Dan O’Grady, a truck driver from Akron, Ohio, was driving down the highway when he spotted something on the side of the road.
As he drove closer, he realized it was a little dog. Since he was driving on the highway, he pulled off at the next exit and came back around to the dog. The skinny dog noticed Dan and started barking at him.
When Dan approached the little dog, though, he kept running off into the woods on the side of the highway.
But every time the dog ran away, he came back to bark at Dan some more.
Dan realized the dog wanted him to follow, so he walked back into the woods with him.
When he got into the woods, he realized why the dog was begging him to follow.
Dan got in contact with the Humane Society of Summit County later that day and explained what had happened to him.
After Dan O’Grady followed a stray puppy into the woods, he knew he had to share the story of what had happened to him.
He called the Humane Society of Summit County and explained his experience.
The Humane Society was so astounded by Dan’s story that they shared it on Facebook, and it immediately went viral.
Read the incredible Facebook post below!
When Dan O’Grady of Akron, a truck driver, passed the little dog abandoned on the side of the highway in Jacksonville, FL, he couldn’t just keep going.
He exited the freeway and hoped he could get back to the dog before anything bad happened.
Luckily, he got back in time but the skinny dog yapped at him and kept running off every time he approached.
The frantic dog, a Jack Russell terrier, led Dan into the woods.
It was clear the dog wanted him to see something.
Under a bush, Dan saw a white domestic rabbit huddled there.
Dan scooped up the rabbit and headed back to the truck and the dog followed.
He dubbed them Highway and Interstate.
After feeding the hungry animals (sandwich meat for the dog and a salad from a rest stop for the rabbit), he made his way to the nearest animal shelter.
The local shelter took the dog, but they couldn’t take the rabbit. Dan thought he remembered seeing rabbits at our shelter.
After confirmation we could care for a rabbit, he bought a crate and supplies for a make-shift bunny nest for Interstate and started the long drive north.
We took custody of Interstate in mid-January and found him to be only about three pounds – bony and malnourished for an adult rabbit.
Who knows how long he and Highway had survived on their own in those woods. And what a lucky rabbit that Highway refused to abandon him when help finally arrived!
The highway has already been adopted from the shelter in Georgia.
Interstate is now a healthy weight of almost 5lbs, neutered and available for adoption.
Dan O’Grady literally went the extra mile to rescue Highway and Interstate.
We depend on good samaritans like Dan who rescue injured, abused and abandoned animals.
Since the original post went viral, there’s been some exciting news about Interstate!
***UPDATE***
Interstate, the bunny that we featured the other day, has been adopted!
Thank you, everyone, for the kind, positive comments.
We are so grateful that Dan O’Grady took time out of his long truck route to make sure BOTH of these animals were taken to safety!
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