The Secret to Calming a Stray Dog? Lunchmeat

We can promise you there's no baloney in this story—but there is plenty of the actual lunchmeat, bologna.

The thinly sliced meat tolerated by children across the country played a pivotal role in helping calm a stray dog who had been running along a highway in Ohio last week, as reported by WHIO TV.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Jeff Kramer received a report of a white-and-brown dog running on Interstate 75 around 8 a.m. last Wednesday. He eventually found the dog running along the shoulder of the highway.

"As I'm coming up to it, you could see some traffic issues start – people hitting their brakes real hard, making real quick lane changes. And that's where the significant risk is. Nobody wants to hit an animal, especially a dog, so I knew we should try to get this dog," he told WHIO.

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He pulled up to start to try to coax the dog to safety—as did a woman who'd heard about the missing dog and wanted to help. The dog was understandably skittish and afraid when Kramer and the woman would get too close.

Kramer had a rope in his car and was ready to use it as a leash. But the dog still wasn't calm. So Kramer decided to sacrifice the bologna sandwich he'd packed for lunch while the woman with him provided slices of ham. (We assume she'd brought the ham for this purpose. Otherwise, what a coincidence.)

The dog was then able to enjoy the roadside deli that seemingly opened in front of her very eyes.

"I mean, who doesn't like bologna sandwiches, right? Baloney and ham apparently is this dog's favorite," Kramer told WHIO.

Courtesy of Ohio State Patrol

The breakfast bribe worked, and the dog was soon transported to a local shelter where she's receiving the care she needs. She's not yet up for adoption, WHIO reported.

All this is to say: Maybe it's not a bad idea to always have lunchmeat on your person. Could come in handy someday.