ohmidog!

A racing greyhound found running down Interstate 75 in Florida last week continues to recover from dehydration and more than 20 wounds found on his body.

After reports of the loose greyhound being sighted on I-75 near Gainesville, greyhound rescuers went to the scene, stopped traffic and captured the dog, a two-year-old male.

“He was in shock, had a fever, and was severely dehydrated … He still had his racing muzzle on and his kennel collar. I have no idea if he was being hauled and escaped or is loose from a local kennel and frankly, don’t care. He has over 20 wounds on his body, some severe, and some pretty serious road rash,”  volunteer Kendra Stauffer wrote on the Goldcoast Greyhound Adoptions Facebook page.

The dog, now named Freeway, was rushed to the University of Florida Veterinary School emergency clinic, where he was operated on and his wounds were treated, according to Examiner.com

After his first surgery, Freeway was taken home by Stauffer, who fed him pureed chicken through a syringe for the first few days.

Goldcoast Greyhound Adoptions says his medical expenses have grown to more than $3,400, and that donations to his care have come from Canada and 30 states.

More photos of Freeway can be found on this Facebook page.

Subaru of America, Inc. has donated a custom-designed Outback to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), to help them collect and process evidence at animal crime scenes.

The modified 2010 Outback has specialized lighting, a radio, computer, exam table, roof rack and refrigerator in which to store evidence.

“We created the Subaru Outback CSI vehicle to transport the ASPCA’s Veterinary Forensics team to hard-to-access crime scenes,” said Todd Lawrence, promotions and sponsorship manager for Subaru of America, Inc.

“We needed a vehicle that allows us to reach some of the crime scenes where our larger unit cannot,” said Dr. Melinda Merck, senior director for Veterinary Forensics at the ASPCA.

Dr. Merck said the older unit was primarily used to examine animals, but the new response vehicle focuses more on examining evidence from animal crime scenes. The new unit will be based out of Gainesville, Florida, home of the ASPCA’s veterinary forensics program.

Chachi the Chihuahua ran out the front door of a house in Orlando, Florida on July 4, 2008.

Nearly 10 months later he was found — in Ohio, nearly 800 miles away.

Robert Bartman, 30, of Gainesville, Fla., Chachi’s owner, said the dog disappeared while being watched by friends. He has no idea how he got to Ohio.

“When you lose a dog for that long, he’s dead or someone stole him,” Bartman said. “You figure the worst.”

The dog was spotted by Patricia Ross and her boyfriend Lonnie Mason at the end of April, walking down the street in Middletown, Ohio, according to the Oxford Press.

Ross took the Chihuahua around the neighborhood, seeking his owner. Finding none, she took the dog, who was wearing no collar or tags, to Alll About Pet Care.

There, Chachi was discovered to have a microchip. When Bartman was notified that Chachi had been found  in Middletown, there was a pause on the phone.

“Middletown?” he asked.

“Middletown, Ohio,” Coheen said.

Chachi was driven to Dayton International Airport and flown to Florida. After receiving medical treatment there, he’s back home with Bartman.

“You could tell he had been on the street for a while,” said Bartman, who said the vet bills amounted to more than $700.

“He’s worth more than that,” Bartman said. “With that type of love, you can’t let them go.”