When Brandon Turnbow hit the road on his Harley on the morning of February 14 to meet his father, he didn’t expect to become a hero for one dog – and prove that even tough bikers have a soft spot for dogs in need.
While riding down the highway in Texas, he saw a vehicle on the side of the road with a man leaning into it and punching something. He slowed down, expecting to see an evenly matched fight between two humans. To his shock, he saw a little dog fly through the air on the passenger’s side into a ditch on the side of the road. He wrote on Facebook that the dog was “on his back in convulsions from the blow.” The dog’s abuser looked Turnbow straight in the eye as he rode past, swearing and slamming the doors shut.
[bp_related_article]
Turnbow quickly sped around to rescue the pup, who was now standing just two feet from the edge of speeding traffic.
“I jump off my bike and just kneel down beside him and start talking to him. He slowly steps closer shaking like crazy and his breathing was very heavy. I take a chance and just fold my body over him to see if he will bite or trust me.”
The dog must have sensed Turnbow was there to help him because he allowed the biker to pick him up, settling comfortably into his arms.
Standing on the side of a busy road, the two were still in danger. Turnbow took off his jacket and wrapped it around his new friend to help him feel secure, then turned on the engine to help the dog get used to the sound and vibration of the motorcycle.
The pair drove a few miles up the road to meet his dad and it seems that a love for animals runs in the family; upon hearing the story, Turnbow’s father suggested they “go find that sorry %^&*!” But Turnbow knew a man who was enough of a “maniac” to beat an innocent dog could have no qualms about hurting them too, so they decided to head home with his new canine co-pilot. Since he already had a dog named Harley, Turnbow’s dad suggested a fitting name for the pup: Mr. Davidson.
Unsure if the dog could handle the 45-mile ride home after his ordeal, the Turnbows rode out towards home. To their surprise, Mr. Davidson rode along like he’d been a biker dog his entire life. “I actually think he was a little mad at times that I was blocking his wind!” Turnbow wrote. “He would move from my right side to my left until he found the good spot where he could get all the breeze and all of the good smells from the countryside that passed us as we rolled down the rode [sic].”
As they rode along, people slowed their cars to wave and honk at the sight of Mr. Davidson riding along with big smiles on their faces. “I felt like we were all in a movie,” he said. This experience inspired the singer to write a song in honor of the brave pup. He also plans to use the attention from Mr. Davidson’s ordeal to start Bikers Against Animal Abuse Global, uniting bikers in taking a stand against animal abuse worldwide.
How’s Mr. Davidson doing now? He’s settling into his new life with the Turnbows and his canine brother, Harley. “He is an amazing little dog and he shows me love everyday. He will actually howl like an ole hound dog when I leave for work everyday.” At nearly ten years old, there’s no way to know how long Mr. Davidson suffered at the hands of his former owner, but now this sweet senior is getting what he truly deserves – a loving home and plenty of joyrides on the back of his dad’s Harley.
Says Turnbow:
“I also honestly believe that a higher power was guiding the path for us all that day. Mainly Mr Davidson.”
Featured image via Brandon Turnbow/Facebook
