Lisa Murawski-Dupont felt helpless Monday as she searched frantically down the commuter rail tracks between the Savin Hill and JFK/UMass stations.
The MBTA Transit Police officer was looking for two dogs that concerned patrons had told her were trapped inside a fenced-in area, walking on the tracks.
Assigned to a police bicycle, Murawski-Dupont rode toward JFK/UMass searching for the canines between the tall fence and barbed wire.
As she neared the station, a break in the fence allowed her access to the tracks. It was 10 a.m., and she was able to catch a glimpse of one of the dogs.
"I saw a large pit bull shaking and wet," Murawski-
Dupont said during a telephone interview.
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She crawled to reach the stranded dog, hoping he was friendly. "He had a look of absolute relief on his face," said Murawski-Dupont.
The officer constructed a makeshift leash out of string and brought the 100-pound dog into the MBTA station.
Murawski-Dupont went back outside to fetch the other stranded canine, but could not locate the dog. Later she was told the dog had been spotted and had escaped the tracks.
Returning to the station, Murawski-Dupont found the pit bull receiving lots of attention. Transit Police and patrons were petting him, she said, and one of the lieutenants decided to dub the canine Rudolph.
"I was very relieved we saved him," Murawski-Dupont said.
Seeing Rudolph off the tracks put her at ease, she said.
The Animal Rescue League of Boston took Rudolph into custody and assured Murawski-Dupont it would do its best to find his owner. The league estimates the dog is 3 years old, said spokeswoman Ami Bowen.
As soon as the ordeal ended, Murawski-Dupont called her mother to share the news. "It's the kind of thing you want to tell your family," she said, adding that she would be going home with a smile on her face.
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Anyone with information on the dogs is asked to call the league at 617-426-9170 or the Transit Police Special Crimes Unit at 617-222-1170.
Monday's incident was not the first animal rescue conducted by Murawski-Dupont, who also saved a large turtle stuck on train tracks.
Despite fears of being snapped at by the turtle, she lifted the animal up and over a gate, saving it from any oncoming trains, Murawski-Dupont recalled.
"I wear my heart on my sleeve with people and animals," she said.
The Globe reported in 2011 that Murawski-Dupont also helped find refuge and clothing for a family of two who were displaced during the cold winter months. The story reported that she had served in Iraq and that her husband had died after his truck was hit by a bomb in Afghanistan.
"It builds your character," Murawski-Dupont said Monday.
Melissa Hanson can be reached at melissa.hanson@globe.com.