Owner claims dog that took wild ride in car grille

The owner of a poodle that took an unexpected 11-mile ride from Massachusetts to Rhode Island in the grille of a car has stepped forward to claim her, the Providence Journal reports.

The pooch, named Suzie, got stuck in the grille after a driver unwittingly hit her on a road near Taunton, Mass. The driver didn't realize the dog was there until another motorist at a stoplight alerted him.

Although a lot of would-be owners called, animal control workers were able to match Suzie's microchip with the veterinary paperwork of her owner, the newspaper says.

The Taunton Daily Gazette, which first ran the story on Tuesday, reports that the owner, who lives in East Dighton, Mass, not far from where Suzie began her unexpected journey, plans to keep her on a leash from now on.