I remember the time I was out on a paved mountain highway in my pickup
truck, with my wife and two kids in the cab, there was no room for my great
Dane. So thinking about the winding road that we would be on and the
possibility of the dog flying out if I did not secure her to the bed of the
pickup, I did tie her leash to a tiedown at the back of the cab. I left her
enough leash to stand at the side of the bed without being able to jump out.
As I drove down the road at about 25 mph, because it was a tight winding
road, and my dog standing at the front corner of the truck bed, I don't know
if it was because of a tighter than usual turn, or if I hit the brakes, or
what. The next thing I saw was my dog flying out of the back toward the
front of the truck. The leash broke after about 2-3 seconds of my dog being
strangled by it. And the next scene was I watched in shocked disbelief at
my dog sliding down the pavement on all four paws spinning around at the
same time, and traveling out in front of my truck, moving faster than I was
moving. I was so distracted at the sight of it that I was driving on the
wrong side of the highway, forcing several drivers off the road. After my
dog stopped sliding, she was disoriented, and began to run, mostly in
circles, till I could catch her. She was unhurt. An event I will never
forget.
And while I'm at it, since they took the time to put in seat belts in my
car, I use them. Experiencing a headon motorcycle crash, I have surmised,
that it is not the accident that causes the injury, it is the SUDDEN
STOP.....
-----Original Message-----
From: CRAIG HALSTED <MMJB28A@prodigy.com>
To: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net <datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, September 30, 1999 6:22 PM
Subject: wrestling dogs
>my brother and I used to put a pillow on the luggage rack of my
>motorcycle and ride my labrador between us on the seat going over to
>the river to take him for a swim. then once he decided to try to get
>off at around 60 and we decided it wasn't such a hot idea. for
>roadster content: I was headed out to California in my first roadster
>to start a job, with my brother following on his bike. his Golden
>Retriever, Sundance, was riding on the passenger seat of the roadster,
> with everything front legs forward hanging out the window. I was
>hanging on the leash to keep him in the car that far. all of a sudden,
> doing about 55, a rabbit ran across the road. between my swerve and
>his desire to chase the rabbit, I was left holding a leash in my hand
>which went out the window- no dog on the seat anymore. instantaneous
>decision necessary: let go or pull on leash. I pulled and slammed on
>the brakes, broadsiding the car to the right so as to be sliding in
>front of Sundance instead of running him over....from my brother's
>view behind me on the bike, he saw his dog go flying out the window,
>and basically flap in the breeze as I hauled the car down sideways.
>he fully expected to pull up and see his dog with glazed over eyes,
>breathing his last. there was one spot on Sundance's hindquarter
>where the tire meeting the road had pinched a small clump of fur out,
>and one of his forepaws had one pad a bit chewed up. other than that
>and being a bit stiff, he was fine. talk about lucky....I recommend a
>short leash which won't let the dog far enough out the window to take
>a dive. probably best to keep pets off your lap, too.
>
>Craig Halsted
>upstate NY
>roadsters
>
|