When Shannon Fitzgerald and her coworkers saw a small dog running desperately through traffic on the busy Dan Ryan Expressway, they knew they had to act quickly. Without hesitation, Fitzgerald pulled over and helped rescue the frightened pup before it could be hit by a passing vehicle.
The incident occurred on the southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway in Auburn Gresham, where the dog was seen weaving dangerously between cars. As footage of the rescue spread on social media, Fitzgerald recalled how they carefully maneuvered their car into position to trap the pup against a wall, giving their coworker, Val, the chance to coax the dog into safety.
“We put our car right up against the wall, and my coworker stood in between the door and the wall. He told the dog, ‘You have to jump into my arms or into this car,’” Fitzgerald said. “At that point, the dog jumped in, and we were able to close all the doors. He was safe, but he was shaking from fear.”
Once in the car, the dog initially sought refuge under the steering wheel before being gently guided to the back seat. The team took the pup to their office, where they provided him with a bed while they arranged for a veterinary checkup.
“He was clearly shaken from the ordeal, but he spent the rest of the day resting quietly,” Fitzgerald noted.
The following day, the vet confirmed that the dog did not have a microchip. While the team hoped for an owner to come forward, one of Fitzgerald’s coworkers quickly developed a bond with the dog, offering to foster him until a permanent solution could be found.
“The dog is just following him around, wagging his tail, and jumping all over the place. My coworker, Valentine, said, ‘I’m not leaving this dog, I’m not going to let him go anywhere random,’” Fitzgerald said.
While the search for the dog’s original owner continues, Fitzgerald and her coworkers are confident that the pup will find a loving forever home, whether it’s with the current foster or another family. As for a name, one of the top contenders is “Dan Ryan,” in honor of the expressway where he was rescued.
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