Snow Plow Driver Saves Two Dogs in Long Island Blizzard

When most people were hunkered down during a Long Island blizzard, snow plow driver Kenny McGowan was clearing roads near Babylon Town Hall. That's when he spotted something that made him hit the brakes: two dogs running through whiteout conditions on busy Sunrise Highway.

"I looked over and I seen something in the corner of my eye, and then I looked in my mirror, and I saw a dog," McGowan told CBS New York. With snow whipping across the highway and visibility nearly zero, he knew the dogs were in serious danger.

McGowan immediately turned on his sirens and followed the pups for about a mile. Then he did something remarkable: he positioned his massive snow plow sideways across the road, creating a protective barrier between the dogs and oncoming traffic.

"Being an animal lover, being a father, I went right into protection mode," McGowan said. "I was gonna do whatever I had to do to stop these dogs from getting hurt."

The dogs, later named Harper and Heidi, eventually darted into the snowy median where three feet of powder had accumulated. McGowan watched them burrow into the snow, with one lying down and the other climbing on top for warmth.

"I knew right away that they were close, they were family members, they were sisters," he recalled.

McGowan called his coworker Jason Koza for backup with a leash. But they weren't alone in wanting to help: a truck driver offered rope to secure the dogs, while a mother and daughter wrapped the shivering Lab mixes in a blanket.

The dogs weren't wearing collars, so they were taken to the Babylon Animal Shelter. Staff scanned one of the dogs and found a microchip, which led them straight to the owners.

Harper and Heidi were back home with their family in less than a day.

Sunny's Take

This story shows how quickly strangers can become heroes when someone is in need. McGowan didn't hesitate to put himself between danger and two vulnerable animals, and other Good Samaritans jumped right in to help. Kennel attendant Danny Deutsch put it simply: "If nobody would have found them, they could have froze."

The happy ending came down to two things: McGowan's quick thinking and the microchip that brought the sisters home.