After more than a week darting around San Francisco, a shy Australian cattle dog mix named Cortina finally ran out of room to run on Thursday. She resurfaced near Lucasfilm’s Letterman campus, where quick-thinking employees teamed up with animal control officers to box her in after a days-long search across the city.
How Cortina Was Captured
According to a post by Animal Care & Control San Francisco, Cortina slipped away from her caretaker and then treated the city like her personal obstacle course for days, ducking into bushes and dodging every would-be rescuer who got too close. The agency says Lucasfilm staff and friends eventually formed a human corral to slow her down, giving an officer nicknamed "Officer Pone" the opening to get a leash on her, secure her in a van, and later circle back to thank everyone who helped.
Where Cortina Is Now
Cortina appears in the San Francisco SPCA adoption listings as a two-year-old Australian cattle dog mix, complete with photos and a short bio on the shelter page. According to the city’s Animal Care & Control website, the agency handles adoptions and keeps contact information for found or lost pets, along with shelter hours and emergency dispatch details.
Officer Pone And Rescue Crews
The Facebook post credited "Officer Pone" with Cortina’s capture. Local reporting has previously identified an Animal Care & Control officer named Stephanie Pone in similar hands-on rescues, underscoring how often shelter staff end up in the thick of it. SFGATE described Pone aboard a boat that helped pull a coyote pup from the bay in a separate incident.
This time, the teamwork on land gave Cortina a far gentler finale: a secure ride to shelter care and, for now, a shot at adoption. Neighbors who find or lose pets are urged to scan local shelter listings and reach out to Animal Care & Control for help navigating what to do next.
