My dad shared a story with me years ago. He used to have an Oldsmobile station wagon. One night as he was driving to work on Snake Road, he noticed this black shape that he thought was a cat. Well, as his car came closer the perceived cat had a white stripe down its back and was raising its tail in the direction of the car. Dad knew immediately he was in trouble and he told me as that stream of stink shot toward his car he some how got the car to swerve and it missed. He said he was just a sniffing the air in his car because he just knew he got the car sprayed. Can anyone imagine the sound of tires screeching and the silly look on my dad’s face as he was sniffing the air?
Just the other day I was driving on Thompson Road and, as always when I see a critter regardless if it is a dog, cat, deer, possum, or skunk (on that critter, I will almost wreck my car to get away from the raised tail and spray) I will beep my horn. Well, except for the skunk, as I prefer to get by them as quickly as possible. This is just my way of letting the critter know I am there and to alert someone (if it is an escaped dog or cat) that they need to look outside their house and put them up. Anyway, I was on Thompson Road and these two Blue Heelers come into the road and I beep my horn to let them know I was coming, because I don’t want them to get hurt. I hope whoever reads this and knows the dogs will say something to the pet parents because they are responsible if their dogs cause anyone to wreck or something happens to their “babies.”
Does anyone reading this live near a road and allow their dog to run loose? If so, they should realize that the responsibility of someone having an accident because of their dogs can be blamed on the owners, not the dogs. Same goes for dogs chasing cars. It is not an accident if the dog chasing the cars is known to do so by the owner. I see this everyday while driving around Limestone County.
What is sad is when someone hits the dog or cat, and most don’t even bother to stop. I find that disrespectful. Yes, the pet parent might become angry, but the best thing to do is to remain calm. Tempers tend to flare and cause the situation to get people into trouble. If the driver of the vehicle that hit the dog or cat was speeding, then it is just as much as their fault as it is for the pet parent who should have protected their “baby” better. Remember this, drivers: a human child can be run over just as quickly as a dog or cat. So, think before speeding down a road with houses on both sides.
One last thing before I close. I just purchased Zues, who is a Great Dane, a seatbelt, and it works very well. He gives me the look that says “Really? You want me to wear this?” But, it keeps him safe and allows him free movement around the car. I bought it on Amazon, and it is called the “Solvit” seatbelt for dogs. So, drivers, that is one more thing I would suggest investing in for those canine family members. It works and keeps everyone from having their huge “baby” land on them in an accident.
By: Joel Allen
