A missing dog was reunited with her owner after escaping on to a busy motorway where she was rescued by a delivery driver and taken on a 110 mile road trip.
Maisie, a nine-year-old Jack Russell terrier, got scared during a thunderstorm and ran from her home in Birmingham on 26 June. Delivery driver Chris Wilkins had been driving along the M42 and was shocked to spot the pup darting along the carriageway at around 2.30am. He pulled over on the hard shoulder and risked his life to scoop up Maisie before she could be run over.As he was in the middle of his shift and it was so late, Chris had no choice but to keep Maisie and continued on with his journey to Yorkshire. The following day Chris took Maisie to his local vets where a microchip revealed her owners lived in Birmingham. Maisie’s owners made the five-hour round trip later that day to bring their pet safely home.
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‘I actually thought it was a rabbit but then realised it was a little dog running for its life.
‘I have a terrier myself and I couldn’t bear the thought of this little one being hurt so I just acted without really thinking about it.
‘Looking back on it now, running onto the motorway in the dark to rescue a dog isn’t the most sensible thing I have ever done, but I’m glad I did it.
‘As I was on a delivery run, and it was the early hours of the morning, I thought the only thing I could do was take her with me.
‘She was an absolutely adorable dog, even trying to sneak up onto my lap at one point.
‘She was terrified by the storm which was taking place but she eventually managed to bed down in the truck.
‘I am just thrilled to know she is back home in Birmingham where she belongs with her owner. I am so glad she was microchipped.’
Animal care assistant Matt Wright, of Calder Vets, said: ‘Thankfully Maisie’s owner had kept her microchip details up-to-date so I had a number to call.On hot summer days, walk your dogs before 9 a.m. or after 8 p.m. — or walk them only in shady or grassy/dirt areas.
‘This really proves how vital it is to have your pet microchipped.
‘I was expecting her to live nearby so I was absolutely stunned when I realised she had come from Birmingham, travelling a whopping 110 miles
‘Her owner had been frantic trying to find her, phoning around all his local vets to see if she had been taken in.
‘I think he was stunned when he found out where Maisie’s adventure had taken her.
‘Chris took a big risk stopping on a motorway to save Maisie but her owner will never forget what he did.‘He’s a real hero.’