It’s never a bad time to save a life, especially when that life belongs to a tiny little dog. When they get into dangerous situations, they’re going to have a hard time getting out of them – unless we help.

On Tuesday, December 12th, one Chihuahua found himself in this same situation, and he was very lucky:

@nbcnews

A #chihuahua running loose on the #StatenIsland Expressway was corralled and captured by a group of motorists, and then returned to its owner.

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NBCNews sharing this video honestly restored my faith in humanity a little. We may not agree on much, but apparently, everyone can agree that an animal’s life is always worth saving. 

Related: Massachusetts Firefighter Who Had Animal Rescue Training Heroically Saves Choking Chihuahua

Unfortunately, animals being dumped on the highway or other busy roads is a common occurrence. It’s a busy place, so perhaps the people who dump them think they have a greater chance of being found – or, maybe, a greater chance of something else. There are some busy roads where dogs live and get out; sometimes, it is not intentional at all. As of now, there’s no more information about how/why the Chihuahua ended up there. 

Why Do Dogs Run When They Get Scared?

Obviously, being a little dog on a fast-moving highway is terrifying, but the Chihuahua in this video just keeps running, even as people try to help him get to safety. The dog is trying to escape the unsafe situation, and his fight or flight response tells him to keep running, even as people are trying to catch him. Think about it from his perspective: he’s a small-breed dog, trying to dodge cars, and now people are frantically running at him. 

While that doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t have run after him, it just explains why he’s not very receptive to their efforts. Additionally, the drivers on the expressway are probably very scared for that tiny dog, and he can sense that. Dogs being able to smell fear isn’t just a scare-tactic made up to keep kids from petting pups they probably shouldn’t.

The other big factor in this Chihuahua’s choice to run is his previous experience with humans. If he hasn’t had a good home life and has been taught to fear humans in one way or another, that’s what he’s going to do – and that’s what he did.

How to Coax a Scared Pup Toward You

Circumstantial needs here supersede conventional “capture” methods: if they didn’t catch him, he was going to become one with the expressway, and that would be terrible. Really, in this situation, they broke every golden rule: running, shouting, displaying blatant fear, etc. While they were still able to catch him, it took a while. 

In the event that you see a dog running down the road, you should:

  1. Pull over and get out calmly. 
  2. Get low to the ground, on its level.
  3. Try talking to it softly, saying things like, “come here,” in the same voice they’d hear typical commands in.
  4. Offer it something like food, water, or a treat. 
  5. Advance toward it slowly, and if it starts to run, don’t run after them. Keep your cool.
  6. If you still can’t get them, call animal control and continue to follow them so they don’t get lost. 

Do we all want to just scoop up the loose dog and take it home? Yes, of course we do. However, that’s not always the wisest choice, and going about it wrong can truly do more harm than good. Be safe!

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