A German shepherd rescued from the freeway by Dallas police and animal officers has a new home, thanks to a raffle conducted on Sunday at Dallas Animal Services.
The dog, which answers to the name Elvis, was adopted by Isaac Elizondo, a banker from McKinney who says he grew up with the breed.
"I've always loved German shepherds, my father had them when I was young, and they're a beautiful breed," Elizondo says.
The dog was found wandering down the HOV lane of I-35/I-67 during rush hour on Wednesday morning. Police officers Charles Timmons and Sharifa Williams detained the dog until Dallas Animal Services arrived. The dog was retrieved by DAS officer Eric Pogue and taken back to the shelter, where it was determined that he was about 10 years old, with no identifying tag or microchip.
When no owner came forward, and with interest from the public, the shelter staff revived the idea of a raffle, similar to the raffle it hosted in December 2013 when a family of dogs were rescued from a drainpipe. Elizondo won the raffle and was approved for the adoption.
Dallas Animal Services manager Jody Jones says that Elvis, who has been extremely well-mannered, will benefit from some attention until his personality emerges. "Either he didn't have a secure environment, or maybe he was left outside or got bored," she says.
No problem: Elizondo, who has a "good-size yard" with room to roam, has already applied for another German shepherd to adopt, as a buddy for Elvis. "What really got me was that this particular dog was a survivor — getting on the freeway and then making it out alive the way he did," he says.
Elvis the German shepherd was rescued from the HOV lane of I-35 in Dallas.
