Trucker Saves Dogs Thrown Onto Icy New York Highway

What kind of m.o.n.s.t.e.r would do this?

Two Beagle mix dogs were thrown out of a moving vehicle on a cold New York highway, by someone expecting they’d never see them again. That could have been the case; one of them was badly injured, with two fractured front legs, broken ribs, and contusions to the lungs and shoulder, but this grisly episode wasn’t the end of their story.

A passing trucker stopped to rescue the dogs, and immediately called the police. He picked up the severely wounded dog first, a 6-8-year-old. The second dog, only about 1, scampered alongside his friend.

According to Time, state troopers fitted the injured dog with a splint and warmed him with a blanket, and the trucker’s sweatshirt. They named him “Trooper,” having survived the fall onto the highway and later having his leg amputated. His friend, who spent the ride to the vet eating several dog biscuits, was named “Adam,” after the truck driver.

Police have yet to find any suspects in the case, but the dogs are both on the mend.

“These animals have been through a lot, and people need to understand that this is not OK,” Amberly Ondria, shelter manager for the Broome County Humane Society, told ABC News. “This is not something that should be done.”

The injury to Trooper’s front right leg was so severe, a veterinary surgeon had to remove it, and he may need a harness to assist with movement from now on.

“He has quite the road to recovery ahead of him,” Ondria said.

Syracuse.com reports that the truck driver thinks the dogs were tossed from an older Dodge Durango, covered in dirt, with rust near its back bumper. The trucker’s dash camera may have caught the vehicle on video, but authorities are still asking for the public’s help in locating suspects.