Puppy drives Dunedin man's car

Bob Donaldson and 12-week-old Gem. Picture / Otago Daily Times

A Dunedin man's faith in canines was put to the test on Saturday morning when his shar pei puppy took an unscheduled driving lesson.

Bob Donaldson and 12-week-old Gem were in his 1977 ute when he stopped and got out to talk to someone on the roadside.

But the ute started moving.

Gem "must have unlocked the hand brake", said Mr Donaldson.

The ute rolled about 20m downhill before striking a parked car and taking it along for the ride.

The car crashed into a lamppost and the ute continued through a fence and ran down a 3m bank at the back of a property, after a journey of about 80m.

Mr Donaldson said his ute was uninsured but the car was covered.