Dog found knocked over

[irenewilde 10]

Because you know for sure the driver couldn't possibly had something more urgent to attend to?

 

It's the law that says he/she should stop. It's not a choice for him/her.

[gnvqsos 10]

It is very early for a dog to be running free.I hope the driver reports it and offers an explanation.I similarly hope the owner will explain why the dog was running loose so early in the morning.

 

---------- Post added 21-03-2013 at 22:30 ----------

 

It's the law that says he/she should stop. It's not a choice for him/her.

 

Unless he chooses not to stop or did not realise he had hit a dog.I have never hit a dog so do not know if a collision is obvious,or whether it can be confused with some other impact.

[nikki-red 308]

It's the law that says he/she should stop. It's not a choice for him/her.

 

 

Is it actually the law that they have to stop, or just that they have to report it?

 

Ive been googling it, but cant find anything definitive (maybe Im just looking in the wrong places)

Edited March 21, 2013 by nikki-red

[gnvqsos 10]

Is it actually the law that they have to stop, or just that they have to report it?

 

Ive been googling it, but cant find anything definitive (maybe Im just looking in the wrong places)

 

i am sure it must be reported,but why should a person be obliged to stop in what may be a strange area?How long must they stop and what purpose does this serve?

[hels1977 10]

i am sure it must be reported,but why should a person be obliged to stop in what may be a strange area?How long must they stop and what purpose does this serve?

 

Because it's the law. Simply put.

[nexusdee 10]

It's the law they have to be reported not that they have to stop. My friend once hit a dog when she was driving, she too had to deal with people like you who thought they knew everything and had the right to judge her & worse (her car windows were mysteriously smashed in). What these witch hunters didnt care about was that the reason she didnt stop was because she was on her way to hospital because her son had just been involved in an accident & died 10 mins after she got there. So you tell me that she should have missed the final 10 mins of her sons life, have her son die alone because spending time with a dying dog is more important then he was? No none of you know why the driver stop, neither does it seem that you care just like the ones who made a grieving mum's life hell.

 

That is one extreme reason why a driver couldn't stop, there are many other not so extreme reasons why a person is unable to stop so before you become judge & jury at least get some information first, otherwise how would you feel if this person you are condemning had another more important emergency he needed to get to ?

[Cyclone 10]

It's sad but of course if you look at it another way it's irresponsible of the owner to let it escape or run around off the lead on a road - if it had attacked somebody rather than got run over I'm sure we'd be hearing more about this aspect.

 

It's not just sad, it's illegal to hit a dog and not to report it to the police. (It could have been reported without staying at the scene I suppose).

[spotty dog 10]

It's the law they have to be reported not that they have to stop. My friend once hit a dog when she was driving, she too had to deal with people like you who thought they knew everything and had the right to judge her & worse (her car windows were mysteriously smashed in). What these witch hunters didnt care about was that the reason she didnt stop was because she was on her way to hospital because her son had just been involved in an accident & died 10 mins after she got there. So you tell me that she should have missed the final 10 mins of her sons life, have her son die alone because spending time with a dying dog is more important then he was? No none of you know why the driver stop, neither does it seem that you care just like the ones who made a grieving mum's life hell.

 

That is one extreme reason why a driver couldn't stop, there are many other not so extreme reasons why a person is unable to stop so before you become judge & jury at least get some information first, otherwise how would you feel if this person you are condemning had another more important emergency he needed to get to ?

Sounds like your friend shouldn't of been driving if she was in that state,obviously not concentrating on the road ahead if she managed to knock over a dog in her haste...what if that had been a child she had hit?

Sorry to hear the news & tragic circumstances though.

[nexusdee 10]

Sounds like your friend shouldn't of been driving if she was in that state,obviously not concentrating on the road ahead if she managed to knock over a dog in her haste...what if that had been a child she had hit?

Sorry to hear the news & tragic circumstances though.

 

Thanks spotty dog. I was with her at the time (I actually phoned the police when we got to the hospital - was the days before mobile phones) she wasnt driving erratically & wasn't speeding. her driving was also the only way of getting to the hospital. the dog ran out between 2 parked cars right in front if us, there was no way hitting the dog could have been avoided. We knew who the owners were & I was the one who went to see them & apologise & they accepted that it wasnt her fault & understood why we couldn't stop, unfortunately that didnt stop the lynching party who thought they knew everything & were judge & executioner.

 

I'm not saying that there was any emergency (no-one even knows whether the person did or didn't contact the police) & he could easily be the heartless uncaring scum he is being accused off, but I just think its better the get a few facts before making judgement

[hels1977 10]

Thanks spotty dog. I was with her at the time (I actually phoned the police when we got to the hospital - was the days before mobile phones) she wasnt driving erratically & wasn't speeding. her driving was also the only way of getting to the hospital. the dog ran out between 2 parked cars right in front if us, there was no way hitting the dog could have been avoided. We knew who the owners were & I was the one who went to see them & apologise & they accepted that it wasnt her fault & understood why we couldn't stop, unfortunately that didnt stop the lynching party who thought they knew everything & were judge & executioner.

 

I'm not saying that there was any emergency (no-one even knows whether the person did or didn't contact the police) & he could easily be the heartless uncaring scum he is being accused off, but I just think its better the get a few facts before making judgement

 

You efforts of being devil's advocate are admirable. That is a very sad story about your friend. However it is also a very marginal case. I could also argue that your friend should not have been driving in that state but of course - we're all human and we'd all do it wouldn't we?

 

Having just read the relevant laws, the person who hit the dog (which was initially still alive I might add) can also be done for animal cruelty because they drove off. They do have 24 hours to report it yes, but let's be honest, unless you are on your way to a sick / dying relative in hospital there is actually no excuse not to stop. It would have taken 10 minutes to call the police and report it. Less in fact.

 

If you read back on my earlier posts I have made the point that the owner is also very much at fault and yes the dog probably did run out and the accident probably was unavoidable! Still not an excuse mind you.

 

I just hope if the person hits a child or something they aren't allergic to them, panic, flip out and drive off because I'm pretty sure people are generally more passionate about their offspring than canines as a rule.

[nexusdee 10]

Unfortunately because she didnt live in a town centre the buses ran on a hourly basis & would have taken a hour at least to get there, no taxis would come out to her so her only option was to drive, at the time we didn't know the seriousness just that he had been in an accident. (Which due to the sport he played hospital trips werent unknown & that is what she believed it to be) I was with her & I can guarantee you she was not speeding & there was no possible way she could have avoided the dog.

 

But I will apologise, the abuse that a driver gets for injuring or killing an animal without the facts being bothered with is an extremely sore point. My friend couldn't cope with not only losing her son but also the hate campaign that followed. Only when it was too late did anyone even bother wondering if there was a reason for her not stopping. Although the replies have further endorsed what I was saying - many if you said she shouldn't have been driving - you each have decided that the accident was caused by the distress that she was in & not at the fault if the animal & have also come to the conclusion that she had a choice. If she didnt drive there herself she wouldn't have got there until a few hours later.

Edited March 22, 2013 by nexusdee

[hels1977 10]

Your story is desperately sad and as I said - we'd all jump in the car without a second thought. Well, I would anyhow. I can totally understand where you are coming from - we're all human and far from perfect. And the dog should never have been there, sadly accidents do happen.

 

I think as it's a pet forum, most people are painfully aware that if someone hits a dog (that is almost certainly unavoidable), the chances of them being in a situation such as your friend are unbelievably small and thus the driver probably should be caught up with by the appropriate authorities to explain themselves if he has not yet reported it. As should the owner - if the poor creature was even chipped. Most people would have stopped, even if they freaked out initially he didn't. Most of us don't know how we'd react in that situation - I think a good portion of us would panic but probably not drive off. So yes I am still seething. However I'm not about to take the law into my own hands and start a hate campaign! I've been very rational in all my posts - that's what we have the law for.