Some people take their dogs on walks. David Wilk, author of Amazing Dog Stories—a finalist for the National Dog Writers Association’s Book of the Year—took things several miles further. In Chapter 4, “The Scooter Saga,” Wilk tells the hilarious story of how he exercised his 85-pound Golden Retriever, George Burns, by tethering him to a 50cc scooter and riding through the hilly streets of San Clemente, California.
It started innocently enough. With his sons outgrowing their scooters and George bursting with energy, Wilk had a lightbulb moment: turn the scooter into a dog-powered exercise machine. He extended George’s leash to about 12 feet and tied it to the handlebars. George ran in front. The streets were steep and winding, the views of the Pacific beautiful, and for a while, everything was perfect.
Until it wasn’t.
The Swerve
After months of incident-free rides, Wilk and George were flying downhill at 25 mph when George suddenly veered hard to the right. With the leash tied to the handlebars, the scooter was yanked sideways. The wheels pointed one way, but the scooter’s momentum went the other way. This was a recipe for disaster. Sure enough, the scooter slammed down, dragging Wilk with it.
Wilk hit the ground, skidded, and rolled. George, unfazed, came over and licked his moaning owner. Wilk suffered bruised ribs, road rash on his knees, elbow, eyebrow, and chin, and a whole lot of pain—but somehow, no broken bones.
Despite warnings from friends (including one who said, “Be prepared to meet the pavement”) and despite his own wife’s very firm refusal to ever do such a thing herself, Wilk eventually returned to the scooter routine. Why? Because George loved it—and so did he.
The Stop
After healing and months of safe riding, Wilk redoubled his safety efforts and resumed the rides—very carefully. He redoubled his concentration and everything went smoothly. But then came the second dark day.
One afternoon, George was sprinting ahead at full speed when he suddenly stopped for no apparent reason. Wilk, in horror, swerved around his dog, but rapidly ran out of slack on the line. The rope, once ahead of him, whipped tight and yanked the scooter to a dead stop. Wilk catapulted over the handlebars, hit the pavement, and flipped multiple times before coming to rest face-down in the street. Moans and words we can’t print here echoed through the morning air.
He was stunned and mortified, bleeding from his nose, cheek, chin, ears, elbows, and knees. His shirt and pants were shredded and stained with blood and asphalt. George instinctively stayed back; he knew Wilk was not going to be happy. Terryle, Wilk’s wife, insisted on taking him to the ER, where he needed stitches in multiple places and many, many bandages. The doctor gave him a lecture: “Are you an idiot? That is just pure insanity.”
He didn’t think it was funny. Since he wasn’t seriously injured, though, his friends pretty unanimously thought it was hilarious.
Nevertheless, Wilk got the message. The scooter rides continued in later years, but only in places where it was safe to ride without tethering the dog to the scooter.
Beyond the Pain: A Story of Joy and Growth
What makes this chapter so powerful is not just the falls and humorous narrative, but the willingness to try again, to adapt, and to put a dog’s joy at the center of everyday life. After San Clemente, Wilk eventually created safer routines in other towns, including Santa Barbara, Solvang, and Ojai—places where dogs ran leash-free, and Wilk learned to be both daring and wise.
This story also includes vibrant glimpses into Wilk’s life outside of dogs: the launch of professional beach volleyball, co-founding the hugely successful company Surfline, and later riding the mid-90s Pogs craze to considerable business success. But through it all, George (and the dogs who followed afterward) was a constant, his leash (or lack thereof) connecting Wilk to joy, adventure, and humility.
If you’ve ever risked a little comfort for a whole lot of tail-wagging happiness, “The Scooter Saga” will hit home. It’s one of many unforgettable moments in Amazing Dog Stories, a must-read for anyone who’s ever loved a dog too much to just stick to the sidewalk.