A couple smashed a car window to what they thought was a dog in distress. But they ended up saving a stuffed toy.
The case of mistaken identity began on a nice summer day in Victoria, BC, when Blake and Marla Handley returned to their car to discover their window smashed in. The first thing they worried about was did someone steal their “dog” Rory.
Blake Handley
The couple have kept their stuffed dog Rory in their car for over a decade as a treasured keepsake of their now deceased bearded collie. After a moment of panic, another couple nearby explained that they were the ones that broke it because they were concerned about the dog’s well being.
“They said they saw the dog in the back of the car and were worried he wasn’t moving, so they shook the car and set the alarms off and rapped the windows and nothing happened,” Handley told Global News.
“They got more concerned and called the police and police told them if you are concerned smash the window of the car. They did and found our toy dog in the back.”
Ironically, the Handley’s were attending a lunch hosted by the BC SPCA to honor long-time donors. The Handleys have supported the humane society for decades. To their credit, the couple who broke the window stuck around to explain what happened.
“Poor fellow even cut his hand when he did it,” Blake told the Times Colonist of the would-be Good Samaritan. “They could have just walked away, but it’s to their credit they stayed behind. They were so sweet about it and we are concerned about animals, too, so it was actually kind of nice.”
Not so nice is that the Handley’s have to pay a $200 deductible on their car insurance. But the Handley’s have handled the situation with grace and a touch of humor. They also did the practical thing.
“So just to be safe, I made up some new tags for our toy Rory who lives in the car,” he wrote, before sharing several photos of Rory sporting his new tag stating “Not a real dog”.
Blake Handley / Facebook
Hopefully, Rory’s new tags will dissuade future passers-by from breaking a window again.
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