Salerno: Dog wandered onto highway; rescued by highway police

Eboli – A movie-like scene unfolded this morning on the A2 Autostrada del Mediterraneo, between Battipaglia and Eboli: a medium-sized dog escaped its owner's control and began running in panic across the lanes, nearly causing a carnage. Dozens of motorists called 113 to report the animal weaving between trucks and cars at full speed.

Many were forced to brake sharply and swerve suddenly to avoid it, posing a serious risk of a chain reaction. Officers from the Eboli Highway Police Sub-section, coordinated by Senior Inspector Salvatore Avallone, responded immediately.

The police officers coolly closed the lanes one by one using the panthers' light signals, diverting traffic, and creating a safety corridor to reach the dog, who was visibly frightened and disoriented.

After minutes of tension, one of the officers managed to slowly approach and gain the animal's trust, gently grabbing him and carrying him to safety beyond the guardrail. Mission accomplished: the dog, a crossbreed of about 3 years old in perfect health, was examined on site by the ASL veterinarian who read the microchip.

Within minutes, the owner, a 42-year-old man from Battipaglia, was located. He was desperate because his dog had run away during his morning walk because a firecracker had exploded nearby.

The man, deeply moved, hugged his four-legged friend again right on the edge of the highway, to the applause of the motorists who had witnessed the scene.

"A perfect operation," commented Salerno Highway Patrol Commander Giovanna Reynolds. "My men demonstrated professionalism and great humanity. Without their courage, today we would be talking about a tragedy." A happy ending that reminds everyone of the importance of the microchip: thanks to that small, life-saving device, in less than an hour the dog was able to return home with his tail (finally) wagging.