Dog on the run: Police close motorway to catch canine loose on carriageway
POLICE closed one of the country’s busiest motorways so they could catch a dog which was running loose on the carriageway.
The M5 was closed so police could catch a dog running loose on the carriageway
Gloucestershire officers stopped traffic on the M5 while the collie was safely caught then reunited with its owner.
The response was in sharp contrast to North Wales colleagues who killed a dog by running it over when it escaped onto a busy A-road.
Motorists using the M5 on Thursday were told to stop and remain in their cars after the black and white sheepdog was spotted.
The pet was running against traffic on the southbound carriageway at junction 12
The pet was running against traffic on the southbound carriageway at junction 12, between Gloucester and Stroud.
Gloucestershire Roads Policing unit used a series of Tweets to keep drivers informed of their operation to round up the frightened animal.
Afterwards, they Tweeted: “Collie dog now caught & on a lead on M5. Dog is now in officers’ car & stationary traffic is being released. Thank you for your patience.”
They then sent out a photo of the dog sitting in the back of the police car, with the jocular caption: “Err, the vets please driver. Oh & please pass on my apologies to the nice people on that road thingy.”
The dog (not pictured) was a border collie
Motorists using the M5 on Thursday were told to stop and remain in their cars
String quartet plays on M5 for traffic stand-still
Officers later took the animal for a check-up with a vet then reunited it with its owners.
North Wales referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Watchdog after officers used the unorthodox method of dealing with the runaway trail hound on Monday.
The animal had been running loose on an unlit section of the A55 near Llandudno in the early hours when two officers - both dog-owners - decided to destroy the animal.