Akita Cross rescued from M1 collision recovers... and is top dog in his class!
A DOG that was thought to be dead after being hit by a car has a bright future ahead of him after coming top of the class at Dogs Trust’s Wymeswold dog school.
Akita Cross, now named Thor, was hit by a car on the M1 just before Christmas last year. Witnesses said he was seen walking down the hard shoulder when he wandered into oncoming traffic and was immediately hit by a car which sent him skidding across the carriageway, landing on the hard shoulder of the slip road.
One of the people to see the incident was Highways England traffic officer Hannah Moffit who immediately came to his rescue - in more ways than one.
Hannah said: “When I saw him get hit it was awful and I still remember the noise he made. It was a real yelp and I didn’t know if he was still alive, but thankfully he survived.
“My fantastic colleagues in the control room kept us safe while we were looking after him and we formed a really close bond while we were waiting for the dog warden to arrive. He was really calm with an amazing temperament. I basically fell in love with him there and then and I was lucky enough to be able to adopt him after his time in rescue. He’s my little boy now. He has fitted perfectly into family life.”
Thor, who is now almost two, was found to have a broken elbow but once he had made a full recovery Hannah decided to strengthen their bond further by going to training classes at Dogs Trust Dog School Leicestershire.
Anna Green, Senior Coach at Dogs Trust Dog School, said: “When Thor and Hannah walked into class it was wonderful to see them as we had all read about the horrendous accident. We could see straight away that they had an incredibly strong bond and Thor was wonderful in class.
“All our training is positive and reward based and Thor did very well so he got lots of foodie rewards as well as lots of praise.”
Along with his doggie classmates, Thor learnt how to sit and lie down on request, walk calmly on a lead, come back when called, settle down and relax when there are lots of things going on and walking through doorways nicely.
Hannah said: “He has been through a lot but has been wonderful from the moment he came into our lives. He was fantastic in class so it was a lovely experience to share with him and I was so proud when we graduated.
“I am so glad I was there for him on that day, and am very thankful for the support we have had from others. We have great times together as he’s a real character. I can’t imagine life without him.”
To find out more about Dogs Trust Dog School please visit www.dogstrustdogschool.org.uk