'Good boy!': Glendale officers use muffin to lure stuck dog out of canal

Officer uses 'secret weapon' in dog rescue

A video released by Glendale Police officials show their officers using a homemade 'secret weapon' to lure a dog that was trapped in a canal back on dry land. FOX 10's Irene Snyder spoke with the officer who helped save the day.

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Officers used a "secret weapon" to lure a dog that was stuck in a Glendale canal.

On June 23, Glendale Police released video showing officers coming across a German Shepherd that was in a canal near 79th Avenue and Bethany Home Road on June 17.

The dog was seen paddling back and forth in the canal, apparently stuck, with no way out.

"As soon as I heard the call, I'm like 'I'm gonna go to it because I have, like, seven or eight leashes in my bag,'" said Officer William Downey with the Glendale Police Department.

When Officer Downey got to the scene, they tried to call the dog, and Officer Eric Sorenson jumped in for the rescue.

"Eric starts getting his vest offf, his belt off, and I'm like, 'I got these leashes. We'll see if we can leash it,'" Officer Downey recounted.

The dog appeared to be skittish, and nothing convinced him to swim to the officer, until Officer Downey unleashed his ‘secret weapon.’

"I'm like, ‘I got muffins in the car. My wife’s pumpkin muffins,'" Officer Downey said. "[I] run over, get the muffin, take the paper off."

"Here try this, it's my wife's pumpkin muffins," Officer Downey can be heard saying in the video.

The dog followed the muffin lure., giving the officer time to grab the collar, and lead the dog to safety.

"There goes my muffin," Officer Downey joked.

"Hey, you saved the pooch though," another officer replied.

"The only thing is, is I wasted my wife's muffin," Officer Downey joked.

Officer Downey saidhe may have lost a pretty good muffin, but it was worth it.

"I called my wife up and said ‘hey! the muffin saved the dog,’" Officer Downey said.

The officers were able to get the dog out of the canal and reunite the pup with its owners. Officer Downey said he plans to carry some biscuits in his car from now on, as it is safer for dogs than a human muffin.

In addition, Officer Downey won't have to give up his breakfast, should he encounter a similar situation in the future.

Officers rescue dog from Glendale canal

One officer climbed into the water to try and rescue the dog. The dog appeared to be skittish, so another officer went to his patrol car to get something to try to lure the dog out of the water.

Area where the rescue happened: