My mom was always one to stop for animals, which brings two funny stories to mind:
1. My sister was in grade school, I was still an infant, when my mother came across a reasonably large turtle crossing the road. We weren't far from the lake, so my mom decided to pop the thing into the floor well of the back seat with us, and run it down the road to the lake where it would be safer.
Mom grew up in the city, and had surely seen a box turtle or two, but apparently never a snapping turtle. She puts this thing on the floor by my sister's feet, and starts driving. The motion must've startled the turtle to poke his head out, and the damn thing starts snapping at my sister, who was probably wearing nothing but sandals or flip-flops at the time.
My sister's in the back seat screaming bloody murder, and mom assuming it's just some harmless box turtle is telling my sister to stop being a baby and just put her feet on the thing's shell if she wants it to stop squirming around.
Mom was well-intentioned, but it's sort of a miracle my sister didn't lose a toe, as the turtle was a pretty good size.
2. She used to stop for any dog, no matter how big or scary. We were on Taylorsville Road or Yardley Road, not far from family in New Hope, when a huge German shepard that easily outweighed any two of us kids darted across the road in front of mom's car. She slams on the breaks and stops the car diagonal across the road, blocking all traffic to prevent the dog being hit by another car while she tries to nab it.
Has one or two of us kids hop and and help her corner the thing and get it into the car. My sister, the snapping turtle victim, is hiding in the car and asking mom, "what if it's not friendly?"
Of course mom, "the dog whisperer", couldn't even imagine any dog dodging 50 mph traffic on a country road not being friendly.
