A New Zealand charity is teaching dogs to drive cars — December 5, 2012

As much as it sounds like a joke, a New Zealand animal charity is actually teaching dogs how to drive cars.

While it’s a bit silly on its face, there is a clear purpose behind this program from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Auckland — it wants to show that rescued dogs are smart and can be trained to do many things. The charity wants to find homes for its dogs, so it’s pulling out all the stops.

On its Driving Dogs Facebook page, the SPCA writes:

Every year, the SPCA need to find homes for thousands of dogs just like Porter, Ginny, and Monty — dogs who have been abused, abandoned, or just forgotten. They may be a mixed up motley bunch, but they’re all smart and they’re all lovable. So please don’t forget about them. Adopt them.

If you’d like to find out more about the program, you can watch a short video report about the charity from the BBC here.

And check out the trailer for a full program that will air on Campbell Live on Dec. 10 in New Zealand:

Screenshot of dog driving via BBC

Filed under: OffBeat