Just horrible...car hit a tiny doggie...

[tmonoxide]

Horrible.

I was coming down a narrow side street this evening and I see a woman with a dog standing in the middle of the block.

About a minute earlier, somebody clipped a little yorkie. And kept going, a guy said.
...
Nobody was able to get a plate.

The poor little thing was still alive, the woman with the dog said -- I thought it was her dog and asked her was it her dog when I initially saw her standing there.

The cops were coming, they said.

The vet around the corner from there is closed and I know of no vets in that area; the only emergency vet that is open was about a half hour ride from there, maybe 20 if you hurry it up --- and my vet wasn't open, either.

He'd already lost a lot of blood.

Poor ittle thing. I can't stop thinking about that dog.

[orly]

not to sound harsh but why call the cops for hitting a dog. It happens, it sounds like it is a stray. Here dogs are hit and killed all the time its a fact of living next to a hwy. If th cops were called for all of them they would only be taking hit dog calls.

[tmonoxide]

I think that in this state they need to file a report --- you can get into as much trouble leaving the scene of an accident if you hit a dog.

[orly]

Which state is that because most states of leash laws so the owner could be the one fined as well because it was not under the owners control. In most states the owner of the car could sue for damages

[fussbucket]

well despite Princess Letdown up there, I'm sorry to hear about this. My dog was run over and killed before my own eyes when I was 6 so I can totally understand the devastation that dog's owner will feel. I don't think blame needs to be placed for it to be any less of a crisis and tragedy for the dog and those who love it.

[gbck]

Dogs are domesticated animals...you stop to see whether or not it IS a stray.
Not stopping is assholio behavior.

I'm not saying the driver is responsible (I've hit animals. In none of those cases do I actually consider myself responsible because a varmint threw him/herself under my wheels!) for the death of the animal or for vet bills or what not; the driver IS responsible to attempt to (when possible) ascertain the status of the pet and inform animal's people.

[Muddled]

Poor poor pup.

Orly, what happened to your heart?

[orly]

It is just where we are from, its to dangerous to stop and check on the animal. There are to many people who do not tag their animals (no collar no tags) and I am not going to get hit by a car to drag it off the road. I am also not going to swerve to miss an animal either. A few towns over a man swerved to miss a dog that was not leashed and the owners 50 yards away. His car ran off the road hit a tree and died, and the dog owner was charged with involuntary manslaughter. And yes he was found guilty because he did not have control of his dog. Leash laws are there for a reason.

Another thing to consider is if you do in fact find the owner (by knocking on doors or what have you) that they are not going to lash out at you. In the news a man was shot after he informed a dog owner that he had hit his dog. And a lady was beaten when she hit a cat as the owner watched. Where I live owners know that if you let your dog run free there is a chance that it will get hit by a car/truck/semi, and that is something they have to deal with. Is it sad, yes who wants to have a pet hit by a car?

Also in big towns if you stop you are holding up traffic and risking further accidents.

However, it is nice for you to stop but its not law and here its not advised.

NY is the only state that currently has a hit and run law that is specific to animals.

[imoan]

Jesus Christ woman... are you dead inside?! Seriously, you are even cuntier than *I* am!

[orly]

I guess so, but then again where we live there are to many strays and to many semi's. You can count up to 10-15 laying on the road on any given day. We do not have dog catchers or anything like that here. (small town)

[fussbucket]

Well ANYWAY, orly, it sounds like you don't think your local cops and their dispatch can't figure out the difference between an old lady smooshing Lassie and New Jack City, so..... the verdict on you is...

[dev22]

Jun 2, 2012 22:52:44 GMT -5 orly said:

I guess so, but then again where we live there are to many strays and to many semi's. You can count up to 10-15 laying on the road on any given day. We do not have dog catchers or anything like that here. (small town)

10-15 dogs dead on the road A DAY? WTF do you live?

OP, sorry you had to witness that - that would have left me shaken. I hope they could get that dog to the emergency vet, even if they can't save him/her, at least they can put it out of its misery

[motzie]

Jesus christ, bitching about leash laws when, in most places it's also the LAW to stop if you hit a dog or cat with your car. Just because an animal is off leash doesn't mean you can keep driving. And really, 10-15 dogs a day?!? I doubt that.

Poor puppy.

[orly]

Jun 2, 2012 23:06:50 GMT -5 dev22 said:

Jun 2, 2012 22:52:44 GMT -5 orly said:

I guess so, but then again where we live there are to many strays and to many semi's. You can count up to 10-15 laying on the road on any given day. We do not have dog catchers or anything like that here. (small town)

10-15 dogs dead on the road A DAY? WTF do you live?

OP, sorry you had to witness that - that would have left me shaken. I hope they could get that dog to the emergency vet, even if they can't save him/her, at least they can put it out of its misery

The middle of no where. Bascially in the middle of two intersecting highways. Lots of chicken farmers and cow fields. The hwy is 2 lane and a big portion of it has drop offs on one side or the other, with blind curves. This is why I would never stop for an animal. Back roads are mostly single lane (like only 1 car will fit). Our local PD (aka 2 car shop plus the chiefs suv) will tell you to not swerve for an animal. People in this county are the type of people to have guns in their back window of their vehicle.

[orly]

Jun 2, 2012 23:39:43 GMT -5 motzie said:

Jesus christ, bitching about leash laws when, in most places it's also the LAW to stop if you hit a dog or cat with your car. Just because an animal is off leash doesn't mean you can keep driving. And really, 10-15 dogs a day?!? I doubt that.

Poor puppy.

No it most places it is not LAW to stop if you hit a dog or a cat, and yes when you live out on a hwy, and lots of strays, with lots of semi's there are dead animals along side of the road.

If you want to get down to it, call your insurance and ask them what would happen if you hit an your next door neighbors dog and it left damage on your car. Your Insurance will tell you that the other person is responsible for your damages. Reason being is that they did not have control of their animal.

[maucat]

orly, why the fuck do you keep arguing this? Please kindly fuck off out of this thread, as you're probably only adding to OP's agita. And really, nobody gives a shit about arguing laws re: fault in this kind of thread.

Tarpon, I'm so sorry you had to witness that. I hope they were able to do something for that poor little yorkie.

[gbck]

You guys, she's right, it's not always illegal to act like an insensitive ass.
(insert eyeroll smiley here)

[BettyBookWorm]

[tmonoxide]

THe dog had a tag, somebody said -- and maybe this poor dog got out unbeknownst to the owner. Maybe his owner and a neighbor were at her door chatting it up and the dog made a run for it. I saw that myself awhile back as I was walking my dog; a big ole golden retriever got out the front door as his owner was talking away to a neighbor on her porch.

And the golden in question had no collar (some owners remove the collar when the dog or cat is in the home). He made a run for me and my dog, just being friendly. I'd have hated to see him get hit with a car -- it was another heavily travelled block.

Maybe there's a doggie door and no gate. Who knows? It amazes me what circumstances exist with dogs and their owners.

I see it all the time on that block, and the one next to it: dogs are loose -- and it's usually a small dog, like a tsih tsu or some little mixed breed mutt.

If this was a couple of hours earlier, I'd have tried for my vet -- he was, like I said, about 10 minutes from there, 5 if I stepped on it.

Dogs also get stolen. Anybody can scoop up a tiny dog and take it.

Entirely possible that the driver never saw the dog -- the dog might have darted out at the exact time that he'd have been out of view and the driver might have been in a larger, higher vehicle --- yeah, but how do you not know you hit an animal??? You know when you run over a damn plastic bottle or some other piece of debris!

[BettyBookWorm]

'I hope he makes it or if not-- can be euthanized humanely. Poor little bit.

[interro]

Poor pup orly....wtf, maybe this isn't the battle to pick.

[exploding people]

Poor puppy.

I live in the middle of the city and we stop for animals around here. Yesterday I was out and a bunch of geese and goslings decided to cross a street. People stopped and no one made a fuss. I have a hard time believing that it's so hard for people to stop "in the middle of nowhere."

[orly]

Jun 3, 2012 15:23:26 GMT -5 exploding people said:

Poor puppy.

I live in the middle of the city and we stop for animals around here. Yesterday I was out and a bunch of geese and goslings decided to cross a street. People stopped and no one made a fuss. I have a hard time believing that it's so hard for people to stop "in the middle of nowhere."

Your speed limit is prob not any more than 45-50mph, out here its 70 on a blind hwy. I am not going to slam on my breaks nor will I stop and risk causing a accident with another vehicle.

[exploding people]

Well, fine. I grew up in a rural area with a highway running through and we had a lot of problems with deer, so I get that it can't always be avoided. But your attitude is annoying. The end.

[tmonoxide]

I see it all the time in that area --- and there are speedbumps on that block. People drive through there like they're at Raceway Park.

The person who hit the dog had to slow down quite a clip and then resume speed -- it takes a little while. (this is Union City NJ and it's very densely populated and it's an area full of shoppers, plus a full municipal lot of people who are on the next block attending Saturday Mass.)

I had to move my car; I was parked illegally. And sheesh... how about letting a person get to her car?! are all of you in so much of a freaking hurry to get out of that block? Nobody cares. No wonder that poor doggie got hit.

[Deleted]

How sad, I hope the pup is okay.

[interro]

Jun 3, 2012 21:16:24 GMT -5 exploding people said:

Well, fine. I grew up in a rural area with a highway running through and we had a lot of problems with deer, so I get that it can't always be avoided. But your attitude is annoying. The end.

Seriously.

[ridesbuttons]

Call the cops for a hit dog?

It's sad but it's hardly criminal.

And cruel or not, in a situation like this, the safest course of action is to not sweve for an animal of that size.

Very sad for owner and pet and witnesses though.

[kellbell191]

Where I am it is hit and run to damage property and leave the scene of the accident. A dog is personal property here. Not saying I'd win, but I could sure argue that to a judge and my officers sure as hell know they could charge it and I would fight for it!