It was a very close call for a puppy that was taken to an animal hospital after he fell into a swimming pool in Fort Lauderdale.

Crews with Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue rushed 11-month-old Leo into an emergency room for pets, early Friday afternoon.

The canine had fallen into a murky pool behind a house on Vermont Avenue and nearly drowned.

Darling Merissaint told 7News she was watching Leo for a family member when she realized he’d fallen in the pool..

“I’m looking towards the pool, I noticed Leo, you know, floating in the water, and I panicked,” she said.

Merissaint then sprang into action.

“I grabbed a big stick and pulled him out, and I noticed that he was breathing really hard,” she said.

Merissaint called 911. Paramedics showed up at around 11:30 a.m. and put Leo on oxygen as t

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