New Bedford Chihuahua Halts Traffic on Church Street

There is something about animals that just brings people closer together. When one chihuahua got away from its owner and ran through the streets of New Bedford, a group of kind strangers jumped into action to save the day.

Samantha Braga was on her way to Beacon Hardware when she spotted a small dog running down Church Street.

“I was turning left onto Church Street passed the mills and immediately pulled over trying to drive behind the dog with my hazards on so it wouldn’t get hit,” Braga said.

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Braga was desperately trying to corner the dog when she realized that other people had pulled over to help. These strangers came together to chase down a dog they didn’t know, because let’s face it, that’s what we do for dogs.

Upon Braga’s return to her vehicle, she noticed a man running barefoot toward her, which turned out to be the dog’s owner.

“I told him to hop in my car, this way we would have a better chance of catching up to the dog with the help of the others,” Braga said.

Picture this: about a dozen strangers pulling over on Church Street in New Bedford, attempting to coral a five-pound chihuahua. Samantha recalled that people in traffic were being courteous and stopping their vehicles to let the rescue team complete their mission. The chihuahua was eventually captured on a person’s deck, giving this story a very happy ending.

Turns out that this little pup ran away from the man’s apartment on Nash Road.

“The poor owner was running barefoot for over 10 city blocks exhausted,” Braga said. He couldn’t speak English but was extremely grateful for the help of 10 strangers that decided to pull over and save his dog.

I’m sure it was an odd sight to see a mob of people chasing after this little dog, but it restored Braga’s faith to see the good in people on full display.

"My heart is full knowing there are still really good people out there," she said.