Homeless Man Rescues Puppy Stranded On Freeway Embankment

TACOMA, WA - A homeless man living under a Tacoma freeway came to the rescue of a lost, scared dog on Tuesday afternoon. The dog had jumped out his owner's car while driving along I-705 near Stadium Parkway in Tacoma. The dog then ran up a steep embankment underneath the highway, according to Washington State Patrol spokeswoman Brooke Bova.

Tacoma firefighters and state police arrived to coax the dog down, but the homeless man had a better angle on the puppy because he was on top of the embankment. The man was living under the highway overpass at the top of the embankment, Bova said.

The homeless man handed the puppy to firefighters, who then reunited the dog with its owner.

And although Bova called the homeless man an "unsung hero," what he was doing was recently outlawed by the city of Tacoma. On July 11, the City Council voted unanimously to outlaw camping on public property in the city. Critics say the city is essentially criminalizing homelessness, but supporters, like Deputy Mayor Robert Thomas, say it's an "innovative" approach to solving homelessness.

Tacoma News-Tribune columnist Matt Driscoll, however, pointed out that the ordinance itself might be illegal, running counter to the 8th Amendment, which bans cruel and unusual punishment.

State police snapped this photo right after the dog jumped from its owner's car. The embankment is just underneath downtown Tacoma.

The homeless man - in the white T-shirt at the top of the photo - hands the puppy to two Tacoma firefighters.

The dog was reunited with its owner along the highway with the help of Tacoma police, state police, and firefighters.

Image via Washington State Patrol