A SHOCKING video shows the danger of extendable dog leads after a wayward pooch is almost crushed underneath a driving instructor’s car.
The dash cam shows the dog as much as 16ft ahead of its owner before suddenly darting into the path of the car.
The dog disappears from view but a rear camera shows the pet – possibly with an injured paw – being dragged back by its owner.
The clip was filmed in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, by driving instructor Mandy Jex.
She released the footage because she believes extendable leads can be dangerous and should not be used in such circumstances. The devices, which cost around £15, have previously been criticised as unsafe and pets have previously been killed on the roads.
At the start of the clip, the car, being driven by a learner with Mandy on dual controls, can be seen travelling at 20mph, down a 30mph road.
A dog walker can be seen on the left-hand pavement with his pet, thought to be an Alaskan Malamute.
As the car comes to within ten metres of the dog it runs into the road.
Mandy then slams on the brakes, and the dog moves out of sight, leaving the viewer wondering if it has gone under the car.
The rear-view camera then shows the dog doing the same thing, to a car behind, and it only narrowly escapes again.
The owner can later be seen giving a thumbs up to Mandy, although his dog appears to be lifting a paw.
Mandy uploaded the video on to Facebook with the caption: “On busy roads dogs should not be allowed to run free on an extended lead. Thankfully dog was ok. Just us shocked and thankful it wasn’t worse.”
The clip has now been shared close to 2,000 times on social media, with most viewers criticising the owner.
David Webb said: “On three occasions now we’ve had dogs run right in front of us forcing us to do emergency stops! Totally irresponsible dog owners!”
Ellie Cook added: “I hate these leads, the dog should be trained to come back and if not only let away from the owner in a safe environment, I think these leads are wrong no matter the circumstances.”
Victoria Hill wrote: “Those extending leads are SO dangerous. Makes me so mad how irresponsible and stupid owners can be.”
But some users said the leads were not dangerous if used correctly.
Paul Summerton said: “Totally avoidable if the dogs owned had locked the “flexi lead” to give just a few feet of slack as opposed to a few metres.”
Janet Martin wrote: “I use extension lead a lot u can shorten it to a short length a bit of common sense that’s all.”
Mandy said she had offered to take the dog to the vets, but the owner said his pet was fine, and declined the offer.
She said: “I didn’t feel any hit on the dog. It was limping though and I offered to take it to the vet, but the owner declined and said the dog was ok.
“These leads can be seriously dangerous, it was extended the full five metres. I hope if just one person sees the clip and it stops a dog being hit, it’s a success.”
Dog groups have warned owners against using extendable leads before.
Website doghealth.com states: “Retractable leashes may seem like a great idea. The truth is that using retractable leashes for your dog is not a good idea.
“Some of them can reach up to 30 feet in length. Because the leash is so long, your dog will have an option to run into situations or places that can result in serious injury or death for her or other dogs and people.”
In 2015, a partner at a pet crematorium in Winchfield, Hampshire warned dog owners against using extendable leads near roads after a pet was run over and killed by a car.
Kevin Spurgeon from Dignity Pet Crematorium said: “This isn’t the first time we’ve helped a family after their dog was killed when being walked on one of these leads – we just hope that by spreading the word of the dangers we can prevent further deaths.”
