A puppy was rescued early Thursday after it spent nearly 24 hours in the metro tunnels of Quito, Ecuador. The chase began Wednesday morning when the dog and a cat entered the subway tracks near the San Francisco station.
Authorities temporarily suspended train services, and the station remained closed for almost a day. While the cat was quickly rescued, the puppy managed to evade capture until the next morning.
Video footage of the rescue, circulating on social media, shows security staff running along the tracks, trying to capture the frightened dog. The clip shows the puppy darting along the metro tracks, evading capture as security staff attempt to corner the animal.
At one point, the dog makes a sudden turn and escapes toward another station. A team of 15 rescuers, divided into two groups, finally trapped it using blankets to ensure it remained unharmed.
Veterinarians confirmed that the dog was safe and uninjured. Several people have already expressed interest in adopting the puppy.
One wrote, "Thank you for keeping him safe. A delay is not the end of the world, but to save the life of a little animal is to gain heaven."
Another commented, "There's nothing more embarrassing than a puppy running away from you while you just want to help him. Thank you for managing your rescue with so much care and respect."
"I love that they didn't hurt them and instead helped them; that speaks very well of the staff," wrote the next.
"We love the Quito Metro for this gesture with the little animals.... All lives matter.. Thank you!!!" wrote another.
This was not the first time dogs entered the metro tunnel and caused chaos. Earlier in 2021, a dog named Lucy made headlines after bolting from her apartment, crossing the West Side Highway, and entering the subway system in Lower Manhattan, New York.
Lucy wandered through multiple stations and tracks, eluding capture for 10 hours before being safely rescued by an MTA worker at 34th Street–Penn Station.
