Wisconsin Railway Workers Stunned After Discovering A Dog Tied To A Moving Train

One day, railway engineers Michael Ortega and Allen Au headed out to work, not knowing their shift was about to take an unexpected turn.

They were making their usual route from Galesburg, Illinois, to La Crosse, Wisconsin, when a sudden call from the dispatcher threw a wrench into their plans.

Somebody had spotted a dog tied up on a railcar that had stopped in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and the situation sounded urgent.

Michael and Allen raced to check it out right away. They were told the dog had been seen on a flatcar usually used to haul lumber and sheetrock, but when they finally got there, the pup had vanished.

Still, they didn’t give up. Allen recalled in an interview:

“We went real slow, almost to the end of the train, and parked at the end was a lumber car. I thought, ‘That must be it.’ But as we drove by we didn’t see anything.”

Determined to rescue the poor pup, Allen climbed onto the flatcar, and what he found broke his heart. Trembling with fear, a tiny brown dog was chained to a steel beam, with no water and food just out of reach.

Allen described the scene:

“They had left food for the dog up on the train, but it had shifted all to one side, so the dog couldn’t get to it. For the majority of the past few days it had been raining up here, so all the food was wet, soaked, and looked like mush.”

Even though Allen had spent 13 years on the railway and heard plenty of stories like this, seeing it firsthand was something else entirely.

Once they finally found the frightened little pup, Michael and Allen carefully approached her, scooped her up, and carried her to safety.

What really caught them off guard was her reaction. After everything she had been through, the tiny dog wagged her tail happily, like she somehow knew she was finally out of danger.

As they looked into the situation more, Michael and Allen were stunned to learn that the poor pup had probably been stuck on the train for two or three days. Allen explained:

“You can’t just leave a dog on the train; some of those trains go 70 miles an hour. And it wasn’t one of those trains that was sitting in a yard – it was a train that had actually been moving.”

After making sure she was safe, they gave her the name Lulu and showered her with everything she had been missing: food, water, and plenty of love.

As they watched Lulu happily devour her meal, something heartwarming happened.

It was like Michael had made up his mind right then that Lulu would be going home with him no matter what, as he shared:

“Seeing how she was when we found her  – I have pets at home, and I pictured that it was one of them tied to that car –  I just couldn’t understand or fathom what she’s gone through. We had the means to take her in, and she’s just the best little pup, so sweet and loving.”

And that’s exactly what happened. Michael and his wife brought Lulu into their home, completely smitten and unable to stop watching her. He shared how it felt:

“We stayed with her, watching her like new parents would. It was just so sweet, she’s a very good girl.”

With Michael and his wife showering her with love and care, Lulu settled into her new home in no time. The whole family feels like it was meant to be. Michael added:

“She belongs here with us. And we’re very blessed to have her.”

Stories like this always make my heart feel full and remind me there’s good in the world.

What about you? Share your thoughts in the comments, I’d love to hear them!