Jake Gyllenhaal saved a dalmatian in the middle of an intersection

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A few weeks ago, I wrote a story about how Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky’s dog, Sunny, was missing for a few days in Australia after she touched an electric fence and ran off. The beloved pooch was found and was OK! Late last week, Jake Gyllenhaal rescued a dog that similarly got away from its owner, this time in New York. Page Six has more:

Jake Gyllenhaal was the hero in a canine crisis in Tribeca, Page Six has learned.

We’re told that the “Sea Wall/A Life” actor was walking at Laight and Hudson streets at about 10:20 Thursday morning when he spotted an enormous Dalmatian standing terrified in the middle of the busy intersection.

According to an eyewitness, the dog was on a leash, but had gotten away from its owner, who was too small to control the bulky beast, which the spy estimated to be about 3 feet tall.

“I noticed that it was Jake Gyllenhaal, and I saw him turn and look into the street — I thought he was trying to flag down a cab or something.”

But we’re told Gyllenhaal was motioning to the dog, who was standing still in the street.

“It was like the dog was in shock or something,” said the source.

The star — who is well-known as a dog lover — left the woman he was walking with and stepped out into the flowing traffic, bringing cars to a standstill.

We’re told he calmed the dog — who was unharmed — and led it by the head back to its owner.

The witness said, “He really was a hero.”

Gyllenhaal even took a moment to talk to the stricken dog owner about different types of leashes that might prevent the scary situation from happening again.

[From Page Six]

I am so relieved that this story had a happy ending. It was wonderful of Jake to come to the poor dog’s rescue. Stepping out into New York City traffic is no joke, and I’m glad that Jake managed to do that without getting hurt, himself. (I also love that, according to Page Six, he has two dogs who are named after To Kill a Mockingbird characters.)

I feel terrible for the owner. One of the times that I experienced both sheer terror and helplessness was when my dogs got out of the house and took off down the (thankfully not-busy street). The few cars that came by managed to stop and we were able to call the dogs home, but I remember thinking that it was completely possible that they would disappear or get hit. They had a fantastic time running and exploring, of course, and had no idea how terrified we all were. This story is a great reminder to check any leashes or harnesses that you have for your pets to make sure that they fit properly and that you can easily manage them during walks!

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Photos credit: Getty and via Twitter

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19 Responses to “Jake Gyllenhaal saved a dalmatian in the middle of an intersection”

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  1. Erinn says:

    Yay, Jake! I never really got his appeal until I started watching him interact with Ryan Reynolds… now I kind of love him. But this made me even more sure.

    One minor thing though – that looks like harlequin Great Dane, not a Dalmation.

    • Turtledove says:

      I thought it look like a great dane too.

    • Agirlandherdog says:

      Before I even saw the pic, when I read the description about how large the dog is, I thought “I doubt that’s really a dalmation.”

    • Liz says:

      I was thinking the same thing. That dog is way too big to be a Dalmatian and looks a lot like a Great Dane.

  2. Donn says:

    I have a 100 pound Rhodesian mix and she’s incredibily strong. When she was about two, a cat or squirrel ran right in front of us and she took off. Unfortunately, I had the leash hooked around my wrist and went flying, broke my nose, dislocated my shoulder, blackened my eyes and ground up my knees. Very scary, but she didn’t get away. I researched it and found the best thing for control was a front clip harness (and never loop the leash around my wrist). My dog is actually a very good walker but you have to be constantly alert to your surroundings and maintain control. I’m so glad that this had a happy ending.

    • Cidy says:

      This happened to me! My ex partners dog ran straight into the woods and I had the leash hooked to my belt loop, I went tumbling down into the woods, broke my wrist, bloody face once I was out of shock and started screaming stop the dog stopped running. But ohmygod it was terrifying.

    • Agirlandherdog says:

      My husband constantly loops the leashes around his wrist (we have two dogs), and I CONSTANTLY tell him not to do that! I’m just waiting for the moment…

      No matter how well behaved a dog is, dogs get excited. They see things and lunge. I agree you have to constantly be on alert. I have to see that squirrel before they do and be ready to brace and correct them.

      We’re in NYC pretty often, and I always worry about dogs getting away from owners. People need to know what they can and can’t handle when they get a dog and think about the environment.

      • Donn says:

        Tell your husband that you lose control over your dog by not holding the leash in your hand. It’s jus common sense

    • SamC says:

      And please, no matter how small the dog, no retractable leashes. They give the person no control over the dog, can easily break from the retracting mechanism and are major trip hazards when dogs are zooming all over 5 feet in front of their owner.

  3. Jerusha says:

    Yaaaay, Jake!! Happy ending! I hope the owner took his advice once she got her dog safely back home. And, like Erinn, I’ve found JG more attractive lately, now that he’s got a few more years on himself.

  4. janey says:

    of course he did, he’s a sweetie. That dog looks half the size of that woman.
    As @Erinn says that looks more Dane like. I have a Dane cross (girl) and she’s incredibly strong and stubborn. As a girl she’s not that massive (upper thigh height on me – I’m 5ft 6) so a boy dog would be much bigger and stronger.
    @Donn and @Cidy – that sounds awful and very scary.

  5. J ferber says:

    Jake also pitched in and helped when a hotel , i think called manka’s, was burning down in California. I remember bc i had stayed at the inn and it was great. What a nice person he is. Always liked him and his sister.

  6. Cece says:

    I have had a crush on him since brokeback, I once flew to NY to see him perform live and then snuck into the cast party. When I finally met him he was quiet and awkward. I was super nervous and a little drunk so when I asked him about Moulon Rouge (he was up for the main part but obvi didn’t get it,) he got agitated ans walked away 🙁 It took me years to forgive him, but I think its time to let go of my anger…

    • Amelie says:

      You asked him about a part he didn’t get which he might have still been salty about. I’m not surprised he walked away lol. Nobody wants their failings constantly pointed out to them.

  7. lucy2 says:

    Poor doggy! Glad it was ok, and I agree it looks like a Dane. That had to be so scary though, glad someone as nice as Jake was there to help.

  8. Asiyah says:

    This is why I can’t have a dog. I love them, but I’m too weak to handle them if this sort of thing was to happen. I can discipline one but I’m small so a dog can easily escape from my grasp.

  9. Savannah says:

    He looks irritated