"Her dog was key to starting the car"

"There are times in this job when you have to really think out of the box in order to solve a problem.

"I remember one call out I had a while ago which required me to enlist the member's dog to help get her car started. And before you think that I’m barking mad, let me explain.

"The member had just changed the battery in her car's immobiliser, when she accidentally dropped it on the kitchen floor. Before she could pick it up, her dog George grabbed it in his mouth and woofed it down – and she had an important appointment to keep later that day.

"It was while she was telling me what had happened that my idea came to me. I asked her to go inside her house and bring George out. She gave me a funny look, but went off to fetch him. When they both came out, I opened the driver’s door on the car and asked the member to get George to sit on the driver’s seat. She laughed. 'Why?' she said. 'Is George going to drive then?' 'Something like that,' I replied.

"Anyway, once George was sitting comfortably, l leaned across and turned the ignition. Bingo! The engine started.

"The immobiliser has to be inside the car for it to start,' I told her. 'And as the immobiliser is inside George, I reasoned that if he was in the car it would start.'

"Mind you, she had to take George with her on every trip until nature took its course."

Kevin Gorman, AA Patrol