Bridge officer Rob Bittner couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Brandi the beagle casually strolling along the Burlington Country (PA) Bridge last week.
“I get a fourth of the way up the bridge and I see this dog in the road and cars are moving all around it,” Bittner told the Courier Post. “I activated my lights to slow traffic and I pretty much followed the dog because I didn’t want to scare her by chasing after her.”
Hours ago Brandi had wandered away during her evening walk from owner Robert Lorenz, who anxiously searched for her elsewhere. Bittner and several motorists attempted to lure Brandi to them, however, Brandi is a rescue dog and harbors an intense fear of strangers.
When a car full of teenagers pulled up to Brandi, and a young man opened the door and tried to grab her, she panicked. The 7-year-old beagle jumped from the bridge—falling 70 feet into the river below.
Bittner contacted the Lorenz family, who by then had reported the missing beagle. They made plans to scour the bridge area all evening, but as soon as they pulled up in their vehicle, a pair of glowing eyes reflected back at them in their headlight beams.
“I didn’t want to do anything to scare her, so I slowly grabbed the leash and her treats," Alexis Lorenz said. “I clipped the leash and that was it,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it. It was a miracle.”
A miracle indeed. Not only was Brandi alive, but a veterinary inspection revealed only minor bruises.
