Mad Max And The Convertible
Max, an Airedale Terrier, took off after being in a car accident while riding with owner Bill Clark.
Three weeks and three days ago, Max ran away when Clark, driving his convertible in Sterling, was struck by another car.
“The dog jumped out the back through the trunk and ran into the woods,” Clark said.
Clark began a three-week search for his beloved terrier.
Although there were numerous sighting of Max he couldn’t be found. Clark, along with volunteers, searched for him but still turned up Maxless.
That was until Tuesday, when Clark said he came home and found Max sitting in the back yard.
The dog had apparently found his way home from Sterling, about 45 miles away.
“I couldn’t believe that he came home,” Clark said. “All that way.”
Even the experts can’t explain it.
“We don’t really know how they do that. We do know that dogs’ memories are very detailed, very sense-oriented,” said Jim Barry, a dog behavior consultant.
Whatever it was, Clark is just happy to have Max home.
Luckily this story had a happy ending, but it could have turned out very differently. Remember… not only is it a good idea to buckle up, it’s the law.
I realize it isn’t really a law for dogs, but it does show the importance of making sure your best friend is secure when in the car.
Wonderful story! The intelligence and resourcefulness of dogs never ceases to amaze me! Thanks for posting this, Horst.
Just last week I made a thread in Plus Informational about the importance of securing your babies in the car. I will share it here for all to read.
“Tonight as we drove home from a wonderful weekend getaway with my hubby and Cinnamon we witnessed the most awful scene. We noticed cars swerve on an exit ramp just a couple of miles from our home. One car swerved into another lane. Then we saw a heartwrenching thing. A white dog jumped from an open vehicle window and was hit by multiple vehicles before an 18-wheeler who tried to avoid it ended it’s little life. It made hubby and I just sick.
Cinnamon saw it and has just been pitiful since. She understood and has been glued to us. She really understood what happened. How sad even for her.
Just a reminder in case there are new dog owners reading this. Always keep your windows up far enough that your dog cannot jump out. We even go so far as to put a harness on Cinnamon and affix it to the seatbelt in the jumpseat of the Tacoma. In the truck she has access only to the pop out snout surfing windows. When she’s in our other vehicle I lock the windows and use the childlocks on the back doors.
Keep your babies safe.”
Yes please use a safety tested seatbelt for your dogs while riding in the car! Not only is an accident potentially deadly to an unrestrained dog, but a loose dog can also injure other passengers during a crash and cause other accidents if they escape onto a busy road.
Please keep in mind that most car harnesses are also NOT safety tested. Check if your dog’s seatbelt is a brand which is strength tested or crash tested to make sure it will actually hold up in an accident.
Great story. I am so happy Max made it home.
Hopefully his owner will get him a doggy seatbelt for the future.
Lizzi, do you know where we can find information on which harnesses have been safety tested?
I would difinately have my dogs secured if I was driving a convertible for like a truck bed if you are hit, they can be knocked out of the vehicle. Secure them as you would a child.
We use the slogan “Click It Or Ticket” Mommy won’t move the car untill everyone is buckled up, including me!!!! We are babies so buckle us up too!!!!
[...] Sunday I posted a story about Max, Mad Max And The Convertible, who got loose after the car he was riding in was [...]