It’s hard not to love dogs. All the kisses and tail wags… How can you not love that? How can you especially not love their selfless and unconditional love for their owners and others around them? And what if that dog becomes a hero? Well, it’s absolutely possible.

A freeway surveillance camera in Chile caught this little dog risking his own life to rescue another dog that had been injured on the roadway. It’s almost too crazy to believe!

Check it out:

So how do you avoid your own dog being in this predicament? And better yet, being that this is a car blog and not a dog blog, what do you do if you happen upon a situation of an injured animal in the road?

Let’s get the fun doggie stuff out of the way first, because, well, I love dogs even more than I love cars. Hard to believe, I know it.

Dog Safety Tips

1. Always keep your dogs on a leash. It will keep them out of harm’s way as well as keep other people and animals safe in case your dog gets scared and decides to nip or bite. Safety first!
2. Use a safety harness or crate to contain your dog while driving. This will help to keep you from getting distracted by nutty animals bouncing around, will keep the animal safe and will stop the dog from becoming a projectile and causing injury to you in the case of an accident. You can find great harnesses here, and here.
3. Pack a small amount of pet emergency supplies inside your car emergency kit. A small collapsible bowl for water, some dry dog food, extra bandages and antiseptic, as wee as a blanket that can be used for any number of emergency situations. Again, if you need help putting together a car emergency kit, check out info here.

Driving Tips

1. If you come upon an injured animal in the roadway and you are driving at the time, the safest action truthfully is to pass it by and not stop in the roadway. Now, if you are like me, that is tough to do. The first thing you can do is call 911 or the highway patrol to alert them of the hazard to the animal (as well as to other drivers). This is the safest thing you can do.
2. If you are able to pull over safely to assess the situation more closely, the first thing to remember is that an injured animal is more likely to bite to scratch, and you should still take care and try not to handle the animal yourself. Now would be the time to call the highway patrol or the local animal control for assistance.
3. If the animal doesn’t seem injured and just seems lost and you are able to help it, please immediately take it to the nearest animal control, shelter, or vet’s office where it can get medical attention and help in searching for its lost owners or a proper home.

Now how about a cheer for that brave pup who tried to help his buddy!

Drive safe out there!

by Breanne Boyle
Contributing Editor
Roaring Corgi