The nature of the Dalmatian is described as outgoing, friendly, sensitive, playful and intelligent. Children in particular have taken him to their hearts, also because he wears such a playful polka dot dress. One of these now stands next to the A 995 autobahn between Oberhaching and Taufkirchen, with no trace of a master or mistress. He won’t… one hopes. In vain. Wild evasive maneuvers by several cars show that he started running. Between the sheet metal and the tires you can see black dots on white fur running across the road and hold your breath.
Apparently he made it to the central barrier, but then? Was he smart enough to stay on the narrow median until help came? Or did he, driven by panic, also dash across the oncoming lanes, which are quite dense with traffic? In the rear-view mirror you can see no dots whirling through the air and also no abrupt steering and braking actions in the oncoming lane.
Nevertheless, the uncertain fate of the dog occupies one’s mind and in the mind’s eye one sees a small child with mum and dad crying for his darling, who may be called Pongo or Perdita, like the two four-legged main actors in the film “101 Dalmatians”. This goes well, of course, as the two not only managed to match their keepers Roger and Anita, but also discovered their love for each other and let 15 puppies tumble into the world. Unfortunately, reality is often more cruel than the world of cinema. Has he perhaps gotten under the wheels?
In anxious anticipation, on the way back, you head for the place where the fate of the runaway must have been decided. No skid marks on the asphalt, no other signs of an animal accident – that’s reassuring. Did he make it across the oncoming tracks unscathed, or did he run back after the first moment of shock and arrived safely? One wishes for him.
A call to the Unterhachingen police. Your inspection is not responsible for the A 995, says a friendly policewoman. But if a dog had been run over there, you would have known about it. The careless four-legged friend with the playful polka dot dress must have had a very attentive guardian angel.