Dog hitches a ride on a car grille

Posted : 25-11-2005

A dog has managed to survive a 50-mile motorway journey – clinging to the front of a Peugeot 306.

The black and white collie cross-breed has astounded vets by surviving the hour-long journey, after becoming trapped in the car's grille.

The driver of the car, equally astounded, says he remembered hearing a thump as he was driving from Coleraine to Belfast in Northern Ireland, but did not see anything in the rear-view mirror and carried on.

Unbeknownst to him, the dog was desperately clinging to the front of the car – a feat made all the more remarkable due to the particularly nasty weather conditions.

After arriving in Belfast the motorist discovered the stricken animal after hearing it barking, and took it to a local veterinary surgery.

Local vets declared the dog to be in good health, although sporting a sore back and neck and an understandably grumpy temperament.

The vets have now named the dog Father Jack, after the miserable priest in the Father Ted television programme, and are appealing for its owners to come forward.

'He is totally fine, he is just a bit grumpy and quite smelly," said Emma McGowan, a veterinary nurse at the Earlswood centre.

She added: "He has been sleeping well but he is still traumatised. Hopefully he will come round.

"We do get the odd strange thing here but we've never seen anything like this before."

Its is hoped Father Jack's owners have taken out pet insurance for the lucky dog, in order to pay for any vets' fees needed after his journey.

Owners of adventurous pets are advised to take out pet insurance in order to cover themselves for the any unexpected costs their pets may ring up, and to check online for the cheapest quotes.


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