Diplomat-cop saves the day for pet owner

In this age of apathy it is comforting to know that America still has at least one citizen with the courage to risk going to jail over a pet poodle.

“His name is Toby,” says John McBride, a 77-year-old retired Greyhound driver. “He goes with me a lot.”

That was the problem. McBride’s small black doggie rode shotgun when he went to get his ‘94 Cadillac checked out last week at the Spokane emissions testing station at 920 N. Hamilton.

As McBride and Toby drove into the entrance, they were confronted by a sign in block letters:

“No Pets.”

Nobody enjoys submitting to these government-mandated vehicle intrusions. McBride’s irritation, however, is more than most.

His contempt was born when he tried to pay for a testing with a check. The facility didn’t accept checks back then.

“How about a credit card?” asked McBride.

Nope. No plastic, either.

Fuming, McBride drove back home. He says he emptied his piggy bank and took back a Mason jar filled with dimes, pennies and nickels.

“I felt like I won a major battle,” says McBride.

This guy is definitely a senior delinquent.

As mentioned, McBride’s small change vendetta happened quite a while ago. Today, alternate forms of extortion are accepted.

But the “no pets” rule stands.

McBride read the sign. The mental cogs inside his skull whirled as he pondered his options. He could A) drive Toby back to his home and wife, Leone, in the Fairwood area or B) plunge ahead into dark unknown waters.

McBride plunged.

Eventually he says he found himself at Bay 4 for inspection. That’s where the Alpo hit the fan.

“Sorry,” McBride says a worker told him, “I can’t take you through there with a pet.”

McBride then tried to explain how Toby was a pacifist. Muttma Ghandi, as it were.

But the “no pets” clause is there for the safety of employees as well as animals. Plus, once you say yes to poodles how can you say no to pit bulls? That’s doggie discrimination.

And once you start allowing pets, some Washington State alum is bound to show up with Butch the Cougar.

The emissions workers made an attempt to meet McBride in the middle of this minefield. If he had a leash, they told him, he could restrain Toby somewhere while the testing was going on.

McBride had no leash. He offered to hold the pooch in his arms.

No soap. Once again, you can’t predict what will happen. Say the dog gets spooked. He might run off and get hit by a semi or molest a cat.

McBride’s temper was rising to about 5 on the Anger-Meter. Maybe all those years of ferrying bus passengers caught up with him. Whatever it was, he made a decision.

He would not be moved.

Ed Fischer, a manager at the emissions joint, says McBride’s stubborn sit-in was blocking the inspection bay. That left them no choice but to call the law. “Let’s go for it,” said the renegade.

If there is a hero to this curly dog story, it is patrol officer Kelly Busse of the Spokane Police Department.

A less creative lawman would have slapped on the cuffs and hauled McBride and Toby to the pound for pawprinting, deworming and rabies shots. Some cops will do anything for a collar.

Instead, the former U.S. Border Patrol agent put Toby in his prowl car and dog sat while McBride got his Caddy inspected.

Busse even fed Toby a doggie cookie from a supply he keeps in his cruiser for canine-related encounters.

“He was a nice little dog,” says Busse.

Both McBride and Fischer say Busse saved the day.

Crisis over, Busse says he went off to bust a burglar who wanted to turn himself in.

McBride says he “drove away with a warm feeling and my dog.”

And everyone at the emissions testing center was probably praying to God that McBride doesn’t have any more cars.