Florida residents were left baffled on Thursday morning after spotting a dog sitting behind the wheel of a car while driving in circles for an hour, Fox News reports.
According to a statement released by the Port St. Lucie Police Department, a black Labrador called Max managed to lock himself in his owner's car, accidentally put it in reverse, before haphazardly driving the 2003 Mercury Sable in a circular motion.
This is the moment a dog locks himself in a car before putting it in gear and going in circles for an hour:"First I thought I saw somebody backing up, but then they kept going and I’m like, ‘Okay, what are they doing?'" Anne Sabol, a local resident, told WPBF. "The cops came, and I’m like ‘Okay.'"
The dog’s owner had stopped the car and stepped out for a little while, leaving the canine inside the vehicle, police noted in their statement.
When Max hit the gear stick, the owner was locked out of his car, and although the owner had an extra car fob, he was unable to unlock the door as it was out of battery, police said.
When authorities attended the scene, they were able to unlock the door by entering a code in the keypad of the driver's door.
"I saw this car going around in a circle and it was doing it for about an hour. And when the cops got the door open, a black dog jumped out, I was like, ‘They should give that thing a license,'" Sabol told WPBF.
Thankfully, no major injuries were sustained as a result of Max's joy ride - although the vehicle was damaged significantly after hitting a mailbox, according to the police statement. A resident told WPBF that the owner will replace the damaged mailbox.
Police said that Max was "fine, healthy and happy" when he was taken out of the car.
