Video Shows Motorists Blocking Traffic, Banding Together on Busy New York Highway to Save Runaway Chihuahua A little dog named Bean escaped from its Staten Island home and turned the rush hour commute into a rescue.
By Emily Rella
It was a banner day for an adventure-seeking chihuahua named Bean who stopped traffic after going for a joy run down a New York highway.
On December 5, a small chihuahua escaped through a hole in the fence of the front of its Staten Island yard and began running full speed onto the Staten Island expressway during evening rush hour traffic.
The ordeal was caught on camera by a witness' dash cam, as the dog began sprinting on the shoulder of the highway before weaving into ongoing traffic across lanes.
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Then two cars followed behind Bean slowly to ensure that no other cars sped up and accidentally the little dog, which caused a traffic backup as cars tried to corral the pup into the HOV lane so that he could be safely seen and rescued.
@ctvnews Motorists banded together to help keep a runaway chihuahua safe from busy traffic on the Staten Island Expressway in New York. Video from Katie Montello shows cars slowing down to form a barrier, shielding the dog from fast moving traffic. Drivers can also be seen exiting their car on the highway to chase after the nimble canine as it evades multiple attempts to capture it. The chihuahua, named Bean, was eventually captured, and has since been reunited with his owners, who said he was spooked by another dog when he ran onto the expressway. ?: Katie Montello via Storyful #dog #chihuahua #rescue #runaway #highway #dashcam #newyork #caughtoncamera #ctvnews #news ♬ original sound - CTVNews
"When I saw that dog, my instincts just kicked in and the only thing on my mind was to make sure that dog got to safety," witness Katie Montello, whose dash cam footage caught the viral incident, told local outlet The Staten Island Advance. "We just kept trying to keep the dog in the HOV lane, trying to tire him out."
One woman, Ella Wolskawoja, pulled over her car and began chasing after the dog in the HOV lane in an attempt to catch him as other drivers stopped their cars in the adjacent lane to try to keep the dog to the left.
Then another woman, Kaitlyn McGinley, pulled over after spotting Wolskawoja running on the road and was able to catch Bean and bring him to safety.
"I was like why is this woman running on the highway," McGinley told local outlet ABC 7 NY. "The dog ran under my car and hit under my tire. Someone gave me a bag, and I scooped him up and put him in the car."
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Bean was eventually brought to Greater Staten Island Veterinary Services who scanned for a microchip but determined that it was not chipped, leading her husband to post a photo of the dog to a local Facebook page where he was recognized and reunited with his owner.
"When I looked up, I saw over 20 cars that were all helping, which was extremely wholesome to see how many Staten Islanders came together as a community on a busy highway, to help one dog with an aimless destination," Katie Montello told the SIA. "If it wasn't for everyone there, it would have been a very different outcome."
Talk about a holiday miracle!
