A man in Scotland got a surprise last week on his daily commute, when his dog jumped into the train seat beside him.
Thomas McCormack, 34, from the village of Croy, which has strong Irish connections, was going about his day to day business and was shocked when Paddy the dog approached him on the train.
“I didn't notice Paddy had escaped until I sat down and he jumped up beside me,” Mr McCormack said. “The doors closed just as he sat down so I had no option but to take him to work.”
It was how Paddy had escaped that really baffled Mr McCormack though.
Paddy lives in the back yard of his house, which is surrounded by a six-foot high fence – and he had not dug his way out to follow his beloved owner to work.
He usually stays in his kennel in the back yard when his owner, who works as a handyman, leaves for work in the mornings.
Mr McCormack, whose Irish roots are from Athenry, Co. Galway, decided to investigate. It was when he quizzed his neighbour about the great escape that he figured out the mystery.
“I found out how he was escaping when a neighbour said he had been using the trampoline as a platform,” Mr McCormack explained. “He had always played on the trampoline with the kids but I never expected him to use it as an escape route.”
It seems Paddy’s train journey was not adventure enough for him though.
“I have since moved the trampoline but he has learned how to pull himself over the 6 foot fence without it, leaving his Dad behind to go on another adventure,” Mr McCormack laughed.
Now, a higher fence will be built to surround the garden in an effort to keep four-year-old Labrador-Collie cross Paddy safely at home. Even so, Mr McCormack is still looking for tips on keeping Paddy in check.
“I might get some advice from the local prison,” he said.
