Zoe was a very good dog from Leavenworth, Kansas. But this didn’t stop her from being locked in her kennel and dumped into the Missouri River by a cruel man hoping she’d drown.

According to the Leavenworth Times, this horrifying incident occurred at a riverfront park, where witnesses observed a 24-year-old man throwing something into the river one afternoon.

Screenshot: YouTube/KCTV5 News

At first, onlookers assumed the young man was littering, before realizing his actions had a more deadly component. As shocked residents looked on, the man dumped a toy poodle locked in her kennel into the rushing river.

Thankfully, a Good Samaritan didn’t hesitate to jump into the river after the terrified dog, who was rescued just in time. This heroic stranger left the scene before police arrived, but his brave actions saved Zoe’s life.

Screenshot: YouTube/KCTV5 News

"It was witnessed by several people," the Leavenworth Police Department’s deputy chief, Major Dan Nicodemus, told the Leavenworth Times.

Another witness provided a description of the man’s vehicle, which helped police arrest a 24-year-old suspect and charge him with animal cruelty.
According to police, Zoe’s attacker was reportedly angry at his girlfriend so decided to retaliate against the woman (who owned Zoe and two other dogs) by harming her pets.

Screenshot: YouTube/KCTV5 News

The girlfriend’s second dog, a chihuahua, was found running loose at the same park where Zoe was rescued. A third dog was recovered from the suspect’s relative. Now all three dogs have been reunited with their owner.

Screenshot: YouTube/KCTV5 News

Now police are hoping to hear from the man who rescued Zoe, both to get his witness statement and to thank him for saving the dog’s life.

“We need more of that in the world, where people are just helping each other out,” Police chief Patrick Kitchens told KCTV5 News. We couldn’t agree more!

Find out more in the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG79e7kDUBE