LA nurse saves dog on 5 Freeway in dramatic rescue

LOS ANGELES - A puppy was saved by a good Samaritan during a dramatic rescue on the 5 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley Friday morning.

SkyFOX was live overhead as drivers stopped and were attempting to rescue the puppy who found herself on the northbound side of the 5 Freeway in Sun Valley near the scene of a deadly crash during the morning rush hour.

Amber Streid was driving home from her job as a cardiac nurse early Friday morning when she saw the frightened dog running on the northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway. Drivers were trying to box in the pup and rescue it. 

Somehow, the puppy found her way into Streid’s car near the Osbourne Street exit. The Northridge woman had been working all night, but as a dog lover and caregiver — she knew she had to do something.

"My first thought was to jump out of my car and run with the dog, so she wouldn’t be scared."

But in the end, Streid remained in her vehicle and observed. She coasted and waited for an opportunity to help the terrified pup. The dog nervously ran between cars; and when Streid stopped and opened her car door— miraculously the female mixed breed jumped right into her vehicle. 

For a time, the trembling dog sat in the front of the car with her, unwilling to budge. It took some coaxing and with the help of another motorist, they wrapped the dog in a towel and placed her in the back of the sedan. The lost dog’s paw was bleeding— but she was safe. 

Amber called her dad Mark Streid and said "I did a good thing! I saved a dog." Her father said "That was YOU? I was watching it live on FOX11." 

"After I brought her home, she was finally able to get out of my car. She was definitely scared at first. She was stuck in my car for about 30 minutes. She warmed up, and then I was able to get her into the bathtub and give her a warm bath," Streid said.

FOX 11 spent the day with the Streid Family. They are a large, close-knit family and have four beloved rescue dogs. 

A family friend, who is a vet, stopped by and examined the pup. Dr. Joan Winter told us the dog was about a year old and definitely had a home. She wasn’t a stray. She bandaged and dressed the puppy’s paw and said the dog had likely hurt her paw while madly running on the freeway. 

Amber Streid was the good Samaritan who rescued a puppy on the 5 Freeway on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023.

The medium-sized dog had a collar, but no tag. The vet examined her to see if she could locate a chip, but told us the dog was not chipped. On Saturday the family will go to the local shelter and try to see if anyone is looking for their missing dog. These dog lovers hope to reunite the puppy with their family. 

But for now the Streid’s are taking good care of her. Not surprisingly—she’s connected at the hip with Amber. They’ve dubbed her "Lady Luck." 

If the puppy is yours or know who she belongs to, contact FOX 11. We’d love to bring the entire family back together again!