Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Nabs PETA Award for Rescuing Dog Stranded in Traffic in Pouring Rain
For Immediate Release:
July 11, 2024
Contact:
Maddy Missett 202-483-7382
A Compassionate Action Award is on its way from PETA to Tennessee Highway Patrol Trooper Lance Willis in recognition of his swift rescue of a dog found in the middle of a lane of traffic during a torrential downpour. These days, that type of caring action is what society needs—and Willis delivered.
When Willis first noticed that traffic was slowing down amid heavy rain on Friday, he assumed that there had been a car crash—but then he spotted a large brown dog wandering the wet roadway. He sprang into action, turning on the blue lights of his patrol vehicle to alert other drivers and coaxing the dog to him. Once the dog, named Luna, was in the vehicle, Willis pulled into a parking lot nearby to wait for an animal control officer to take her to an animal shelter, where she was later reunited with her family.
“Thanks to Trooper Lance Willis, this vulnerable dog was saved from a terrifying, dangerous predicament and reunited with her family—a testament to his compassion and community spirit,” says PETA President Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA hopes his thoughtfulness will inspire people everywhere to act when they see an animal in need.”
Willis will receive a framed certificate along with vegan cookies and meat-free jerky from PETA.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
