It was a stormy day in Kingsport, Tennessee, when a solitary dog wandered onto a busy highway — a dangerous place for any animal, especially in pouring rain.
The wind and sheets of water made it nearly impossible for drivers to see clearly, putting the dog at serious risk. But one observant officer sprang into action.
Trooper Lance Willis noticed “some kind of animal” on the road. As he slowly approached, he realized it was a brown German shepherd.
“There were cars in both lanes that were stopped, so I put on my blue lights because people usually stop when they see blue lights,” Willis said. “I called into the radio so they knew where I was.”
Once safely parked, Willis leapt into the rain, trying to coax the dog toward him. And then, in a moment that could melt any heart, the dog — a beloved pet named Luna — calmly padded across the highway, hopping straight into the officer’s car. Willis shut the door behind her, bringing her to safety.
“We like to focus on traffic safety… and sometimes, we even rescue dogs out of the roadway,” Willis said.
Thanks to Trooper Willis’s quick thinking, Luna was reunited with her family. Petworks Animal Services, a nonprofit shelter partnering with the city, confirmed that Luna returned safely to her home.
“Luna is home safe with her family,” a Petworks spokesperson told News Channel 11.
For Willis, the best part of the rescue was simple: seeing Luna safely reunited with the people who love her.
“Her owner locating her was all I hoped for,” he said.
