Hit someones dog with my car last night...

[bignateyk]

I was driving home from a friends house around 11:30 last night through some neighborhoods, and I ran over someones dog.

It was a medium sized black dog standing in the middle of the street, and I didn't see it until the last second (Poorly lit streets combined with black dog and asphalt FTL)

Anyway, I knocked on a couple doors until I found who owned it and we went out and loaded her up onto a board so they could rush her to an emergency vet. The dog was still alive (she could still move her head and she was licking me) She wasn't moving any other part of her body though and there was some blood around her.

I was fearing the worst though in a broken back or internal bleeding or something since I ran over her pretty solid.

I called the guy this morning and got some good news though. The dog seems to be ok. Dislocated hip, and a possible broken shoulder.

I felt terrible standing there last night while his two kids watched us load their dog up into the car though. I really thought they were going to have to put it down.

The guy was really understanding though, and told me there was nothing that I could have done (there really wasn't), and he took all the blame for it for letting it out at night without a leash.

 

[SmoochyTX]

Glad the dog's going to be OK. Was your car hurt?

 

[E equals MC2]

Originally posted by: bignateyk
The guy was really understanding though, and told me there was nothing that I could have done (there really wasn't), and he took all the blame for it for letting it out at night without a leash.

Well then. Have a beer. :beer:

 

[mugs]

WTF, does he just let the dog run around the neighborhood?

 

[her209]

What kind of dog owner lets their dog(s) run wild in the street?

 

[Platypus]

:thumbsup:

that's way more than a lot of people would do and you probably saved its life by acting quickly and not letting the dog lay in the middle of the road.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

That sucks... glad the dog was OK. I nailed a dog once, but it was way up a canyon road with no people for miles. Don't know where the heck the dog came from but it was a smaller dog that darted out from some brush into the path of my car. I was in my Miata at the time, and being so low to the ground the bumper hit the dog square on, and next thing I knew, I saw the dog sliding across the pavement in my rearview. Sometimes you just can't avoid it... the dog in my case did not fare so well.

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: her209
What kind of dog owner lets their dog(s) run wild in the street?

He was just letting it out to take a piss before he went to bed. To be fair, I do the same thing with my dog. He just walks out into the yard, takes a piss, then comes back.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Sucks when pet owners are so irresponsible with their pets. But, black dog standing on a dark street at night .... that's just asking to get hit.

At least you did the right thing though. Woulda been a lot worse for the family if they went out to see their beloved pet as road kill in the morning.

 

[ryan256]

Glad to hear the guy was understanding and willing to admit part of the responsibility was his. Uncommon with people today.

 

[m1ldslide1]

Good for you stopping and trying to find the owner. It sucks knocking on doors at 11:30, and you did the right thing for that family. I hope they thanked you.

:thumbsup:

 

[Lamont Burns]

:thumbsup: for good resolution

 

[bignateyk]

Originally posted by: LAMONTBURNS
:thumbsup: for good resolution

yeah. I really thought it was gonna die. I hit it going probably about 15 mph and ran over it with both right tires. I guess it's just lucky there was no head injury at all. Either way, seems pretty remarkable to come out of getting run over like that with such minor injuries.

The way the dog was just laying in the middle of the road not moving in a small pool of blood, I though it was a goner.

Although I guess if I was driving something bigger than a corolla, it might have done more damage.

 

[Nitemare]

It's nice that you stopped, most asshats would have kept on going

 

[wheresmybacon]

Props to you for tracking down the owner. :thumbsup: :beer: Glad to hear the doggie's gonna be OK.

 

[imported_Lothar]

If the dog owner decided to take you to court to pay for the dog's $5000 vet bill because you ran over it, does the defender have a credible chance of winning the case by claiming the dog wasn't on a leash?

Who would win?

 

[thedarkwolf]

Originally posted by: Lothar
If the dog owner decided to take you to court to pay for the dog's $5000 vet bill because you ran over it, does the defender have a credible chance of winning the case by claiming the dog wasn't on a leash?

Who would win?

The driver and he could turn around a sue for damage to his car.

 

[Dacalo]

Refreshing conclusion amidst sue happy world.

 

[RiverDog]

Glad you're conserned about the dog. Most would not have cared. :beer:

 

[Kelemvor]

And that is why we had a fence put around our yard.

At least he was big enough to take responsibility for letting th dog out without a leash and didn't start blaming you...

 

[Mermaidman]

I'm glad the dog is recovering. Last week, a car in front of us hit a big dog. Both cars stopped, but the dog limped off into the woods. Stupid dog; stupider owner.

 

[ArmchairAthlete]

Knocking on all those doors to find out who owned the dog was a great way to handle it... I bet many wouldn't have done the same for the dog.

Here's to a recovery for the pup!

 

[child of wonder]

Almost the exact same thing happened to me 10 years ago.

However, this was during the day. The owner had let them dog out of it's kennel and it immediately ran into the street because someone was walking their dog on the opposite sidewalk. The dog ended up having to be put down. I was there with the owner at the vet clinic and watched him cry because this dog was their family's second -- the first had also been hit by a car.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Good for you. The last time I hit a dog it was on the highway. It wasn't a pretty sight. When I got out and look behind the truck I thought I just got out of a Gallagher show.

 

[jpeyton]

You didn't hit it hard enough, I see.