Dog Saved, Reunited With Owner After Memorial Day Weekend Mission

CHICAGO — Little did Evergreen Park resident Ricky Castillo know that much of his Memorial Day weekend would be spent reuniting a man and his good friend Chloe, a boxer/pit bull mix who broke free from her yard in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood early Saturday afternoon. Especially since Castillo was only in the neighborhood for a tattoo removal procedure and thought he'd be back home fairly quickly.

Castillo said he was driving, heading to his appointment near 26th and Pulaski around 3 p.m. when he noticed a bus driver on top of a bench at the bus stop. The bus driver was apparently fearful of the loose dog that was wandering just a few feet away, he said.

"I asked her if that was her dog, and she said no," said Castillo, who then pulled over and "jumped out of the car."

Castillo says he is an animal lover, and last summer began a trend in the south suburbs by sharing photos of a giant moth found in his backyard.

"The dog was running into the street as the light turned green and almost got hit by a bunch of cars," Castillo said. "I could tell she was scared. But she looked friendly and I couldn't let her get hit."

Castillo said when he caught up with Chloe he picked her up and rushed through traffic back to the side of the busy Little Village intersection and saw a police officer, who said she could take the dog to a nearby shelter.

"I said no... I'll find the owner," Castillo said, noting the officer was helpful in providing a rope to use as a temporary leash.

But this was all going on while Castillo still had an appointment just a few blocks away. Luckily, Castillo said his mother just happened to be in the same neighborhood at the time and offered to take Chloe to her home back in Evergreen Park until he could return and continue the search for the dog's owner.

Later that day, a few friends helped Castillo connect with neighborhood Facebook groups and animal shelters on what to do next. The next day, Chloe was taken to Le Par Animal Hospital in Evergreen Park and scanned for a chip. Just an hour later, she was reunited with her owner, Eddie Rivera.

"That dog would have been hit and killed if God didn't put me there at that exact time," Castillo said.