As many as a dozen dogs locked in a crate fell off and scattered on the 60 Freeway over the weekend. Thankfully, several were rescued by a good Samaritan and CHP officer.
It was Saturday morning when Brenda Marquez saw them: several greyhounds on the westbound 60 Freeway near Euclid Avenue. She pulled over and tried to get them off the freeway so they wouldn’t get hit.
"One of them, the brown one, was trying to get to me, then would then run away to try to go reach the other dog," Marquez said.
"The fourth one was a little scared and kept trying to run away and I kept going, 'here baby.'"
Get Southern California news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC LA newsletters.
She was able to grab four of the dogs. Witnesses told CHP there were as many as a dozen riding in a crate that had fallen off a truck on the 60 Freeway. CHP says the dogs broke loose when a car partially hit the crate and it broke open.
CHP officer Gage McAdams then arrived on the scene. He stopped traffic, and found one driver who had rescued one of the dogs. Then he saw Marquez rescued four of them.
"At that point I had three of them in the backseat. One of them on the front seat, one one that was sleeping on the front right floorboard of my vehicle. I tried to make them as comfortable as possible," he said.
Authorities say at least 10 dogs have been found so far and placed at the North Central Animal Shelter or in foster homes.
One reportedly walked to a home in Boyle Heights and was adopted by a family.
Marquez and officer McAdams say the dogs they found had scratches and looked malnourished. Whoever was driving them, and a description of the vehicle, are still unknown.
"I’m an animal person. I do love my animals. It broke my heart a little bit to see the dogs in the condition they were in. I was very happy to get the dogs we got and give them a chance," McAdams said.
"I just hope they find a loving home with amazing owners cause they deserve it," Marquez said.
