Snow Plow Driver Rescues Dogs From Blizzard On Long Island

February 25, 2026

In the middle of whiteout conditions, a snow plow driver spotted two dogs running down Sunrise Highway on Long Island and came to their rescue.

Kenny McGowan

Department of Public Works employee Kenny McGowan was plowing roads near Town Hall in Babylon when he spotted something unusual along the westbound side of Sunrise Highway. Through near whiteout conditions, he noticed two dogs running along the busy roadway.

“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. I’m like that’s a dog running,” McGowan told CBS New York.

“I immediately put my sirens on, and stayed right behind them,” he said.

With snow whipping across the highway and visibility low, McGowan followed the dogs for about a mile before positioning his truck sideways across the road to shield them from traffic.

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

The pups — later identified as sisters Harper and Heidi — eventually darted into the snowy median.

“They ended up going into the median, right in the middle, where it was like three feet of the snow, and they, like, buried themselves in the snow,” McGowan recalled.

“One dog went laid on here, and the other dog went on top of him, so I was like, I knew right away … that they were close, they were family members, they were sisters.”

McGowan called fellow DPW worker Jason Koza, who brought a leash, and together they were able to get the dogs safely into a truck. Several Good Samaritans also stepped in — including a truck driver who offered rope to help secure the dogs and a mother and daughter who wrapped them in a blanket to keep them warm.

The Lab mixes, who were not wearing collars, were transported to the Babylon Animal Shelter. There, staff scanned one of the dogs and found a microchip, allowing them to track down the owners.

The sisters were reunited with their family in less than a day.

“If nobody would have found them, they could have froze,” kennel attendant Danny Deutsch told reporters.