'Banjo' the dog rescued by Union Pacific now has adopters

Reported on the LA evening news tonight, an 11-month old poodle terrier mix who was tied up to Union Pacific track and left to die by a 78-year old man and rescued by Union Pacific crew, has now been adopted by a Huntington Beach couple after over 1,300 stated their interest in doing so - story

On 2 April a westbound Union Pacific freight train was moving into a side track in Mecca, California, to permit an eastbound train to pass on the main track around 5 p.m., Aaron Hunt, Union Pacific director of corporate relations and media, said.

“As the westbound train was slowing to a stop, the train crew saw a pedestrian trespasser some distance away hunched over the main track,” Hunt said.

When the pedestrian walked away, the train crew could see the man had tied a dog to the main track. The train crew contacted dispatch to alert them that a dog was tied to the tracks.

“The oncoming eastbound train was stopped and a Union Pacific Special Agent was sent to the scene to investigate,” Hunt said.

Banjo had been tied to the tracks by a 78-year-old man, whose name has not been released. He told special agent Sal Pina that his family didn’t want the dog and didn’t know what to do with him.

“After an extensive interview, agent Pina said that he could not pursue an animal cruelty case because the man appeared to be confused or suffering from dementia and didn’t fully understand what he had done,” Welsh said.Pina released the man to his family, “but was going to be in touch with Adult Protective Services to make sure that the man’s family was going to be held accountable,” Welsh said.