A big Bravo for Union Pacific!

[Loren Perry]

Train Avoids Hitting Puppy Tied to Calif. Track
Wednesday, 10 Apr 2013 06:20 AM
 
Officials say a 78-year-old man tied a puppy to train tracks in the California desert, and an engineer had to use emergency brakes to keep from crushing it.

Riverside County animal control said in a statement Tuesday that Banjo, a 10-month-old poodle-terrier mix, is fine and up for adoption.

The train was near Mecca on April 2 when the engineer saw a man walking away from the tracks and stopped.

Union Pacific Special Agent Sal Pina responded and called the scene "one of the worst things I've seen."

Pina untied Banjo and detained the man, who said his family didn't want the dog and didn't know what to do.

Pina says he couldn't pursue charges against the unidentified man because he appeared confused and didn't understand what he'd done.

© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[MichaelT]

Saw that on my news feed this morning.

Kudo's to the train guys!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Confused and didn't know what he did? I don't care. Lock him up.

[robert3985]

He was only confused that the train stopped and he got apprehended!  If you're "confused" and "don't know what you're doing"...you do something besides figure out how to tie your dog to the rails...like take it to the local pet adoption location...SHEESH...his 78 year old a$$ should be in jail right now! 

[MichaelWinicki]

I wonder how "confused" he would be if they chained him to the tracks.

[Catt]

What a kind hearted bunch you guys are today. I would certainly hope that your minds never get to that state.I would be willing to bet at his age he is suffering from either Alzheimer's or dementia.

May you all be so lucky as to have neither happen to you.

[cnw mike]

What a kind hearted bunch you guys are today. I would certainly hope that your minds never get to that state.I would be willing to bet at his age he is suffering from either Alzheimer's or dementia.

May you all be so lucky as to have neither happen to you.

Yep. My wife works with the elderly and this sort of thing is all too common. It really makes a man appreciate being of sound mind.

[pjm20]

What a piece of garbage. Bravo to UP for their quick minded engineers.

[GaryHinshaw]

Awful story.  However, something doesn't add up: the amount of planning and forethought required to tie a dog to railroad tracks far exceeds the capacity of most dementia patients (based on my experience with my mother).  I dare say we're missing some facts in this 6-sentence story, so let's not be too quick to judge.

-gfh

P.S. My dog's name is Banjo.