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On Saturday, Sept. 14, a woman driving on Interstate 95 was involved in a rollover accident and her Labrador took off. Days after the unfortunate incident, the owner and dog duo were finally reunited.
Debbie Dawson tells the full story of the accident: NBC 6 South Florida. She recalled seeing a car cross the I-95 pylon in front of her.
She told the press: “I saw her car coming and I just said, ‘I’m going to die,’ and honestly to God, that’s all I remember. And I remember waking up in mid-’95. ”
Mr Dawson said he was knocked unconscious by the impact and then learned the car had rolled over four times during the crash.
Her car window broke during the rollover, and Dawson’s 15-month-old black Labrador, Moose, flew away.
Dawson said her first instinct was to run after her beloved dog, but witnesses said she stopped because of her injuries.
“I didn’t care. I wasn’t thinking about myself, I was just thinking about him.” Dawson said.
Thankfully for Dawson, she was quickly taken to the hospital with only minor injuries.
But the moose had been missing for days. And they couldn’t find him because his Apple AirTag came off during the accident.
But Dawson and his family were determined to bring the moose home.
“Right after the search was over, we were driving around and there was lightning and thunder and it started raining. And knowing this guy was outside was the worst.” Debbie’s husband Corey Dawson said.
While the couple was busy searching for the moose, their children started looking for the moose on social media, hoping someone might have found it.
Walker Dawson, Debbie’s son, said: “Like my dad, I would get phone calls in the middle of the night offering tips and tricks from people trying to get involved.”
The family’s efforts were not in vain. That’s because on Tuesday, September 17th, we finally received word that the moose had been found alive.
Oakland Park firefighters spotted the moose hiding in the brush next to the highway about a mile from the accident scene.
The poor dog injured the sole of his foot running on the hot sidewalk. He was also visibly traumatized and frightened, but otherwise okay.
Firefighters helped Moose return home and reunite him with his family. Debbie said the firefighters who rescued her dog “deserve a medal.”
“They promised me they would find him and they did. I can’t thank them enough for their hard work and effort and not giving up.”
With the moose safe and the Dawson family all together again, Corey had a message for the drivers:
“The takeaway for me is that this has changed a lot of lives, so if you just take a look while you’re driving, it’s real.” he said.
