Dog runs away from home and ends up on a motorway, sparking urgent rescue mission

It could have ended in tragedy, but thankfully, all's well that ends well.

A 12-year-old Belgian Malinois was spotted wandering all by himself along the busy motorway, close to the Orange-Le Coudoulet service station.

A bit of a chase

Local police officers quickly stepped in to rescue the pooch. However, the mission turned out to be trickier than expected. After a brief chase and a great deal of patience, the officers finally managed to get close to the dog.

They successfully caught him and brought him to safety. The little runaway was then taken to the L'Espérance rescue shelter in Orange, where staff immediately started searching for his family.

Twelve hours of panic

The shelter team soon found out that the dog’s name was Junior, and he was 12 years old. Just a few hours after his rescue, his worried owners arrived to collect their beloved pet. They explained that the Belgian Malinois had escaped from their small village of Roquemaure, which is about nine miles from Orange.

For his family, the dog's disappearance had plunged them into twelve long hours of pure worry. Thankfully, Junior returned home safe and sound. And as a "punishment" for his little adventure, the cheeky pooch was treated to... a tasty sausage! His family are incredibly relieved to have him back, and we are absolutely delighted for them!