Strangers help after trailer full of sled dogs turns over on icy Minnesota highway
It was a scary moment in the Twin Cities over the weekend, as a trailer hauling sled dogs turned over on Interstate 494 in Minnetonka.
It happened around 10 a.m. Saturday. Luckily, the dogs survived.
The huskies are part of Silent Run Adventures, a Monticello dog sledding team.
"The back end came loose on me, corrected, corrected, pretty soon the trailer was moving," said Jack Christopher.
Jack Christopher and his wife Kris had nine of their dogs in a trailer and were driving to an event in Excelsior when they hit a slick patch on I-494. As he tried to regain control, his trailer basically split in half on the freeway.
"The next thing I knew I looked at my side view mirror and I could see plywood and it was the bottom of my trailer," he said. "Mostly I was worried about the dogs."
Though they were scared, eight of the dogs were unharmed. But a husky named Hoss got loose.
It was a worst-case scenario, but Kris Christopher eventually caught up with Hoss while a state trooper, Minnetonka police and fire and other drivers kept them out of more danger. One by one, and in different vehicles, the huskies were taken to a veterinarian in Excelsior. A dog named Rebel even got a ride in the back of a squad car.
All of the dogs involved in the accident appear to be okay. But they'll have to be monitored throughout the week to make sure they don't have internal bleeding.
The trailer is totaled, but it likely won't be long before the huskies are back to doing what they do best.
"It all happened so quick. But the outpouring of support from everywhere has been wonderful. The dogs are okay, that's what's most important," said Kris Christopher.
Jack Christopher credits the safety boxes in the trailer for keeping the dogs from serious injury.
They are in the process of getting a new dog trailer.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help them pay for the new trailer and veterinary expenses, as a result of the accident.