Alessandro Barbarotta was driving down Interstate 55 with his wife when he saw something unexpected – a French poodle on the side of a major Chicago-area expressway.

He immediately stopped to help.

“When I got out of the car I thought no matter what happens I’m going to get this puppy,” he told NBC 5.

Cars were pulling over, others swerving to avoid hitting the small dog as it ran against traffic.

Meanwhile, Loren Villar, who was out of state at the time, received a call that her beloved dog Bebe went missing.

“I was desperate,” she said. “I started crying.”

Alessandro Barbarotta was driving down the highway with his wife when he saw something unexpected – a French poodle on the side of a major Chicago-area expressway.

Neighbors and family began searching for the missing pup. But not far from home, Barbarotta chased the dog for nearly 20 minutes before he managed to scoop it up as it ran on the expressway.

Using a group on Facebook called Lost Dogs Illinois, Villar was able to connect with Barbarotta and confirm that the dog he rescued was her’s.

She quickly booked an emergency flight back and was reunited with her fur baby.

“It was a more wnoderful moment of my life,” Villar said. “She was a little bit in shock.”

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