On June 25, 2014, Dallas police officers chased an unusual fugitive down Interstate 35. The runaway was smart, hairy, and very fast on his four legs.
Commuters started calling authorities as early as 7:30 a.m. informing them of a German Shepherd running down I-35. Officer Charles Timmons and Sharifa Williams were dispatched to the scene to try to control and capture the canine, but the dog turned out to be too smart for its own good and the officers requested Animal Control Officer Eric Pogue as backup.
While the police officers tried to approach the dog on the highway, the four-legged runaway made its way into the HOV lanes (high-occupancy vehicle). There, the officers stopped traffic going both ways and blocked off any exit points the canine could take as an escape route.
AC Officer Pogue finally captured the German Shepherd around 8:30 a.m., right where I-35 and Highway 67 split.
Throughout this ordeal the officers kept referring to the dog as “Elvis,” a name the pet seemed to answer to.
After being safely captured, Elvis was taken back to Dallas Animal Services where it was determined he was approximately ten years old. The dog was scanned for a microchip, but unfortunately he didn’t have one.
The dog was put on hold for three days hoping his owners would come forward, but no one came to claim Elvis and he was then made available for adoption.
Photo Credit: Dallas Police Department
As soon as the public learned Elvis was ready for adoption many rushed to Dallas Animal Services to adopt him. A raffle was held and three names were picked as possible adopters.
A detailed screening process helped find Elvis his perfect family. His adopters decided to keep Elvis as his name and made sure the new family member was vaccinated, neutered and microchipped before heading out to his forever home.
