Dog Survives After Being Hit by a Car and Getting Wedged in the Bumper for Miles

A dog named Coco survived a wild ride after she got hit by a car and then got stuck in the vehicle’s bumper.

According to WNYT, Coco, a young Shiba Inu, was hit by a car in upstate New York on Monday morning. Rotterdam Police Lieutenant Jeffrey Collins told the outlet that the unidentified woman who hit her didn’t realize that Coco had gotten wedged into her front bumper.

“Saw something coming into the road, thought it was a ball, possibly an animal, struck it,” Collins said. “Stopped, checked, realized there was some damage to her vehicle, but didn’t realize that the dog had been embedded almost into the front grill or front scoop of the car.”

According to local paper The Daily Gazette, the woman kept driving, headed to a body shop to presumably repair the damage on her car. About 45 minutes later, she heard noises from the front of the car. She stopped the vehicle to look at the front bumper, and saw a dog below the license plate.

RELATED: Dallas Family Finds Pet Tortoise Alive After Tornado Rips Animal’s Cage Out Second Story Window

The Gazette reports that the driver immediately called the police, and an officer was able to free Coco from the car.

Coco was then taken to Hernas Veterinary Clinic in Schenectady, New York, where an X-ray revealed that the canine had a broken elbow but was otherwise okay. According to the Gazette, Coco will need surgery to mend her elbow injury, and WNYT reports that Hernas Veterinary Clinic is accepting donations from anyone who wants to pitch in to help cover the cost.

RELATED: Las Vegas Police Dog Is Recovering ‘Extremely Well’ After Getting Stabbed Twice in the Neck

“She’s a trooper, she really is,” a Hernas Veterinary Clinic employee told WNYT. “She’s just so mellow and so good and we can’t wait to do the surgery to get her better and get her home.”