Strange News – Dogs Driving Cars, Can It Get Any Stranger?

If you happen to be visiting New Zealand and think you see a dog driving a car -- you probably did! No kidding! For the past two months, animal trainer Mark Vette has been teaching dogs to drive as part of a campaign by the New Zealand SPCA, meant to clear up "common misconceptions" about rescue dogs. A spokesperson explained, "Sometimes people think because they're getting an animal that's been abandoned, that somehow it's a second-class animal. Driving a car actively demonstrates to potential rescue dog adopters that you can teach an old dog new tricks. All the new drivers are shelter dogs and were trained for several weeks before hopping into a real car, modified to accommodate the unique needs of a canine driver. So far, the animals have driven only with some human guidance, in the form of verbal commands and the occasional steering wheel readjustment.