Dear Editor,
While police put their lives on the line daily to keep people safe from harm, there’s also something to be said about other unlikely heroes – dogs. Officers regularly use dogs to sniff out drugs, disarm a perpetrator, or even help on patrol. And I ran across a heart-warming story over the weekend that I just had to share – one that seems like an ideal fit for the movies.
The story tells of an unlikely pairing between a Rhode Island state police officer and a dog he adopted back in 2011. At the time, Corporal Daniel O’Neill had a conversation with shelter worker Patricia Inman to adopt Ruby. This poor dog had seen rough times until Daniel came along, having been adopted five times and then returned shortly after that, on the verge of being put down. However, despite some tough going at first, O’Neill eventually forged a bond with Ruby. “It was tough in the beginning,” he explained, speaking with Inside Edition. “There was a lot of sleepless nights, but it worked out in the end.”
Their partnership had grown so close that Ruby earned the certification of a K-9, or a police dog specifically trained to assist fellow officers in law enforcement, just a year later. And their relationship continued to grow for years to come, with Ruby helping out O’Neill in several situations. But it would be one specific one that would not only forge how much they meant to each other, as well as bring Patricia back into the fold.
In 2017, a teenager ended up missing in the woods. O’Neill and his fellow officers looked for him for two days, not turning up any results. Finally, however, Ruby managed to find him injured in a ravine. The dog never left the teen’s side and barked until O’Neill, and his fellow officers managed to find him.
The interesting tie-in with all this is that the boy turned out to be Patricia’s son. That’s right, the pair that she had brought together in the first place managed to rescue her child at a very crucial time.
Speaking with the Miami Herald, O’Neill explained, “I said, ‘Pat, this was her thank you for saving her life – she saved your boy’s life.’ And we both started to cry. I was so grateful. I was beside myself and overwhelmed. So many things had to fall into place for this to happen the way it did. The universe works in mysterious ways.”
This all sounds like the perfect setting for a motivational movie. And it seems that the folks at Netflix would agree, as it just released Rescued by Ruby, a heart-warming drama that follows the pairing of both O’Neill and Ruby, as well as other characters like Inman and RISPCA investigator Joseph Warzycha and Matt Zarrella to help get her trained for K-9 duty.
Now streaming on Netflix, the movie stars Grant Gustin (of The Flash fame) as Dan, looking to get his start with the K-9 Search & Rescue team. Fate brings him together with Ruby, with the help of Inman (played by Camille Sullivan). Over the course of the movie, we see the ups and downs of the duo, how well they work together, and, eventually, leads to the rescue of Inman’s teenage son. It’s definitely got some motivational spirit behind it, even if some slight things were changed here and there for its transition, such as making the events take place right after the pair teamed up (compared to them having worked in real life for five years beforehand). But it still makes for a captivating story about the spirit of partnership, and how crucial a police dog can be when officers count on them the most.
The story didn’t end there. Real-life spoiler alert: Ruby was named the American Humane Hero Dog’s Search and Rescue Dog of the Year in 2018. And she continues to work by O’Neill’s side to this very day, as they’re working together alongside other members of the K-9 unit for the Rhode Island State Police.
“There’s no end in sight for her,” O’Neill explained in an interview with People. “She can still run around for hours and hours. She’s just amazing. She just doesn’t want to give up. She’s this little mutt that still is kicking butt today.”
If it’s a heartfelt true story you’re looking to enjoy this weekend, Rescued by Ruby is well worth adding to your Netflix watch list. It’ll make you feel all warm and fuzzy about a K-9 being given a second chance and making a difference.
Michael Letts
