Amid the tales of heroism during Hurricane Sandy, a tail of heroism emerged.
Midnight, a 7-year-old black Labrador retriever, toted food and water to stranded residents of the Westbeth complex in Manhattan's blacked-out West Village after the superstorm, the New York Times reports. He climbed stairs in the dark, gripping bags of necessities in his mouth as part of a "bucket brigade" with two-legged neighbors Riley and Stacy Fitzsimmons.
"We were very appreciative of all the volunteers -- canine or human -- that helped our residents, especially our elderly residents, during this difficult time," building manager Matthew Russas told The Huffington Post.
For decades, the Westbeth complex has operated as an artists-only abode, charging much lower rents than the going rates in the trendy area, according to New York Magazine. Photographer Diane Arbus was among its early tenants, and choreographer Merce Cunningham had a studio there. Now half the residents are senior citizens, Russas said.
Resident Claudia Vargas told HuffPost the block of apartments, which houses around 1,000 people, remains in recovery mode. She said she is still without phone and Internet.
When the Hudson River flooded the streets around the complex during Sandy, power and water pressure cut off at the Westbeth, the Times said, and life froze for many tenants.
“The dog was among our first responders,” Rena Gill told the Times.
Midnight is no stranger to hurricanes, according to Yahoo. He was a Katrina refugee adopted by a building superintendent in the West Village neighborhood.
Click here for more details of Midnight's exploits.