It can be paradise for a dog when they get to be the passenger in a car and get the chance to stick their heads out the window. The wind in their faces and fur must feel wonderful.
Unfortunately, for these four puppies, it wasn’t such a relaxing ride.
On Friday, 911 calls began to pour in from drivers on Interstate 76. Their concerns were about a cage with four puppies strapped to the roof of a van. The blanket that had been covering the cage had partially blown off thus exposing the puppies to the sounds and frightening views of the highway – all while moving 70 miles per hour.
Akron police caught up with the family of six and pulled them over. They were in the midst of a 300 mile drive from Ashland County to Pennsylvania.
The puppies were very shaken but had no injuries. They are about 3 months old and had defecated and urinated all over the cage. The puppies also wouldn’t leave each other sides.
“The puppies are traumatized, but I think they’ll come around with a little love and attention,” said Sgt. Kris Beitzel, one of the officers that were involved in the traffic stop, “I didn’t see any injuries. They would not leave each other. They had urinated all over the inside of the cage. When I tried to get them out, they were trying to crawl back in.”
As for the family, there will be no charges laid. The driver, Wendell Steiner, said he had no idea that it wasn’t allowed. The puppies belonged to his father and he was transporting them to his wife’s family. The Mennonite family had 4 children inside the van. He said if he had known he was breaking the law he wouldn’t have agreed to transport them in the first place.
“He was completely astounded by the attention,” Beitzel said. “We had four or five cruisers there and he couldn’t imagine why, ” Beitzel said. Thankfully, Steiner signed over the puppies immediately.
The puppies are to be examined by a local veterinarian and then will be put up for adoption.
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