ADOT Incident Response Unit member helps rescue dog on I-10 in Phoenix

ADOT employee Rich Dimaio was on-duty, traveling Phoenix-area highways, when a call came out for a dog on the freeway.

Dimaio, who is a member of ADOT's incident Response Unit, sponsored by GEICO, responded to the call on I-10 eastbound near 40th Street where Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers had already surrounded the dog in the median.

Dimaio took the dog, a young, female German Shepherd, to Maricopa County Animal Care & Control.

This is not the first time Dimaio has rescued an animal off the freeway. Earlier in November, he helped rescue a kitten that was thrown from a car window on I-10 westbound near 59th Avenue. And in July, he assisted with a dog rescue on I-17 in Phoenix. He later adopted that dog - also a female German Shepherd - and named her Freya.

Thankfully, this pup had a happy ending and was safely removed from the highway. But these sorts of incidents happen too frequently. Please take the extra time to ensure your pets are secure in your vehicle or yard. Not only does it keep your animals safe, but it helps keep other motorists on the highway and first responders tasked with rescuing animals safer.

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