Dogs on a bus!
Narrated from: Dog StoriesPublic transportation is usually off-limits for canines. In many countries dogs are entirely prohibited from taking the bus, while in others they are usually not allowed when the bus is crowded – especially if the dog is a red-eyed Pitbull!
However, more often than not exceptions are made – and you would be surprised how often the dog on the bus is without a handler!
Spot
One of the first precedents of a dog boarding a bus dates to 1983.
A mixed breed, who wasn’t even a year old yet, had obviously watched one of the good ol’ movies about the country lad taking to the Big City to be a Star.
Well, Spot already lived in a city – Cardiff – but the Welsh pup apparently hungered for the lights of London.
In March 1983, he boarded a National Express coach leaving from Cardiff and bound for London. Of course, attempts were made to remove him – but a little growling and a tight schedule convinced the conductor otherwise. So, the bus left – with Spot curled comfortably on one of the front seats.
Once in London, the dog quickly disembarked, and disappeared, at the wonderment of passengers and driver alike.
One would think that Spot was planning to make a living in London – but it turned out one would be wrong! Half an hour later, when the coach was ready to go back to Cardiff, Spot reappeared. All businesslike, the dog boldly boarded the coach and took his seat, obviously ready to return home.
This time there was no one willing to deny him his ride, and Spot safely made it back to Cardiff, where people from the RSPCA were waiting to receive him.
Whether the dog had managed to finish his tour of London in only 30 minutes, or if he had come simply to steal a kiss from a London sweetheart – I guess we’ll never know!
Hamish
Only recently, a Glasgow bus driver could only stare mute as a freezing dog in a very bad condition boarded his bus and tiredly curled up on a warm seat. The dog was a long-haired Cairn Terrier, and it was so cold outside that the fellow literally had icicles forming on his coat.
The dog, of course, refused to leave the bus even after he was warm and cosy, but the local authorities were quick to take him in and probably saved his life – it seemed quite likely the 11-year-old dog wouldn’t last the winter’s night!
A little dog wandering the cold streets all alone – how monstrous. Don’t be quick to lose faith in humanity though. As it turns out, old Hamish actually had a warm and cosy home of his own – but had slipped away from the yard, obviously set on having an adventure of his own.
Which didn’t go so well – until Hamish was reunited with his worried owners of course!
Cacao
And finally, we come to Cacao – perhaps the truest bus-riding dog in the world!
You see, Cacao lives in Italy – he was born and raised a true Milanese. As a stray, he got adopted by a woman, who was astounded by his intellect, as she managed to train him to recognize green traffic-lights (and lots of other stuff) in just about six months.
Well, thirteen years later Cacao learned to ride the bus all by himself!
The mixed breed has regularly been boarding a specific bus for a few years now. Each day, while his owner is at work, Cacao goes to the bus stop and waits for line 54. When the bus comes, he is quick to jump in, and there waits quietly until the bus reaches a specific bus stop.
As it turns out, there is a park near this bus stop, and Cacao enjoys wandering the sunlit gardens. After a few hours, when the old dog is tired, he returns to the bus stop, and patiently waits for the 54 bus to take him back home.
Now then, any Italians among you probably know that dogs are not allowed to use public transport in Italy. However, it turns out that Cacao has thought of that too. Each time before he boards the bus, Cacao checks who is behind the wheel – and only goes in if this is the same driver whom Cacao remembers from his first bus ride.
This man, even though the regulations forbid it, has allowed the dog to ride the bus for years now – and there hasn’t been a single complaint.
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