Chihuahua chased by police over major San Francisco bridge

The dog is currently in animal custody as officers try to identify its owner

A Chihuahua is in animal custody after leading police on a chase across a major San Francisco bridge.

The runaway dog can be seen scampering across the five lane Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge as a police officer slowly monitors the pooch's progress.

The California Highway Patrol tweeted that the small black dog "led us on quite a chase" on Sunday as they posted a video of him running furiously on the bridge's upper level that appears to be at least partially closed because of the incident.

The Chihuahua was taken to a San Francisco animal shelter once he was captured. There, staff members named him Ponch after a character from crime action drama CHiPs, a show that focused on the exploits of California's Highway Patrol.

Officers posted images from the chase on their Facebook page in an attempt to find the dog's owner, as well as the video that was accompanied by the message,"CHP (is) seeking the public's help in finding this rascal's family.".

A spokeswoman for the city's Department of Animal Care and Control said the dog wore a tag decorated with a human skull, but had no identification.

It was reported that the dog was recovering from its misadventure on the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge.

Additional reporting by AP