A most remarkable and unnecessary case was at the emergency hospital over the weekend. If a human being had wound up injured in the manner described below he would have been a laughingstock.

Of course, in this case the dog was not at all to blame. His owners, on the other hand, could use a healthy injection of common sense.

The dog was a young, active large individual. He liked to run. The owners were more sedentary in nature. Recognizing that their pet needed exercise, they took him to a quiet road and set him free. They then followed behind in their car.

They followed too closely. The dog became tired and slowed down. Can you guess what happened next?

Fortunately, although the dog was injured when his owners struck him with the car, the injuries were not life-threatening. Pain killers, antibiotics, wound care, and nasal oxygen support were all that he needed.

But I am amazed that his owners failed to foresee the likely consequences of their way of exercising the dog. I worry about that dog’s future.

Photo: Blix demonstrates safe dog-car interaction. His risk of injury is minimal.