A dog has been left without the use of his back legs after jumping into a busy road out of a car window, which he reportedly opened himself.
When Hannah James, 48, found out her four-year-old dog had launched himself out of the vehicle, she was left devastated.
Her partner Damon, 54, was reportedly doing the everyday run to pick her up from work with the Shar Pei, Ozzy, securely fastened in the back – when the pet launched itself out of the moving car.
Tragically, the dog has been left partially paralysed.
“He’s having to drag himself along the floor as he’s so wobbly and his back legs are numb,” Hannah, from Oldham, told NeedToKnow.co.uk, in the hopes of warning other dog owners of dangers of driving with pets.
“It’s been soul-destroying, as he was so energetic before and it’s been very hard for us to come to terms with how he is now.”
Ozzy, who frequently travelled in the car, had a safety setup with a seatbelt attached to his harness and a fastened seat cover, which acts as a car seat.
But, on 17 July during rush hour, the attachments reportedly became loose and the pet stepped onto the electric window button, creating the perfect escape route.
Damon, who was in total shock, got out of the car and screamed his dog’s name, where a witness saw the pooch being stopped by the safety railings near a crossing.
Luckily, he jumped out onto the pavement but had he escaped through the other side, the situation could have been much worse.
Hannah said: “I found out via text that he was at the vets, but I’m so glad that he wasn’t run over or killed, which was a real possibility.
“I was shocked that he didn’t have any open wounds, only a mark near his eye and a couple of scrapes on his legs, but he had a lot of adrenaline pumping, so the pain was masked.
“Originally, he was alright putting weight on his back legs, but the next night, while letting him out for the toilet, he went to chase after a cat and I think that’s exaggerated his injuries.
“He’s not screaming out in pain, but compared to how he was, this isn’t the Ozzy I know.”
Since then, the pet has been seen by another vet who has said that in order to find out his exact injuries, an MRI scan is needed – but this could cost anywhere between £1,500 and £8,000.
In a bid to raise funds, the family have started a GoFundMe, so far raising £295 out of their £15,000 target.
If Ozzy’s condition doesn’t improve, the only option left is to put him down, which Hannah can’t bear thinking about.
She added: “If he’s not in any pain, then I don’t see why we’d put down a very healthy dog just because his back legs don’t work.
“But if he starts showing signs of distress and pain, then we’ll need to discuss the possibility of saying goodbye, which would be absolutely devastating.
“We hope that he’s able to get the help he needs and he may never be able to walk again, but we’d like to get an answer as to what’s exactly wrong.
“Maybe we’ll explore physiotherapy and aids to help him get about and live a better life.
“At the moment, he’s only been back in the car to visit the vets, but we’re a lot more cautious now and double check everything.
“I’d suggest other dog owners to get a secondary belt, rather than just one, or one that goes over the headrest.
“Also, make sure the windows are definitely locked, as I didn’t think my dog would be able to physically open the window himself – but I was wrong.”
