Shelter Dog Meal Donation Count:

Learn More

Lost Dog Survives Heart-Stopping Trek Through Busy New York City Tunnel

By: Scott H
Scott Haiduc is the Director of Publishing for iHeartDogs, iHeartCats and The Hero Company. When not working, Scott spends his time on the farm, taking care of his animals and crops.Read more
| June 21, 2021

A lost dog is now safe and sound back at home after giving her mom the scare of a lifetime. 

Indie the rescue pup got loose from her dog walker last Tuesday evening on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and went running through the Midtown Tunnel. She made her way all the way to Long Island City before she was found hiding out in a warehouse with feral cats a week later. 

Image: Heather Angus/ Facebook

She didn’t go unnoticed, though. Workers in the tunnel spotted her on security cameras on several occasions but were unable to safely get to her throughout the busy traffic. Miraculously, Indie avoided injury during her ordeal and is now safely back home with her mom, Heather Angus. 

Surveillance video of Indie’s wild trek shows her trotting between cars at the height of rush hour and outrunning an MTA officer. Her car-stopping appearance almost got her killed, but it was the camera footage that eventually led to her rescue. 

Indie is a former stray who was rescued from the streets of India just a few months ago. Her street skills seemingly worked to her benefit since the dog was luckily found unscathed. 

Angus said she was starting to lose hope until she received a tip from the MTA officer who spotted Indie. 

Image: Heather Angus/ Facebook

“I started to feel hopeless but I received a call that night from a Bridge and Tunnels officer who said she tried to stop a dog with an appearance similar to Indie while she was bolting through the Queens Midtown Tunnel,” Angus told The New York Post. “I couldn’t piece [together] how she went from 62nd and West End all the way to the Queens Midtown Tunnel until I received a tip about a dog running down 36th and Fifth. It was amazingly unbelievable, but the timelines were matching up.”

Michael Ripinsky, from the rescue group Zani’s Furry Friends, aided Angus in getting her dog back safe and sound. 

Image: Heather Angus/ Facebook

“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” Ripinsky said. “Somehow she ran through the Midtown Tunnel without getting hit by a car during rush-hour traffic and found a warehouse to run into. That’s incredible.”

Ripinsky said that Indie was found with a family of feral cats, as well as with their food and water, so that is how she managed to survive the week-long ordeal. Aside from being covered in black tar and having a few scrapes, Indie was safely found inside the warehouse and was returned to Angus. 

Image: Heather Angus/ Facebook

While it gave Angus the scare of her life, she is so thankful to have Indie back safe and sound. 

“She came home and ran circles around the apartment and found her favorite tennis balls,” Angus said. “This story is a miracle, but it was only possible because of all the angels involved. I’ve lived in the city for 11 years and it never ceases to amaze me.”

H/T: New York Post
Featured Image: Heather Angus/ Facebook 

Recent Articles

Interested in learning even more about all things dogs? Get your paws on more great content from iHeartDogs!

Read the Blog