News: Dogs drive cars for charity (video)
Pooch could soon be driving a Porsche
A Rover possibly, a Plymouth Growler certainly but a Pooch Boxster definitely – if New Zealand charity campaigners are right, pretty soon your dog will want to have a say in your next car.
The campaigners, who work for the Auckland branch of dog charity the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), want to show how intelligent dogs are and have trained three of their charges to drive an adapted Mini Cooper.
After just eight weeks of training, Porter, an old beardie cross, Monty, a giant schnauzer and Ginny, a whippet cross, can start the car, put it into gear and use the accelerator.
Christine Kalin, head of Auckland SPCA, was keen to stress the dogs haven’t ventured onto the highway – yet. “They’re driving on an off-road raceway track and at all times we can stop the car should we need to.”
But judging by video of the canine cruisers, they look perfectly at home and more attentive than most human drivers. The dogs will be showing what they can do on live TV next week but for the moment, catch up with their training here.
