A woman returning home from Slovenia faced a serious problem: in Lithuania, her new car broke down with four people and six dogs inside — far from the smallest breeds. Warranty roadside assistance was ready to tow the car, but the animals were to be left in the cold.
Lauma arrives to meet with journalists accompanied by one of the participants in this story — a 78-kilogram dog named Valko. They both came in a replacement ‘Dacia Sandero’, as the minibus ‘Renault Trafic’ purchased last August has already been in warranty service more than once, reports the show Degpunktā (TV3).
On the way back from a dog competition in Slovenia, 40 kilometers from the Latvia-Lithuania border, a message about a possible engine malfunction appeared on the car’s dashboard. At that moment, Lauma was accompanied by four friends and six dogs: two Great Danes, three Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and a Serbian hound.
It was –18 degrees outside, and panic set in — starting the engine to warm up the cabin felt frightening. Lauma contacted the so-called ‘assistant’ service, where she was told that the car would be towed, but the animals would have to be left behind: “A tow truck will come. I said: do you understand that these are not pocket-sized dogs, and where will you put them? The answer was — we will tow it to the service.” However, for about an hour, she was unable to reach the ‘assistant service’, which only heightened the panic.
While the phones were silent, Lauma sought help on social media, called friends, and fortunately, many kind-hearted people were willing to help. A minibus set off from Latvia to rescue those freezing on the road. In the end, both people and dogs were able to be picked up at the same time. But the disappointment in ‘Renault Assistance’, which is supposed to be available during the warranty period, and in the dealer ‘Mūsa Motors Rīga’ is immense.
Later, Lauma was informed that the dogs would not be taken anywhere after all. The woman was willing to cover additional costs, but “the only option offered was to leave the dogs in the car at –18 degrees.” According to her, even a few hours in such conditions could be fatal for these animals.
The tow truck was dispatched from Lithuania. Lauma arranged with the driver to pick up both people and dogs at the same time when he arrived to bring them to warmth. Everything worked out. “This is about basic humanity,” she says. The response from the other side, according to Lauma, was:
“Leave the dogs in the car. In the end, we were told: choose — either you or the dogs.”
What the tow truck driver would have done with a car full of dogs if they had indeed been left inside is anyone’s guess. Safety regulations do not allow the towing of a fully loaded vehicle. Lauma explains that she chose this brand of car precisely because she believed it had the best service in Europe. In this situation, she is grateful to the kind people who helped bring her pets home.
‘Mūsa Motors Rīga’ acknowledges that the situation was unusual and they could not resolve it quickly:
“The ‘Renault Assistance’ operator received the call and offered help according to the terms of the contract… The operator explained that the roadside assistance service is unable to evacuate animals. Given that the car had cooled down and there were living beings inside, it was recommended to use the SOS button or contact service 112. We, ‘Mūsa Motors Rīga’, as the official representative of ‘Renault’, sincerely regret that the situation developed this way — many of us are dog owners ourselves and love them just as much as the client. But the case was unusual and required a reasonable assessment of the circumstances.”
Lauma did not call her insurance for KASKO — it was faster to resolve everything herself. However, some types of KASKO do include roadside assistance. The show Degpunktā contacted one of the insurance companies. They also mentioned the SOS button or contacting rescuers. As for whether firefighters or police should have helped in such a case — you can judge for yourself.
A representative from one of the insurers, Laima Kristapsone, notes: “It is difficult for the insurer to give a definitive answer, as the situation is unusual. But we fully understand the human feelings and anxiety for one’s health and the health of four-legged friends left in the cold on the road. This is undoubtedly unpleasant, so, in our understanding, in such a case, a solution should be tailored individually based on the resources available at that moment.”
If it is known that traveling through Europe with dogs will be frequent, the Latvian Association of Insurers advises discussing protection options for such situations individually with the chosen insurance company.
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