Police charged a driver for seemingly surrendering control of their vehicle… to their pet. 

A speed camera photo circulated on Facebook appears to show a smiling dog behind the wheel of a Skoda in the village of Sterusy, northeast of the Slovakian capital of Bratislava.

The car owner reportedly claimed the canine, a brown hunting dog, had jumped into his lap unexpectedly while they were driving along the road. 

Officers were unimpressed with the driver’s excuse. 

Additional footage from the speed camera appeared to show there was no sudden movement in the car prior to the photograph being taken. 

It was not immediately clear how much the fine amounted to, or whether it was for speeding or failing to secure a pet in a moving vehicle. 

Police issued a statement encouraging drivers to ensure their pets are fastened securely and behave safely while travelling on the road. 

They warned: ‘Even a small animal can endanger your life and health while driving.’

It’s not the only story of reckless driving to have made the news this weekend.

On Friday, UK authorities released footage of a truck driver taking both hands of the wheel of an HGV to sip a cuppa while travelling along the M6 in Cheshire. 

Unbeknownst to him, two undercover police officers were filming from a nearby unmarked truck. 

The man was later handed a £100 fine and given three points on his licence. 

The footage dates back to last summer, when officers picked the man up as part of a multi-agency effort to improve motorway safety.

Nor is the recent photo from Slovakia the only story of an animal going places to make headlines this month.

On September 1, a pony was reported for attempting to board a public bus in the Brixington area of Exmouth, Devon.

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