news-record.com

He spent five months living near the interstate, four weeks in the animal shelter and about a month in rehabilitation, but the dog known to many as Freeway is no longer a stray. Freeway has a permanent home and a new name.

A retired Mebane couple with an older beagle and an energetic poodle adopted Freeway last week.

''They had seen Freeway when he was on the interstate and were following his story and wondering what happened to him," said Amber Alsobrooks, a volunteer with the Orange County animal rescue group Paws4Ever, which provided training and foster care to Freeway.

The couple, who have chosen not to release their name, took in Freeway, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, last week. The couple contacted the Rhodesian Ridgeback rescue group that was handling the adoption, and then Alsobrooks was called.

''We set up a visit for them to bring their dogs to my house," Alsobrooks said.

She wanted to make sure Freeway got along with the beagle and the poodle, and then Freeway went for a home visit.

''It's a great setup for him," Alsobrooks said. "They are home a lot. They have a ton of experience with rescues. Their house is set up great, from a fenced-in yard to blankets on the sofa. They also have a lot of patience."

While Freeway earned the moniker because of the time he spent on the road, his new owners have decided to change it.

''His new name is Sonny," Alsobrooks said, adding that the couple have taken a little heat from friends because they changed the dog's name.

''To them he's a different dog than he was when he spent so much time outside," she said. "They wanted to give him a name to mark a new beginning. They felt like Freeway represented a time that wasn't necessarily good for him."