Dog who fled NJ crash spotted but still loose, cops say
STAFFORD TOWNSHIP — Stafford Police said that Jax, the dog that went missing from a car involved in a crash, was spotted but remained loose.
Gabrielle McMillan, 23, of Little Egg Harbor, went off Route 72 on Monday morning just before the Causeway Bridge, hit a utility pole, and rolled over, according to Stafford Police. Jax, a Boxer/Rottweiler mix, was riding with McMillan and ran off after the crash.
Police said that Jax appeared to not be injured, and trail cameras and feeding stations have been set up in the area where Jax was spotted. Special precautions are being taken by Stafford Township Animal Control to ensure the dog's safety during the search.
Missing dogs go into "fight or flight" mode, according to police, and Jax is likely stressed out and in "flight" mode.
"When dogs experience flights, they run and will continue to run out of fear even from their own owner. They do not recognize their name, they do not recognize their owners, and they are solely focused on survival," police said in their release.
Jax's owner told police that the dog is afraid of men, water, cars, and the rain, which police said are more reasons the public should not join in the search.
A GoFundMe page was also created to support McMillan, the girlfriend of Jax’s owner. According to the page, McMillan will be out of work for two weeks to recover from the crash.
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ.
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