Florida police officer adopts 6-week-old puppy to save her from Hurricane Dorian

FORT PIERCE, Fla. - A Florida police officer rescued a 6-week-old puppy ahead of Hurricane Dorian, adopted her and named her “Dory.” 

The Fort Pierce Police Department’s officers Michael Jean and Martin Ortiz were on duty awaiting the arrival of the hurricane when they responded to a call involving a local resident who reported that she was unable to care for a puppy, the department said in a Facebook post on Monday. 

The brindle pit bull puppy was only 6 weeks old and too young to be left in a shelter cage until the storm passed, according to the department. 

“Officer Jean took an immediate liking to the pup, called his wife and showed her and the rest of the family via FaceTime,” the department said. “Officer Jean's family, especially his son, immediately fell in love with the cute four-legged puppy and decided that she would be the newest addition to their home.”

The department said Jean adopted the puppy after “a little nudging” from some of the other officers and that he was also influenced by the impending storm. 

“It was decided that the “little puppy will be known as Dory, short for Dorian,” the department said. 

The National Hurricane Center extended watches and warnings across the Florida and Georgia coasts. Forecasters expected Dorian to stay off shore, but meteorologist Daniel Brown cautioned that "only a small deviation" could draw the storm's dangerous core toward land.

Dorian unleashed intense flooding across the Bahamas on Monday, pummeling the islands with so much wind and water that authorities urged people to find flotation devices and grab hammers to break out of their attics if necessary. 

At least five deaths were blamed on the hurricane.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.