San Diego Sunshine: December 2010

In my spare time I work with Lab Rescuers here in San Diego, and like all animal lovers, our members are very dedicated and passionate. This story just came in from Hugh, about a 10-year old lab he just resuced on the freeway:

"Let me share an experience I had today saving a dog. On my way home
from work at the FD this morning I was traveling East on Hwy 78. As I
approached the Escondido Ave off ramp, I saw a black dog trotting on the
right shoulder in an easterly direction. He was coming up to the off
ramp (which cars were exiting at a high rate of speed) and I'm sure he
was going to cross the exit lanes and keep moving east on the 78. I
pulled over, backed up as far as I could and got out just as another
motorist was pulling over.

Most drivers were confused, but some saw the dog and were slowing down.
I ran back towards the dog. He spooked and went up the embankment away
from traffic (a good thing - for now). The other motorist met me at the
top of the bank and we were following the fence line towards the
intersection of Sunset Ave and Escondido Blvd in Vista. This was still
not a good situation for this dog.

I told the other guy I would try to flank the dog and flush him back. I
ran and was able to flank this guy but he spooked again and went back
down to the freeway. Before the other guy and I could get there, the
dog crossed over the Escondido Ave off ramp lanes and was moving east
again on Hwy 78, but this time moving into traffic. Cars were stopping
hard, screeching, spinning but no cars crashed and no one has hit the
dog yet. As I was coming back down to the lanes the dog was moving east
again. Another truck pulled over and was attempting to cut the dog off.
After a couple of attempts the dog veered into lanes and crossed over to
the center median. I jumped in the guys truck and we maneuvered around
cars that had spun and stopped (but traffic was still flowing with
confused drivers) and tried to cut the dog off a couple times in the
center median. I jumped out when I thought we had him, but he squeaked
around and was now in the middle of Hwy 78 still moving eastbound.

I sprinted as fast as this 50 yro holiday body could go down the middle
of the 78 and after about 100 yards, I caught him and pinned him on the
right shoulder. Cars pulled up and blocked me. Pats on my back were
given as I kneeled there with this boy. Hoots and cheers from people as
they moved past. I held the dog and CHP arrived. They were awesome. They
closed a lane for us for better scene safety. I told CHP I would take
the dog and my affiliation with LR. I let another helper hold the dog
down as I walked back the mile to my truck. CHP waived me in like a
dignitary. I put a slip leash on him, wrapped him in a blanket and
placed the poor guy into my truck.

I had him scanned for a chip at Mo Escondido and he is not chipped, no
collar or tags. Meet Drew the miracle dog. An older male lab mix,
unaltered, tired, but gets along great with the pack here at the Lab
Ranch. He's had a meal, and is resting in a quiet place right now. I
have a Craigslist posting up. But he is a lab and he was saved by a
hardcore lab lover today. So maybe this was his destiny."

Merry Christmas from Hugh and Drew (and Barb and Lab Rescuers www.labrescuers.org)

Drew rescued by Hugh