Port St Lucie residents called police to halt joyride after seeing dog trapped in vehicle as it spun repeatedly

This article is more than 9 months old

This article is more than 9 months old

Florida authorities said they responded to a rogue vehicle spinning in reverse around a suburban cul-de-sac and found a a lone occupant inside: a black labrador retriever named Max.

News outlets reported that residents in Port St Lucie called police on Thursday after seeing the dog trapped and clambering around in the car as it spun repeatedly round, effectively performing circular “doughnuts”, a move favoured by victorious motor sports drivers.

Play Video 0:16 Florida dog left alone in a car drives doughnuts – video

Police said they thought the dog’s owner had stepped away from the running car and the pet then knocked it into reverse. One neighbor, Anne Sabol, said she watched as the car took out a mailbox and a trash can.

Police stopped the joyride by punching a passcode into the driver’s door. No one was hurt.

Sabol said the dog was in high spirits after it was rescued, saying it “jumped out of the car, wagging his tail”.