Toronto Police rescue dog found running along the Gardiner Expressway

An adventurous dog is lucky to be alive today after somehow making its way onto the Gardiner Expressway in downtown Toronto during rush hour.

Police first reported the hazard as an "animal complaint" near the Gardiner and Spadina Avenue around 9:30 a.m.

"Dog seen running on the highway. Cars slowing/swerving to miss dog," they wrote at the time. "Officer on scene."

Video footage shot by someone who lives above the Gardiner shows the moments when officers arrived, basically stopping traffic and getting out of a cruiser to try and apprehend the pup.

Traffic came to a halt for a loose dog on Toronto's Gardiner Expressway this morning 😱-📹 luciaostache/IG pic.twitter.com/CPCTQEV7hr

— blogTO (@blogTO) June 11, 2021

Fortunately, one officer was succesful in coaxing the dog to safety.

"The dog was rescued by a Traffic Services officer," says TPS Constable David Hopkinson to blogTO. "The dog had suffered some injuries to its paw and was taken to Animal Services for treatment and care."

While police believe that Animal Services may have a lead on the dog's owners, it is not yet clear if they've been located or how the dog made its way onto a busy expressway in Canada's largest city.

All we know right now is that the dog is safely inside, away from any speeding cars or trucks.