Two lost dogs are back with their grateful family this holiday season thanks to the vigilance, kindness and compassion of Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) Bus Driver Jamie Grabowski.
Jamie had just finished her bus route and was heading back to the garage around midnight on December 18, 2019, when she spotted two dogs running in and out of the street near Howell and Oklahoma avenues in Milwaukee. The dogs appeared to be alone, with no people or vehicles in sight.
Jamie stopped her bus, slid open the driver’s side window, and called out to the pair.
“Hey, you two! You need to go home right now,” Jamie can be heard saying in surveillance video from the bus. “C’mon, c’mon inside!”
Jamie opened the front door and helped guide the four-legged friends onto the bus. She contacted MCTS Dispatchers to notify them about her unusual situation; then she sat and played with the pups until a police officer arrived.
The officer carried the dogs to his squad car and then transported them to the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC). MADACC is the only facility in Milwaukee County dedicated to taking in and caring for stray animals.
MADACC staff determined that the Pit Bull and Doberman Pinscher, both about two years old, were in good health and “very sweet and playful.”
It turns out that the dogs had somehow gotten out of their family’s yard two-and-a-half miles away from where Jamie found them. The family had been out searching for their pets all night, but wasn’t able to find the adventurous duo.
Jamie, an avid animal lover who jokes that she’s a ‘dog whisperer,’ said she is happy she was in the right place at the right time to help the two “very good boys.” It was around 20 degrees outside at the time. Jamie said she was concerned that the dogs would freeze or get hit by a car.
The dogs’ owners said they are extremely grateful for Jamie, MCTS Dispatchers, Milwaukee Police and MADACC – who all worked together to reunite the pets with their family, just days before Christmas.
On January 2, 2020, PETA recognized Jamie with a Compassionate Action Award, making her the second MCTS bus driver to receive recognition from the animal rights group.
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