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'Heroic good Samaritan' plans to adopt the puppy she saved

Jenniffer Vaz/Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office A composite image. On the left, Jenniffer Vaz smiles broadly. On the right, River the dog also looks happy.Jenniffer Vaz/Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office
Jenniffer Vaz plans to adopt "River" - whom she named herself

Jenniffer Vaz could not believe her eyes when she saw River the puppy for the first time.

River was shut inside a cage on the shore in Highlands, New Jersey. The tide was rising and the water was beginning to submerge the cage.

According to the prosecutor's office in New Jersey, Jenniffer's "heroic" actions saved River from drowning.

"If not for the heroic rescue act of the good Samaritan," it said, "the dog would have potentially drowned."

Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office A cage is mostly submerged by seawater.Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office
When Animal Control arrived to investigate, the cage was "almost covered" by the tide

But Jenniffer might not have found River at all had she not taken an unusual route that morning.

"I was walking my boxer, Molly, on my normal path in Veterans Memorial Park," she told the BBC. "But that Monday, she started to pull me towards the water.

"It was still early, so I wasn't in a hurry and went along with her. That's when I started to hear a whimper.

"I looked down over the ledge into the water and I saw this dog in a metal crate.

"The water was splashing on him, he was just shaken up and looking at me with these big eyes. He was terrified."

Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office River after he was rescued. He looks scared, with his ears pinned back and eyes wide.Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office
Jenniffer said she was "shocked, angry and heartbroken" when she found River in the cage

Jenniffer did not expect any problems rescuing River from the rising tide but something went wrong - he did not want to move.

"He wouldn't come out for me," she said. "He was too scared.

"He was terrified. He was shaking. He had this look on his face like he wanted to know what he did wrong."

Fortunately, Jenniffer was not there alone. While she tried to convince River to leave the cage, her boxer dog, Molly, sprang into action.

"Molly went into the crate and licked him in the face," she said. "He followed her right out."

Uplifting stories graphic

Jenniffer said she planned to adopt River once the police investigation came to an end. In the meantime, she is fostering the pup in her home.

In the comments on the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office Facebook page, many people have labelled her a "hero" for rescuing River.

But despite all of the attention she has received, Jenniffer says she is not the hero of the tale.

"It shows you that anybody can be a hero when the moment presents itself," she said. "But Molly is the true hero.

"She was the one leading the way. All I did was give this poor dog a voice."

Jenniffer Vaz River and Molly together in Jenniffer's house.Jenniffer Vaz
Molly (left) and River, together in Jenniffer's home

By Tom Gerken, UGC & Social News