Jake Gyllenhaal Steps Into Busy New York City Traffic To Save A Runaway Dog

Jake Gyllenhaal was a real-life hero this week after the actor dashed into a busy New York City intersection to save a stranded dog. According to Page Six, the actor was walking in Tribeca when he spotted a runaway dog standing bewildered in the middle of the road. Jake left his companion to step into the street and stop traffic in order to calm the panicked dog and lead it back to its owner.

It all went down on Thursday morning when the actor was walking through the Manhattan neighborhood. An extremely large dalmatian had gotten away from its owner and, while still leashed, was standing in an intersection.

According to eyewitnesses, Jake stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and seemed focused on something.

“I noticed that it was Jake Gyllenhaal, and I saw him turn and look into the street — I thought he was trying to flag down a cab or something.”

But it seems as though it wasn’t a cab he was after – he was motioning to the dog in order to encourage it to come out of the street. That’s when people nearby realized that something was happening. Jake was reportedly watching the stranded pooch, and that’s when he realized that he needed to intervene.

Apparently, the dog was too dazed by its circumstances to make a move, so Jake walked into the road, stopping cars as he did, to rescue the animal.

“It was like the dog was in shock or something,” said a source.

The actor calmed the frazzled pooch and then helped it return to its owner.

“He really was a hero,” a witness said.

It’s not a surprise that he would go to such great lengths to help out a four-legged friend, given that Jake is a known dog lover. He has owned several over his life and has spoken about them in glowing terms.

“I love dogs, I just love them. They are so playful. I think they bring that out in us, if we allow it. I don’t think I’m that playful, generally. I need to be reminded of it. So, they remind me of that,” he once said.

He added that housebreaking his dog was one of the biggest accomplishments he had had in recent years.

Jake is known for having a big heart. He recently gushed about his late acting partner in Brokeback Mountain, saying that he admired Heath Ledger for not allowing people to make off-color jokes about LGBTQ individuals while speaking about the film.