'I told you that you could trust me': Video shows California cop race against time to save chained dog from trailer park inferno

A police officer in the city of Arvin, California, risked immolation earlier this week for the sake of a dog, earning its undying trust in the process.

According to the Arvin Police Department, Officer Adam Calderon responded Monday to a report of a fire, which enveloped a local mobile home and had begun to spread. Upon learning from the owner of the pyre that their family dog remained chained up out back, Calderon leapt into action.

Bodycam footage of the ordeal shows Calderon run past a firetruck and into the adjacent lot, hemmed in by flames. He made a mad dash to the side of the house and jumped a six-foot fence, finding what appeared to be a pit bull cowering just feet away from the inferno.

With smoke heavy around him, Calderon found the dog's chain and notified the creature, "I'm trying to get you out boy."

"Oh, they chained you up," Calderon said despairingly, noticing the dog was well-secured with a steel chain and locks.

As the flames began to arc closer, Calderon appeared ready for a journey through the wooden fence with the dog in tow; however, the animal was frozen with fear.

"Come on, please. I'm trying to save you, boy," Calderon told the obstinate dog while the fire grew.

Calderon managed to bust through the fence and clear a path for the dog, but it elected not to follow.

Getting desperate and feeling the heat, the officer called out in both English and Spanish to an onlooker in a neighboring yard, requesting bolt cutters. The woman provided him with only pruning shears. With time running out, Calderon decided he'd try to make do.

Calderon returned to the dog, now through the fence, and attempted to cut it free with the shears.

Multiple attempts to cut the chain proved fruitless, prompting Calderon to say, "I'm sorry, doggy. I'm trying."

Finally, Calderon mustered the strength to break the chain, freeing the dog. Grabbing the canine by its collar, the officer led it to safety.

Down an alley with the fire crackling behind them, Calderon caught his breath in the company of his new friend, noting, "S**t, it's hot in there. It's real hot. ... I told you to trust me!"

The APD indicated, "In review of his body worn camera, it is clear that the flames were right behind him, the smoke was thick, and the heat was intense. He never thought about giving up and clearly saved that dog's life."

Calderon told KBAK-TV, "To be honest, I wasn't even thinking straight. I just jumped out and said, 'I am going to make the best out of this if I can get him I'll get him out.'"

"My back was already on fire. Whenever I was able to shelter the dog, my back was burning," added Calderon.

As for the pruning shears, Calderon recalled saying, "'Lord help me cut these' because I couldn't do it."

The APD acting chief said, "He really humanizes the badge of having officers like that within the department, but with that heart. comes from the passion compassion, the drive, the comradery, and the teamwork, You can't train for that. ... I just hope it motivates people to do the right thing at the right time. We didn't sign up for the job to just take bad people to jail or look cool carrying a gun or driving fast. We do it to do the right thing at the right moment."

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