When images of a mixed-breed dog with both paws firmly on the steering wheel of a real Mini Cooper began flooding the internet, the collective reaction was one of absolute skepticism.
However, the milestone achieved by the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in Auckland, New Zealand, together with famous animal trainer Mark Vette, is a scientific and historic reality that left the entire world speechless.
Three rescued dogs named Porter, Monty, and Ginny truly learned to operate a motor vehicle.
Why train a dog to drive? The real reason was not to create “four-legged chauffeurs”, but to destroy a terrible social stigma. In adoption shelters around the world, there is a false belief that stray or abandoned dogs are “defective animals”, difficult to train, aggressive, or less intelligent than purchased purebred dogs.
“We wanted to show that if a dog rescued from abandonment is capable of learning the complex task of driving a car, imagine what it could learn in an ordinary home if you just give it a chance”, they explained.
The driving dogs managed to show the whole world that love, patience, and a second chance can transform the life of any living being.
And you, would you adopt one of these four-legged geniuses?