IMPORTANT UPDATE: The dog, named Jake, is safe and sound. His human, Thayer Joyce, told Gothamist that he's been missing since December 30th, and went missing under the care of "a dogsitter from a well-known, insured service." Read the full update here.
Previously:
A dog running around on the J/M/Z tracks over the Williamsburg Bridge caused extensive delays for subway riders around 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
"I'M REALLY STUCK AT CANAL STREET BC A DOG IS RUNNING AROUND ON THE TRACKS ON THE WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE," one man tweeted, at the time saying he'd been there for 40 minutes. According to ABC 7, the "J and M trains were delayed in both directions between Broad Street and Hewes Street," as the NYPD and MTA crews attempted to rescue the dog.
Metropolitan Av-bound M trains and Jamaica-bound J trains are running at slower speeds due to a dog on the tracks on the Williamsburg Bridge.
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) January 3, 2019
People were mad.
There is a man yelling in my car about how mad he is about the dog. “What’s in its belly” “why don’t I get some puppies and shut the whole system down”
— John R. Smith III (@VoxTheDevil) January 3, 2019
There’s a dog on the Williamsburg bridge. I’ve been waiting an hour to go 2 stops while the NYPD “investigates.” I would like you to apologize to me on behalf of the dog.
— Anders Lee (@andersleehere) January 3, 2019
Things got ugly.
@NYCTSubway people are relieving themselves between cars. Thanks @mta for the still going 100 minute train visit....
— Carlos Andres Varela (@cavaphoto) January 3, 2019
A cop just walked through with a bowl of dog food.
— John R. Smith III (@VoxTheDevil) January 3, 2019
People are now trying to pay each other for cigarettes. It takes and hour and a half and one dog for a New York subway to convert to prison rules.
— John R. Smith III (@VoxTheDevil) January 3, 2019
Power was shut down while they attempted to retrieve the dog. Anna Logic was stuck on the train for nearly two hours, and told Gothamist, "It was an hilarious and charming experience, but I'm sure if I had somewhere to be urgently or, like, needed to pee, I'd be much less charmed."
I'm stuck on a train midway over the Williamsburg bridge because there's A DOG ON THE TRACKS and they had to TURN THE POWER OFF so that NYPD CAN SAFELY RETRIEVE IT. IT'S DARK IN HERE. pic.twitter.com/n959mGRzzL
— Anna K. Logic (@Ramona_Flowers) January 3, 2019
And then, a twist. Another man tweeted at the MTA noting, "I called in and reported a dog on the tracks around 10:30 a.m. at the canal street station... Still didn’t get the dog?" He added that he was now stuck again, on the J train, because of the dog. Or a dog. It's unclear at this time if they are the same dog.
Yes, this is quite odd -- and this is the 3rd report of a dog along the J line this week! We do not have confirmation that it's the same dog, but we're trying to ensure its safety and resume service ASAP! ^CG
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) January 3, 2019
We've reached out to the MTA for more information, and of course, photos of the dog, who they successfully rescued. According to the Post the dog had tags, and was taken by the NYPD to a shelter.
The delays for those on the train were long, however. Anna Logic tweeted that she was on a train with no power for nearly two hours.
wow they really sent out half of NYPD to arrest poor lil Bridge Pupper #freebridgepupper pic.twitter.com/WVZz8EKmc5
— Anna K. Logic (@Ramona_Flowers) January 3, 2019
Back in the day, monkeys and penguins took to the subway system—old New York really was better.
