An apparent dog lover ended up taking a trip to jail early Tuesday after he allegedly swerved to avoid hitting a Chihuahua in the roadway and struck a median.

His love for the small Mexican pooch wasn’t what got him into trouble, it was the odor of alcohol that was allegedly coming from his mouth.

The driver flagged down a Rio Rancho police officer about 1:30 a.m. on Meadowlark Lane, near Riverview Drive. The officer noticed a Saturn parked at a slight angle with debris and vehicle fluid on the roadway, according to a Rio Rancho police report. A man, later identified as Jude Sanchez, 26, of Corrales was waving his hands in the air.

The officer spoke with Sanchez, who told him about the Chihuahua in the roadway, which he said caused him to strike the center median. While speaking with Sanchez, the officer could smell a strong odor of alcohol coming from Sanchez and noticed he had red, watery eyes.

Sanchez told the officer that he had consumed a beer-and-a-half several hours earlier, according to the report.

A police check of Sanchez’s driver’s license status showed that his license was revoked due to an alcohol related offense. He also failed field sobriety tests.

When asked by the officer to turn around and put his hands behind his back, Sanchez did not comply. He also clenched his fists and tried to walk away when the officer grabbed his left arm, according to the report. A Corrales police officer arrived and helped the Rio Rancho officer place Sanchez on the ground. He was then handcuffed.

Sanchez was eventually taken to the Sandoval County Detention Center and charged with aggravated driving under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drug, careless driving, driving on a suspended or revoked license and interference with officers.

Ay Chihuahua!