A Wednesday morning drive for one trucker turned into a chance to be a hero to two dogs in New York.

A trucker Wednesday morning came to the rescue of two dogs thrown out of a moving vehicle in New York State. Police are currently searching for a suspect (or suspects) who threw the two beagle mixes from a moving vehicle on Interstate 81 near Whitney Point, north of Binghamton. The trucker witnessed the incident and handed the dogs over to state troopers.

According to the trucker, the dogs were thrown out of a Dodge Durango headed to Cortland. The animals were evicted from the right, rear window. The vehicle was dirty and was moving at a high speed. The trucker parked his big rig and saved the helpless animals. One of them suffered serious injuries and the other escaped with a few abrasions.

The seriously injured dog was attended to by state troopers who were called to the scene. They splinted its broken leg right there on the side of the road, and then used the trucker’s sweatshirt to keep the dog warm. The other dog happily ate part of a box of dog biscuits while his friend was tended.

Unfortunately, the badly injured dog had to have its front leg amputated due to the severity of the injury. It also suffered broken ribs, as well as contusions to its lungs and shoulder, said Amberly Ondria, shelter manager for the Broome County Humane Society. The animal may require a harness or some form of assistance to move around.

State troopers renamed both dogs. The injured one which is between 6-8 years old was renamed Trooper after the troopers who tended it. The other canine was renamed Adam after the trucker who rescued them. Adam is about one year old.

“These animals have been through a lot, and people need to understand that this is not OK,” Ondria said. “This is not something that should be done.”

The police are asking for the help of the general public to identify and apprehend the suspect(s) who threw the animals out of the moving Dodge Durango.