Jackson Township man saves pup on busy interstate
A neglected puppy rescued on the side of a busy interstate on Oct. 23 is now in safe hands with his forever family, thanks to Roger Vigus, a Jackson Township resident who jumped out of his truck to save the dog.
“Going down (the interstate), I saw him out of the corner of my eye,” Vigus said. “I pulled off as quick as I could.”
The 4-month-old pup was walking from the grass to the shoulder of the road, and then sat in the right lane of traffic, Vigus said.
“Trucks were coming,” he said. “Luckily everyone saw him.”
As he pulled over and jumped out of his vehicle, Vigus said he called after the pup, who came right over to him.
“He was so emaciated and just dirty that I think, I don’t know, he was just so worn out,” Vigus said. “He didn’t look afraid — he’s just a puppy.”
Vigus said he saved the dog out of instinct.
“I just wanted to get him out of harm’s way,” he said. “That’s all I was thinking.”
Vigus said veterinarians at Green Valley Veterinary Hospital in New Brighton determined the dog had been kept in a crate his whole life because he was hunched, with discolored fur. The bottom of his paws had sores and marks from standing and sleeping on metal, and he had marks on his face from wearing a muzzle.
“He had no parasites or other health issues — just those cosmetic wounds from being in a crate,” Vigus said. “Other than that, he was perfect.”
Vigus named the puppy R2, after R2D2 from the Star Wars series. Vigus described himself as a “Star Wars nerd.” Like the character from the film franchise, Vigus said the dog is smart, loyal and the perfect companion.
“He’s a Velcro dog,” Vigus said. “He’s always on me. I don’t know if he just craves the attention of a human, or if he just doesn’t want to be alone.”
Two weeks after he was rescued off the side of the road, R2 has doubled in size, Vigus said, and still sleeps on his lap.
Vigus posted a video on his TikTok channel about the experience that has since gone viral, amassing over 757,800 likes. Further updates about the rescue puppy can be viewed @thejourneyofr2 on TikTok.
Since Vigus’ video of R2 sleeping on his lap after being rescued went viral on TikTok, the puppy has been thriving.
“He is fantastic, and doing better than I could have anticipated,” Vigus said.
At first, it was a challenge getting R2 to walk on grass.
“He didn’t like the feel of it,” Vigus said. “He wanted a hard surface. But for a dog that’s spent its whole life in a crate, I had him trained in two days. He’s sitting, he’ll lie down; it’s amazing.”
Vigus also said R2 is getting along with the other three dogs in the house.
At first, Vigus said he and his wife, Michelle Vigus, were nervous about how R2 would get along with Lilah, a rescue bulldog who doesn’t like other dogs or people.
“R2 is (Lilah’s) little emotional support dog,” Vigus said. “She loves him to death.”
Vigus said he is grateful he was able to save R2, and shared he is very similar to another dog he lost a couple years ago.
“It’s like he’s been here forever,” Vigus said. “I’m just thankful I found him. It was a moment in time where I was in the right place at the right time.”
