A dog that was rescued from the Potomac River after being allowed to roam around Ohio Drive in near 100-degree heat on Sunday has died.
Officers attempted to corral Scout, who was 9, after seeing him wandering around the area while his owner was playing indoor tennis nearby. The dog avoided the officers by jumping into the river.
Scout, however, appeared to be in distress and reportedly couldn’t tread water. So a U.S. Park Police detective, known to be a dog lover, dropped her gun and jumped into the river to rescue him.
“The dog was going under … she grabbed him just in time,” said U.S. Park Police Officer Nancy Leggieri.
Scout was taken to a veterinary hospital. He passed away Monday afternoon.
Scout's owner was given a citation for not having his dog on a leash and paid a $25 fine. The owner told police he had left the dog outside for about 30 minutes. It is unclear if further charges are pending.
