Florida

‘Miracle’ dog stuck in car’s grille for 12 hours after being hit in Florida. See rescue

Mechanics at an automotive repair shop in Florida removed the bumper of a car to free a dog that had gotten stuck inside.
Mechanics at an automotive repair shop in Florida removed the bumper of a car to free a dog that had gotten stuck inside. Screengrab from St. Lucie Battery & Tire's video on Facebook

A driver was “shocked” to realize a dog she hit with her car got trapped in the front grille during the collision, rescuers in Florida said.

After the dog spent about 12 hours in the car, St. Lucie Battery & Tire freed him, a video shows.

The shop’s manager, Lenny Cruz, said the woman was driving the evening of Sept. 24 when a dog ran out in the road and “some how some way with the impact managed to get push[ed] thru the lower portion of [the] front bumper.”

When the driver realized the dog was in there, she “carefully” drove to the auto shop the next day, and crews elevated the car and worked to remove the front bumper and get the “petrified” dog out, the shop said.

Mechanics slowly removed the underside of the vehicle, and a waiting animal rescuer helped the dog down, observing on first glance that he appeared to be in good condition.

The owner of the pet, named Barbas, told WPTV he couldn’t believe where his missing dog ended up.

The dog was immediately turned over to animal rescuers.
The dog was immediately turned over to animal rescuers. Screengrab from St. Lucie Battery & Tire's video on Facebook

“It’s crazy and then just seeing the videos. I mean, it’s unbelievable. I mean, he really is a miracle,” Juan Rangel told the outlet.

Port St. Lucie is about a 50-mile drive north from West Palm Beach.

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Olivia Lloyd
mcclatchy-newsroom
Olivia Lloyd is an Associate Editor/Reporter for the Coral Springs News, the Pembroke Pines News and the Miramar News. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Previously, she has worked for Hearst DevHub, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and McClatchy’s Real Time Team.
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