In January, DogTime.com first told you about Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker, who personally intervened after local reporter Toni Yates took to her Twitter feed to plead for the life of a freezing dog who’d been locked out of her home. Booker, seeing the tweet, jumped into action, carrying the dog from her yard into a warm police cruiser and contacted the dog’s owner himself to figure out why he’d left his dog outdoors.
Well, the “Super Mayor” has done it again, stepping in himself to rescue another dog from a horrible fate.
It all began last Thursday with a tweet. Twitter user @shankdog3000, also known as Michael Cruickshank, witnessed a dog suffering from horrible neglect and was desperate for someone to step in. Wanting results, Cruickshank did what any Newark resident would do in the situation — he tweeted Mayor Booker.
“@CoryBooker Is there anyone in Newark NJ who can stop the torture of a dog? There is a dog who is locked in a small crate on a vacant lot,” Cruickshank tweeted.
The concerned resident didn’t have to wait long for a response from Newark’s mayor, who is famous for his acts of courage and kindness; just last year, Mayor Booker pulled an elderly woman from her burning home and invited Hurricane Sandy victims to his house for lunch, among other superhero-worthy deeds.
“Where? I’ll go investigate now,” Mayor Booker responded.
After @shankdog3000 replied with the address of the lot where the dog could be found, telling the mayor the poor dog had been in that lot for four miserable days, Mayor Booker drove to the scene himself. What he found was a female American Pit Bull Terrier “in rough shape” and “in a tiny cage,” as he would later tell his 1.3 million Twitter followers.
“I’m on the scene & Located the dog,” Booker tweeted. “U were right to report. Inhumane & cruel. Working 2 get the animal secure now. Thank u MT @shankdog3000.”
Mayor Booker then contacted the local Humane Society, the U.S. News & World Report explains, who sent rescuers to free the dog from the cage and bring her to the shelter safely.
Humane Society representative Scott Crawford says the rescuers needed a snare pull to get hold of the frightened dog, who after her ordeal was lashing out. The Pittie is currently being cared for at the shelter, and while she is “bouncing off the walls” for now, Crawford hopes her temperament will soon improve. He believes past mistreatment is the cause of the dog’s bad behavior.
“She’s very aggressive right now,” Crawford explains. “We’re going to see how she comes around.”
Following the rescue, Mayor Booker praised Cruickshank and the animal welfare workers for their good deed.
“Thanks @shankdog3000 for compassion,” Booker tweeted. “And also thanks to Abdul Ali from Animal Rescue who was able to secure & transport the dog to a shelter.”
And to Cruickchank’s wife, @jennhk, Mayor Booker had this to say: “Your husband did a great thing. His compassion & love helped stop some really cruel treatment. Wish we could find the person responsible.”
Sources: U.S News & World Report, Twitter.com
