A Surrey woman hopes her dog鈥檚 death can help save the lives of other furry friends.
Michelle Parry鈥檚 six-year-old Jack Russell named in a roll-over crash on the Port Mann Bridge in the Lower Mainland on Sunday afternoon.
Police say the dog was 鈥渆jected鈥� from the vehicle.
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Though Parry has harnesses that she uses to buckle both of her dogs into her car, her dad was watching Penny that day while her family made a trip to the U.S.
At the time of the crash, Penny was wearing her harness but it wasn鈥檛 fastened into her father鈥檚 pickup truck.
鈥淥riginally, we didn鈥檛 know about the dog seatbelt,鈥� Parry told the Surrey Now-Leader. 鈥淭hen a border guard really scared us (about two years ago), saying how dogs could really be injured. So we have seatbelt for both our dogs. I guess a lot of people don鈥檛 know they should be clipping their dogs in.鈥�
She now has harnesses for both of her Jack Russells (pictured below).
鈥淏ecause my dad鈥檚 truck, it was just a two-seater, she wasn鈥檛 clipped in. But she was wearing it,鈥� she continued, her voice breaking. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know for sure if that would鈥檝e saved her or not.鈥�
鈥淢y dad is just so broken up over it. My dad, it鈥檚 almost his dog too. He babysits her so much.鈥漃arry decided to share Penny鈥檚 story in the hopes that other dog owners would read of her fate and make the decision to get seatbelts for their animals.
鈥淚f anything good came of this, it would be that other people learn that it can help in accidents to have a seatbelt on your dog.鈥�
Luckily, said Parry, her father and uncle, who were in the vehicle when the crash happened, are going to be OK.
Parry said even her dad isn鈥檛 sure what happened to cause the crash, only that 鈥渢here was impact from behind鈥� and that her father鈥檚 truck landed on its side.
鈥淢y dad was stuck in the vehicle for about an hour,鈥� she said, explaining he was on the bottom of the rolled over pickup truck. 鈥淢y uncle got out right away because he was on the side that was up.鈥�
Later, her father received a call from a police officer while he was in hospital that Penny had died.
鈥淢y dad is still kind of recovering too,鈥� said Parry. 鈥淗e had a cracked rib and a sprained wrist. And my uncle is still in the hospital. Apparently he has a few more broken ribs.鈥�
She鈥檚 thankful her father and uncle survived the crash.
鈥淚鈥檓 so happy my dad walked away from it. But it鈥檚 definitely still difficult because we both love her so much.鈥�
The Parry family had two Jack Russells. Penny, and her younger sister Chloe, who was with the family when Penny died.
Parry described Penny as 鈥渟tubborn鈥� and always playing with a ball.
鈥淲e played fetch with her constantly,鈥� she said.
Penny鈥檚 younger sister Chloe was sort of 鈥淧enny鈥檚 side kick,鈥� said Parry.
鈥淧enny was the leader,鈥� she chuckled. 鈥淪he was a really happy dog. They would chase squirrels in our yard. They were our life.鈥�
