The Freeway Dog
The Freeway Dog Save Email Print
Posted: 9:29 PM Jan 7, 2009
Last Updated: 9:29 PM Jan 7, 2009

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A feisty dog out of Rice Lake makes headlines, "The Tonight Show's "Headlines" Monday night.

Here's the transcript from the show:
Jay Leno says, "this is a big one. you gotta follow me here. What town is this? Rice Lake police log. 7:58: dog that caller tried to catch earlier this week on highway 53 but bolted is now resting on the northbound ramp. 8:58 another call about the dog. officer response. 10:04 yet another call about the highway 53 dog which is now in the middle of a second highway, a roundabout. Officers advised to check it out. 11:15, dog has left the roundabout, is now back on highway 53. Officers heading over to highway 53. 2:01, Highway 53, dog is running on highway 53, almost got hit. Officer responded, found suspect by the mall. Unable to apprehend the dog. 8:16, highway 53. Dog was hit by a car, lying on the highway. Officers responded unsuccessful at catching the dog. The dog is very much alive. 9:05. Another call. Dog is in the median on highway 53, near highway "O" exit. Caller hopes officers who didn't catch the dog are happy now, because the dog is lying dead under the overpass. Officers said the dog likes to lie there like it'd dead, but when they try to catch it, it lifts its head and runs away. 2:40. Caller says no, dog is dead, you need to check it out. 2:45, officers checked on highway, dog miraculously spring to life and ran off." Leno quote ends.

The story of the dog that liked to play dead and then run from officers in Rice Lake started in the summer of 2007. Police Chief John Sommerfeld tells us the dog prompted several calls from concerned people because it loved to hang out near the highway.

Sommerfeld says the stray lived under an overpass and officers tried to catch it numerous times, but the golden-colored mutt's time on the road sadly caught up to him. A car eventually hit it and an officer had to put him down. After getting so many calls the dispatchers nicknamed him the "freeway dog." And the chief says he was popular enough during his time under the overpass that people would bring him food and water.

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Posted by: Scott W Location: Eau Claire on Jan 10, 2009 at 12:13 AM
My God, look at the horrid spelling and grammar of the comments. This is terribly disheartening. I feel for this dog as many of the rest of you do however I am equally disturbed at the vast number of ignorant postings on here. Please, use the Shift key learn to spell. How can anyone take you seriously when your comments look like that.

Posted by: JERRY Location: CHIPP-FALLS on Jan 9, 2009 at 11:10 PM
wopeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Posted by: dianne Location: ec on Jan 8, 2009 at 07:36 PM
Bottom line, he should of been caught and the humane assc. should have been contacted. Are you actually telling me the cops couldn't catch him? Rediculous. He should of been caught period. You don't leave up to the animal to decide whether or not he wants to get caught!!! (sick&tired)- the dog is not a human, duh!

Posted by: SICK & TIRED Location: RICE LAKE on Jan 8, 2009 at 12:05 PM
BLAH,BLAH,BLAH...ANYBODY THAT HAS EVER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH A UNTAMED STRAY DOG OR CAT KNOWS THAT YOU CAN NOT CATCH THEM IF THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE CAUGHT!!! THEY KNOW THE TRICKS OF THE GAME THEY PLAY AND SEEM TO ENJOYS TICKING OFF THE PERSON TRYING TO CATCH THEM! LIVE TRAPS ONLY WORK IF THE ANIMAL IS STUPID ENOUGH TO GO INTO IT AND A WANT TO BE STRAY IS NOT A STRAY BECAUSE THEY ARE STUPID!!! IF YOU PEOPLE ARE SO GOOD AT CATCHING STRAYS, THEN GO TO THE HUMANE SOCIETY AND VOLUNTEER TO GO OUT AND CATCH THE STRAY OR PROBLEM ANIMALS IN YOUR AREA. IF NOT, DON'T JUDGE THE ONES WHO TRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: debra Location: eau claire on Jan 8, 2009 at 11:37 AM
i realize that people were trying to be kind bringing the dog food/water but that only encouraged it to stay there. sandy has a good point, why wasn't the humane society called?

Posted by: Sandy Location: Fall Creek on Jan 8, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Why wasn't the county humane society contacted? They could have live trapped the dog and possibly found him a safe home. What a shame.

Posted by: Ron Location: Rice Lake on Jan 8, 2009 at 09:41 AM
I saw the dog last summer and called the Barron County sheriff's dept telling them of the dog on the freeway. They told me that the dog lived somewhere on the freeway and there were many calls about the dog and they tried to pickup the dog many times. Seems that they should have tried harder to get the dog as it was a hazzard having it live on 53. The dog was mangy looking and am sad to hear he was hit and killed.

Posted by: Matt Location: Rice Lake on Jan 8, 2009 at 05:43 AM
Actually we called him Trucker, but lets not split hairs.