Dogs reunited with owners after being found on side of Eastex Freeway

HOUSTON – A playful pair of pups felt right at home even though where they were staying was only temporary.

The short stay was with the family that rescued them from the side of the Eastex Freeway.

"They made themselves comfortable very fast," Danny Ryan said.

Ryan was driving home from work around 3 a.m. Thursday when he spotted something on the side of US 59.

"As I passed by, I just saw eyes staring at me. So I pulled over," Ryan said.

After backing up his car, he snapped a picture of what he found.

It was two dogs that were dirty and scared and they were not moving from the median.

"I knew it was about to storm and they were trapped ... so I was, like, 'I can’t leave these animals here,'" Ryan said.

"Danny did a good thing. I think he saved them. I think he saved their life," Ryan's husband Ken Aucoin said.

Ryan took the dogs home and later to the vet. The dogs were not microchipped and it was unclear if they’d ever find the rightful owners.

After the photos hit social media, it didn't take long before the dogs were reunited with their owners.

"(We are) very excited because we were crying at home because we couldn’t find them," Brenda Herrera said.

Herrera said her family isn't sure exactly how Zeus and Snow got out, but they have their suspicions.

They believe someone may have tried to break into their yard and the dogs took off. The puppies' mother, Blizzard, is still missing.

"We’ve had things stolen before," Herrera said. "Somebody had opened that gate for them to get out of the door and the gate."

Nevertheless, less than 12 hours after the dogs went missing, there was an emotional reunion that included two families and a pair of very lucky puppies.

"I don’t know how they got on the freeway, but I’m so happy that he actually found them," Herrera said.

"I have goosebumps and my hair is standing up. It’s a really happy ending and it’s wonderful for everyone," Aucoin said.


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Galveston-born, award-winning journalist, dog owner, foodie & occasional golfer.