TORONTO -- A small, terrified dog became trapped underneath a car Wednesday night after a driver saw it running on a Toronto highway and pulled over to try and help the animal.
A woman who did not want to be identified told CTV News Toronto that she was getting on Highway 427 near Rexdale Boulevard around 5:30 p.m. when she saw a tiny dog running on the road.
“He was very close to the off-ramp so he would have gotten hit by somebody eventually,” she said.
The woman pulled over onto the shoulder and tried to lure the dog, a Chihuahua, to safety. Two other drivers also pulled over to help, she said, but it ran underneath one of the cars and hid near the gas tank.
Emergency crews were called to the area and the ramp to Highway 427 was temporarily closed.
Ontario Provincial Police Acting Sgt. Dan Hunter said that the dog became stuck and every time someone tried to reach for it, the animal snapped at their hands.
Eventually, crews towed the car, with the Chihuahua inside, to a nearby parking lot for safety.
Animal Control arrived at the scene and was able to coax the animal out.
“I feel very happy that he’s OK,” the woman said. “He’s alive and I just feel this tension releasing from my body.”
The dog appeared to be physically unharmed after the ordeal. It was taken to a vet for a full checkup and to try to find the owner.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Sean Leathong
