me, I called out her name, she laid down in front of me, I petted her, I picked her up, there was a bite involved at that moment, and I was able to put her on the 2 train right into Molly’s hands. Basically another day in transit.”
Molly said she was relieved to hold Lucy again after Bonilla’s rescue. Lucy suffered a broken nail and had to be given a bath after the ordeal, but was otherwise safe.
Bonilla was awarded a certificate of commendation from the MTA for going above and beyond his duties to rescue the dog.