Loyal Labrador's owners come forward in nick of time

The owners of a loyal Labrador that stayed by the side of a fallen dog in the middle of a busy street, came forward late Monday and claimed their pup just hours before she was set to be adopted by a new family.

Video released over the weekend shows the black Lab lying next to her friend, a yellow Labrador, as cars stream by in La Puente.

Officials at the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center had named the 2-year-old black Lab "Grace," for her savior-like qualities, KTLA-TV reports, but the dog’s owners Monday said their pet already has a name: Maggie.  

The station also said a motorist put down traffic cones to divert other drivers as Maggie mourned her comrade, who had been struck by a car. The exact street where the dog was hit Wednesday was unclear.

Shelter staff told KTLA-TV that Maggie appeared to have been well-cared for, but no one had initially come forward to claim her. That’s when people began lining up to adopt the dog, and a new family was chosen prior to the owners stepping forward.

"She's amazing," Aaron Reyes of the L.A. Dept. of Animal Care and Control told KTLA-TV. "They call dogs man's best friend, but as you can see, she's clearly that other dog's best friend as well.”

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— Matt Stevens

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