Dog Succesfully Rescued From 10 Freeway

A 2-year-old dog with a penchant for running in freeway traffic will have a much happier—and safer—holiday season, thanks to a rescue operation carried out Wednesday by animal control officers and the .

The male pit bull mix had been living on the median of the San Bernardino (10) Freeway just east of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway. CHP officers spotted him last weekend when he jumped the center divider of the 10 Freeway and darted in and out of traffic.

The dog was spotted again Wednesday morning, and CHP and county animal-control officers met in a nearby parking lot to develop a plan of attack.

At about 1 p.m., CHP officers stopped traffic on the 10 Freeway, giving animal-control experts a brief window to move in on the dog.

"Our officers are trained ropers and generally have a high success rate at quickly and safely capturing stray dogs,'' according to Marcia Mayeda, director of the county Department of Animal Care and Control. "This is one lucky dog."

Mayeda said traffic was only stopped for a few minutes while the dog was captured and loaded into a truck bound for the department's Baldwin Park Animal Care Center. Given the holiday season, the dog was named Rudolph.

Rudolph will be kept at the center through the holidays and be assessed by veterinarians. Mayeda said Rudolph has a friendly disposition, and barring any trouble, he is expected to be put up for adoption.