Bringing a puppy home is always an emotional moment. But for one man from North Carolina, USA, the first car ride with his new companion took a very unexpected turn.
The scene was filmed and shared online, where it quickly went viral.
A chaotic first car ride
Zach Branum had just adopted Navy, a four-month-old female German Shepherd, from the New Hanover Humane Society in Wilmington, North Carolina.
At first, the journey went smoothly. But then the young dog decided to leave her seat and climb onto her new owner's lap while he was driving.
As they neared their neighbourhood, things got even more complicated. Navy slipped between the driver's legs and wriggled under the brake pedal.
"I could still use the pedal, but obviously I couldn't press it all the way down," Zach Branum told Newsweek. He slowed the car down and finished the journey at a crawl, finally managing to pull into his driveway without incident. Once home, he was able to stop the car safely.
A puppy already bonded with her owner
Navy had only been with him for three days when the video was posted. The clip shows the puppy curled up in the driver's footwell. A caption appears on the screen: "Just adopted a puppy! She's already as wild as I am!"
Zach Branum explained that he adopted Navy to be his assistance dog. The young German Shepherd is due to start training soon with a non-profit organisation.
Her name wasn't chosen at random. As a former serviceman, he named her Navy in tribute to the branch of the US armed forces he served in. The video has received over 16,000 views. In the comments, however, one user questioned the safety of letting a puppy roam free in the front of the car.
