Dog News

Runaway Chicago Expressway Dog Reunited with Family

by Katherine

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Hope, a two-and-half-year-old, pit bull terrier mix, originally from Rochester, Minnesota went missing in Chicago on Sunday, October 13, 2013. The dog along her owner Mary Jo Dorman, were in town visiting Dorman’s son Chris when the pet escaped Chris’s Wicker Park apartment. No one knew where the dog had run to until they tuned to Monday night’s local Chicago news report on a dog running along the Kennedy Expressway.

Chicago’s highway came to a halt because State Police, IDOT Minutemen, and many animal lovers attempted to rescue the runaway dog. No one succeeded and Hope simply excited the highway and vanished.

Hope running down the Kennedy Expressway.
Hope running down the Kennedy Expressway.

“She ran out of my house and friends quickly tried to chase her but as a bunch of people who tried to catch her on the interstate learned, she’s pretty quick,” Chris Dorman told ABC Chicago.

Chris Dorman and some friends searched for Hope on Tuesday. They patrolled the area on their bikes hoping the dog would come out and allow them to rescue her.

Mary Jo had recently adopted Hope and many believe the pet had been abandoned and abused by her previous owners. Hope had grown attached to Mary Jo, and whenever Mary Jo is not present Hope becomes a nervous dog.

Chris was unable to locate the dog, and with freezing rain and colder temperatures in the area he became worried for Hope. He hoped that someone would find her and reunite her with her owners. Hope had been micro chipped.

Nine days after Hope ran away she was found by Reggie Rush, a local woman who was waking her own dogs.

According to Rush, Hope approached her and her dogs while on their walk. She simply followed them home. Once there, Rush’s neighbor, Autumn Chim, posted a picture of Hope on Facebook and other Facebook users informed them that the dog they had just rescued was the highway runaway dog.

Hope once again reunited with Chris Dorman.
Hope once again reunited with Chris Dorman.

Chim and Rush were put in touch with ABC Chicago and this is how the Dormans were reunited with Hope.

“I just started crying. But actually, it was a joyous cry just to see that she was alive and know that she was out there somewhere,” said Chris Dorman. “She looks okay. She’s just shaking. She’s so scared.”

Mary Jo Dorman was at work when she heard the good news.

“He was crying, my husband. And he said, ‘They found Hope!’ And so the whole class started screaming,” said Mary Jo. “I got to celebrate with a bunch of fifth graders.”

That same day, Mary Jo made the 5 hour drive to Chicago to pick up the four-legged family member.

Hope was a bit dehydrated but in good health overall. We are happy she is back home and safe with her family.