TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County Animal Control officers rescued a dog that was trapped on a ledge on I-275 over the Armenia exit.
Animal control officers said the dog had escaped the owner's backyard by digging underneath a fence. County officials are not sure how the dog became trapped on the ledge.
"It was as on the ledge that was holding the pole for the light, so it maybe had a foot and a half of space that it could have landed on," said Nick Pivulsiri, a Hillsborough County Animal Control officer.
The rescue was captured on body cameras worn by Hillsborough County Animal Control Officers. It happened around 10:00 a.m. on Monday in Tampa.
"My only speculation would be that it was running on the overpass, got scared by a large vehicle, and maybe jumped over. It’s kind of anybody's guess as to how it actually got there," said Pivulsiri.
The animal control officers rescued the dog by using a control pole. Florida Highway Patrol, Tampa Police, and road rangers helped control the traffic nearby when the rescue was taking place.
"The dog was extremely friendly and the family was extremely happy to get the dog back. The actual owner was at work, her sister was at the house, so we took her back to the house. They fixed everything that allowed the dog to escape," said Pivulsiri.
The dog had a microchip and used it to track the dog back to its owner.
"Microchipping is extremely important for animals. If you have one and they get lost, it brings them back to you."
