Dog News

Loose Dog on I-95 Gets Rescued

by Katherine

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Annie, a 3-year-old Belgian Malinois spent a day running at large between Kittery, Maine, and Portsmouth, and for quite some time she ran along I-95 putting not only her life at risk but also the lives of animal lovers trying to capture her. Fortunately, on Sunday, March 30, 2014, the pet exited the highway and looked for shelter in a Portsmouth residence.

Annie recovering from her injuries.
Annie recovering from her injuries.

The adventure started on March 29, when the dog was being transported from her foster home to her forever family. The canine was originally surrendered to a shelter in Mississippi, but she had been moved to North Carolina for foster placement. While there, a family from Maine fell in love with her and decided to adopt her.

The transport to her forever home was organized by All Paws Transport Service, and the plan was to handle her off to her new owner, Andre St. Laurent, on the Route 1 Bypass. However, as the exchange was happening, Annie panicked, slipped her collar and took off running. This prompted the day long recovery mission.

According to Liane Haslauer, St. Laurent’s wife, “several people tried to corral her but she wouldn’t let anyone near her.”

The dog’s new owners contacted various local agencies to assist in the rescue. Flyers were posted and social media sites were used to inform online pet owner communities about the runaway dog. Soon, a team of volunteers was ready to start looking for Annie.

Reports of the loose dog were made to local police and these helped in tracking Annie. Sunday afternoon, the pet was tracked to I-95 and this made the rescue a lot more dangerous. Fortunately, by 8 p.m. the canine exited the highway and took rescue in Portsmouth home.

The homeowner called police and officers arrived at the residence to pick up a tired dog. She was taken to Port City Veterinary Hospital and thanks to her ID tags she was identified and reunited with Haslauer and St. Laurent.

The runaway dog injured her paws and had a gash to one of her legs, but veterinarians expect her to make a full recovery.