AKRON, Ohio (UPI) -- Four puppies in a cage strapped to the roof of a minivan were rescued Friday afternoon after the vehicle was spotted speeding down a major Ohio highway.

Drivers along Interstate 76 frantically called 911 to report the dogs in a cage covered with a blue tarp. The driver of the van, who was not identified, told Akron police he didn't know it was illegal to drive with the dogs in the cage on the roof. The van was traveling about 70 mph before it was pulled over. The puppies, each about three months old, were not injured.

"He was completely astounded by the attention," Akron police Sgt. Kris Beitzel told Cleveland.com. We had four or five cruisers there, and he couldn't imagine why.

The driver told police they were about one hour into their 300-mile trip from Ohio to Pennsylvania.

Police said the family is Mennonite, playing a factor in the decision to transport the dogs on the roof.

"That was a huge factor," Beitzel said of the family being Mennonite. It's a different way of looking at things, and at that point our main concern was the safety of the dogs.

The family released the dogs to police. The dogs were taken to a local veterinarian for a complete checkup. The driver was not ticketed or charged.

"I didn't see any injuries. They would not leave each other," Beitzel said of the pups. They had urinated all over the inside of the cage. When I tried to get them out, they were trying to crawl back in.

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