Woodbridge Police Officers Rescue Dog That Ran 15 Miles Away From Turnpike Rest Stop

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Woodbridge Police officers helped rescue a lost dog that ran away from the Joyce Kilmer rest stop on the NJ Turnpike and ran 15 miles north into Woodbridge Township.

The dog, a female Golden Retriever mix named Abbie, was located by Woodbridge Police officers Saturday night, within 20 feet of the Turnpike. When the two officers found her, she was very fearful and was huddled in the frozen woods as cars zoomed past on the highway, said Woodbridge Police Director Joseph Nisky.

She had been tracked there thanks to drone technology from USAR Drone Team, which was able to locate Abbie using thermal imaging from an unmanned drone.

Abbie, 9 years old, was being transported with other dogs by Final Victory Animal Rescue, a South Carolina dog rescue group. They had picked up Abbie from a shelter in South Carolina and she was headed to Maine to be adopted.

Sometime Friday, the animal rescue group stopped to let the dogs relieve themselves at the Joyce Kilmer rest stop on the Turnpike, which is located in East Brunswick. That's where Abbie got loose and ran away.

The dog ran for approximately 15 miles north and she was located late Friday night in Woodbridge. She had an Apple AirTag tracking device on her collar, and that's how the group was able to track her. They called in the USAR Drone Team, which located body heat from Abbie's body in the woods off the Turnpike.

When Woodbridge Police officers Robert Vanco and Matthew Murdoch first got eyes on her, she was very scared at first. Woodbridge Animal Control officer Sarah Wilmes Merideth was also involved in the rescue and spent hours in the freezing cold, along with the officers, trying to locate and grab Abbie.

"Upon initial contact with the officers (she) retreated into the woods," said Nisky. "But then her exhaustion got the best of her and when approached by the officers and offered affection, she warmed right up to them."

"Officer Murdoch spent hours in the woods assisting with the search, along with at least six officers working both sides of the area," said the South Carolina animal rescue group. "Abbie was found alive thanks to incredible teamwork from multiple agencies. While we are so thankful she was safely located, she did sustain a hip and ligament injury during her time on the loose."

Abbie was initially brought to Tri-State Veterinary Hospital in Woodbridge for her hip injury and some road rash. She has since been returned to South Carolina, where she is with a foster home and will have surgery for her injuries.

The USAR drone team is a veteran-based non-profit that assists with pet search and rescue. Their rescue of Abbie was their 123rd dog rescue. They are an entirely volunteer organization. You can learn more about them, and donate to them, here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/USA...