Coming home from a shopping trip with my wife and children last night (in the dark) and came across a big dog running down the main York > Harrogate road (A59), stopped my car (literally in the middle of the road) and managed to catch it and re-unite it with it’s owner.

But I couldn’t believe how everyone else was acting – just swerving around it and carrying on – the poor thing *very* nearly got hit as it shot across the road just as we were stopping and a car came up very quickly on the other carriageway. Thank god it didn’t as it would have traumatised my daughters had they seen that 🙁

Google: “killed trying to catch dog on road”

I’d be very wary running around on a dark road trying to catch a dog I didn’t know (and even one I did).

I wasn’t running around – it came to me when I whistled as I was still sat in my car. And the heavy traffic behind was already slowing down (and the person directly behind me was also stopped with her hazards on).

Did the same yesterday also in York. Springer Spaniel running down Brockfield road couldn’t have been older then 10 months. Everyone else just ignoring it, pulled over and called it over and it lept into the mrs arms looking well scared, waited around 10-15 mins in the car trying to call the owners and a woman looking sheepish shouting its name comes round the corner. Happily reunited 🙂

Yet the other day I witnessed a minor traffic jam while a pigeon decided to walk across the road.

I stopped last week for a zebra crossing.

Many moons ago as a kid I was waiting outside a friends house to go to school and watched in disbelief as a car pulled out of a side road, then swerved to avoid a cat that ran in front of it, mounted the pavement, hit a concrete lamp post…which then broke in half landed on the roof and in less than 10 seconds had reduced the car to a writeoff, and almost killed the driver! 😯

I have ever since kept it straight when animals run out in front…

Not that this was the situation…well done 😆

Similar thing happened to me travelling up to Scotland this year. A lurcher trotting around the road, not a main one mind. Lots of cars just dodged it and continued, managed to get hold of it and took it to the local police station (only one open was 45mins away!) thankfully someone had reported a missing dog which fit so it was reunited. Shame, was a belting little pup!

^ I had similar – many years ago I was driving down the main Leeds > Harrogate road by Harewood House and a rabbit ran out on me. I swerved, lost control of the back end. I just about recovered the car but then hit the banking on the side of the road and it flipped it. Every single body panel was bent and I was hanging there upside down held in by my seat belt. I swore that from then on I wouldn’t every swerve for an animal ever again.

I swore that from then on I wouldn’t every swerve for an animal ever again.

That’s what i thought too.

right up until one of these big boys ran out in front of me.

Swerving was rapidly placed firmly back on the agenda.

Yeah a friend totalled a Austin Metro many moons ago when they hit a deer. The deer ran off.

D’oh a deer, Perchy.

You can almost guarantee that if you see a dead Red Deer on the side of the road it will be accompanied by bits of car.