WATCH: Dog escapes police after running loose on Las Vegas freeway

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - A loose dog caused major delays on I-15 near the Las Vegas Strip Tuesday.

Nevada State Police responded at 4 p.m. Tuesday at I-11 and Valley View. Police said the dog would keep running toward the I-11 and I-15. The canine then took the I-15 HOV ramp and got off on the Neon Gateway ramp.

Troopers said they were unable to find the dog after it ran off into a desert area. The dog was able to get off the freeway uninjured. The dog is still loose.

Officers cleared the scene around 5 p.m.

It is currently unclear what type of dog it is and how it got onto the freeway.

FOX5 asked Nevada State Police why troopers did not leave their vehicle to grab the dog. See their full response below:

There could be several instances why the Troopers followed the dog off the road. When a canine gets frightened/scared they get into a fight or flight mode. Some loving dogs may also come up to you, which if a Trooper/Officer makes initial contact, they can grab this animal and put them into the patrol car. But, if this canine is running away from you there is a great possibility that you will not catch this canine. If a Trooper gets out of his vehicle to make contact with the canine, the canine may get spooked and run into another direction, such as running into traffic to get away. 

 Most people cannot catch or just grab a dog they don’t have any information on. This could be a family pet or maybe it’s a stray. Then the Troopers/Officers have to worry about a frightened canine that may bite to defend its self or continue running away. This canine could be subject to rabies or other disease/virus etc., possibly injuring an officer or another person. I was not on scene, so I don’t know what had exactly took place and why certain things were done in that particular situation. I can say that our Troopers always try to save any animal that gets onto our freeways to make it both safe for our drivers and animals alike. 

We currently do not have any additional information or status on this canine. 

This story is developing, check back later for updates.