It was a brisk fall day in the North Carolina mountains where I live. The sun shined brightly, the sky deep blue, and the air crisp and clean. I had some errands to run so decided to take my dog, Lucky, with me. Although just a mutt, she had one of the sweetest faces of mostly black fur, brown eyes and those cute brown eyebrows that always made her look so deceptively innocent.
She loved to ride in the car. She would sit in the front seat with the window down enough to get her head out and sniff the many smells of the countryside as we rode around.
I was taking a curve around a country road when Lucky decided she wanted to step up closer to catch a particularly intriguing smell. Moving over to the armrest on the passenger side of the front seat, she proceeded to step on the armrest, sticking her head through the opening of the window. As she did so she stepped on the electric window switch and began to close the window on her head!
It took me a second to figure out what was happening. After all, Lucky had ridden with me many times before without any mishaps. As I realized the window was closing on her neck, all I could think was, Oh no! She is going to die! She’s going to choke herself to death.
I had to think fast. The panic rose in me as I fought to stay on the road while at the same time saving Lucky from strangling herself. Knowing I had to take quick action to save her life, I switched hands on the steering wheel. Placing my left hand on the steering wheel, I took my right hand and grabbed her tail. Pulling with all my might I was able pull her foot off the armrest and the electric window switch. She now dangled from the window with her head still outside. Anyone observing her from the outside would never have guessed what was happening on the inside of the car. She looked just like you see so many dogs you see hanging their heads out the window.
From the driver’s side I was able to lower the window. Lucky landed on the passenger seat all excited as if nothing had happened. She was no worse for wear. It had only taken a matter of seconds. I didn’t even have time to pull over.
As I reflect back over that day I am sure angels watched over Lucky and me that day because she could have easily died. True to her name she had been “lucky.” She continued to live a happy life for the next 10 years, never knowing the close call she had on that fateful day, but I made sure she never got to use the electric windows again.
