Today, the AWESOME is in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Officer Samuel Lopez responded to a loose animal call, thinking it would be routine and quick. It was anything but routine and quick. Officer Lopez found a dog lying injured on the side of the road — frightened, alone, and unable to walk. Rather than simply waiting for animal control, Lopez stayed by the pup’s side for nearly two hours, comforting him the entire time. He shared his lunch, spoon-feeding the dog bits of food and offering water from his own thermal bottle. It was a simple act of kindness, but one that spoke volumes about his heart. For Lopez, dogs are family. He and his wife are unable to have children, and that’s deepened his bond with animals even more. His empathy that day came naturally — not as part of a job description, but as an act of love, and THAT’S AWESOME.
