Jack in a flannel shirt
On a truck somewhere, there’s trucking dogs that hates to be naked. The brindle-colored Chihuahua, Jack, belongs to truck driver Rhonda Spahlinger. “If he’s naked, he’ll stay in the corner and give me the evil eye,” Spahlinger says. “He hides from the world until he is dressed.”
Spahlinger’s pooch serves as one of many trucking dogs who dresses to impress.
In the process, the dogs bring joy to those with CDL driver jobs. Jack likes wearing T-shirts, flannel shirts, even a certain turtleneck sweater.
“I don’t care how hot it is, he better have a shirt on,” Spahlinger laughs. He even has a T-shirt that reads, “I’m naked under this shirt.”
Spahlinger, a lease operator for KLLM Transportation based in Jackson, Miss., drives throughout the Southeast. She drives solo for 26 years. Jack serves as great company on the road, she says. At truck stops, he often picks out the biggest dog there to play with. “He loves everybody,” Spahlinger says.
Emma in her puffy coat
Angela Neumayer’s dog, Emma, dresses up daily, too.
In fact, the cocker spaniel- dachshund mix has a full wardrobe that includes everything from a red raincoat to a plaid Christmas dress. Also in her doggie closet: sweaters, T-shirts, coats and boots.
“When I say, ‘Come here and put your coat on’ she puts her puffy winter coat on,” Neumayer marvels. Much of Emma’s apparel shows off her proud Canadian heritage, like Neumayer herself.
Neumayer, a Canadian owner operator leased to Erb International, dresses Emma to keep her warm.
Emma and Sam in raincoats
She even adds little boots to her tiny paws in the winter. Neumayer buys her pet clothes at PetSmart stores on her routes between the United States and Canada. And Emma isn’t the only dog she dresses. Two years ago, Neumayer took in an abandoned dog at a truck stop in Missouri. His name is Sam, and he’s partial to raincoats and sweatshirts.
But it’s Emma who relishes fashion most.
Rescued from a puppy mill, Neumayer found her at a shelter in Belleville, Ontario, in 2009.
“When I saw her picture on the website, I knew she was the gal for me,” Neumayer says. “She’s come a long way from being this tiny dog that was afraid of everything to developing her sense of adventure (and fashion).”
Pets brighten a driver’s life on the road in so many ways. Connect with us on Facebook here to see more pet-related content.
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