“We’ll get you out of here, okay?” the trooper can be heard telling the pup in bodycam video of the Aug. 23 roadside encounter

NEED TO KNOW

Trooper John Kronander rescued a puppy abandoned on the side of I-71 in Medina County, Ohio on Aug. 23
The puppy was left in a cage by the highway with no food or water in the summer heat, authorities say
Bodycam footage of the encounter between Kronander and the puppy shows the pair playing

A state trooper in Ohio was carrying out a routine rest area check along a major highway when he saw an unexpected sight on the side of the road: a lone, caged puppy.

Trooper John Kronander was at a rest stop along I-71 in Medina County, Ohio, on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 23, when he found the abandoned pit bull inside a metal crate along the interstate highway, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP).

After spotting the abandoned pup around 8 a.m. local time, the state trooper worked to determine how the animal was faring in the summer heat and how to get it to safety, according to bodycam footage the OSHP shared of the encounter. The dog had no food or water, Sgt. Jeremy Kindler with the OSHP told ABC affiliate News 5 Cleveland.

“We’ll get you out of here, okay? Someone left you? It’s okay,” Kronander asks the puppy in bodycam footage of the incident.

He then lets the gray-and-white pup out of the crate and uses a plastic bottle as a makeshift toy. The bodycam footage shows the puppy pawing at the bottle and wagging its tail.

“How long you been here? You pawing me? Oh my gosh,” Kronander tells the dog. “Are you pawing me?”

After a bit of playing and wrestling, the state trooper got the canine into his patrol vehicle.

“Will you get mad if I pick you up? Will you get upset with me? Okay, here you go,” Kronander tells the pup while moving him from the roadside to the passenger seat of the vehicle. “Here you go. Sit right down there for me. Perfect!”

A still from Ohio State Highway Patrol bodycam footage of a trooper helping a puppy into his vehicle.

The puppy “was safely brought to the Medina Post” and later transported to a local animal protection organization, the Medina County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, according to the OSHP.

On Facebook, the state law enforcement agency thanked Kronander for his “quick action and compassion” in rescuing the abandoned animal.

Speaking with News 5 Cleveland, Kindler said that he isn’t sure if the state trooper has a pup of his own, but “his fatherly instincts” were on full display during the roadside encounter.

“I know that he’s a father of his own, so, you know, traditionally, when you’re taking care of a puppy, it’s like taking care of a little kid,” the sergeant said of Kronander. “So, his fatherly instincts came out.”

On the same day of the rescue, the Medina County SPCA shared a Facebook post about the abandoned puppy and asked anyone with information about the animal to come forward.

The nonprofit also shared that it is not yet clear when the puppy will be available for adoption.

“Someone made the conscious decision to leave this puppy behind in a crate along a busy interstate, putting this little life at tremendous risk,” the organization said. “This puppy was completely dependent on someone to provide for their safety and well-being. Instead, they were simply left there.”

For anyone who recognizes the puppy or witnessed anything related to the incident, the Medina County SPCA said: “Please call our Humane Officer at 330-802-7880 or at 330-723-7722 ext. 2. You can also email humaneofficer@medinacountyspca.com.”

“Even the smallest piece of information could help us determine what happened to this puppy and hold the person responsible accountable,” the organization said.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Medina County SPCA for comment.