Freaking IRRRESPONSIBLE LOSERS!!!

Don't really like dogs at all myself, I'm more of a cat person

That said, I don't want to hit anything in my car. I routinely slow down to avoid the stupid squirrels that seem to love to dash out in front of the car. I always yell at them to keep off the road

Dave.

 

Wow, so sorry to hear this Wolfman. It's good to hear that it wasn't as bad as it could've been, but still not a good situation.

My sister and her husband used to be one of these idiots you talk about - they were planning on getting one of those electric fences for their dog, just didn't have the money after building the new house. Plus, the live on the highest point on a mountain where there is never traffic except those who live around them.

Well, as you can guess, a teenager was flying home in his truck and hit their dog. They had to put thousands of $$ into surgeries for him, and even then, he still didn't make it.

It's been close to a year since that happened, and they just recently got a new puppy, as hard as it was for them to do so. They've learned though, they put up a real fence and make sure he's contained at all costs.

Unfortunately, many pet owners don't share quite the connection I believe you probably have with your pets - probably more like your kids (that's how I feel about my cats). Of course, many people who have kids don't quite understand the responsibility that comes with them, either - but at least the kids can speak up, animals don't have that luxury. Sorry to hear about your accident, just be thankful and glad neither of you were damaged too bad (I assume the car is ok, too?), and make sure to give your doggies an extra treat and an extra big hug to remind them how loved they are.

-m.

 

Useless information: in Mexico it is extremely common for people to keep their dogs on the roof.

 

That's an awful thing to happen, but I'm so glad it worked out okay! (At least for the time being - hopefully they learned their lesson.)

I remember my first (and only, knock on wood) animal impact - I was 15, with my learner's permit, in my dad's van (with my dad). Two lane road, traffic coming, traffic behind. The dog was in the yard with the husband, the woman was in her car in the oncoming lane, waiting to turn into her driveway. It's a lovely summer day along the river, so we have the windows down. It's a 20 MPH zone (thank God) so I have time to hear her yell from the car to her husband "Why's the dog off the leash?!" Yeah, good call lady. Dog bolts toward Mama, directly under my tire. I pulled off the road, he got up and limped away, the couple apologized to my dad for the trauma (I was sobbing too hard to move) and I assume the dog is fine. I, on the other hand, wouldn't drive for weeks.

Lesson? People care, but they're not all that smart.

 

Truer words were never spoken! - And they apply to nearly everything we do in life.

 

Reminds me of a situation I was involved in about 4 years ago. I was on my bicycle. The dog ran out to chase me. I bicycled as fast as I could, and for some reason ended up veering to the left side of the road. An oncoming car hit the dog. I heard the sound and turned back to see the dog knocked out and lying on the road. Obviously I had very mixed feelings about the whole situation.

 

As an avid dog lover and owner, I take great care to be sure both of my dogs are contained in the yard when I'm not around, and that they've been trained since they were pups to learn the rules and make it part of their very nature. Fortunately, for those rare times when the gate didn't quite latch shut or the door was slightly ajar, they've never ventured more than a foot or two beyond the invisible line.

I also STRONGLY recommend pet health insurance for those of you who don't know about it or wonder how you would afford the vet bill if something happened. I pay $300/yr per dog for health insurance and their plan's better than mine! They have coverage for emergency treatments, hospitals, regular doctor's office visits, discounted meds, and coverage for all their regular shots. Most of all, I have peace of mind that I'll never have to decide whether or not needed care is too expensive...

 

Wolfman, you didn't mention the reaction of the dog owners. What was their reaction to this incident?

 

Well, as a guy who rescues Golden Retrievers (http://www.homewardboundgoldens.org/index.htm ) and who was very overworked… I am taking a some time off because I got to the point where I wanted to euthanasia all of the owners and keep all of the dogs!

Having said the above I will never forget the crash scene where a guy drove a van (and his entire family) off a cliff to avoid a squirrel.

I suggest that you think about the above and find a balance that is right for you…

 

speaking of dogs on the loose. When I got home last night I stopped at the mailbox. When I stepped out of my truck I looked down to see a Mini Schnauser standing next to my door. No tags, nothing. I understand we are in a gated community and the animals can't get that far. That being said, if I had hit that little dog, he would not have had a chance. People are so stupid when it comes to the care of their animals. Grrrrrrr...

:evil:

 

Darn, good thing the dog came out of it (almost) unurt, Wolfman.

I have never hit an animal with my car, apart from a pigeon. And once a small dog, luckily for the dog it was in a 30 km/h zone where I never drive more than 20 km/h because of children playing and that sort of thing. The owner of the dog wasn't paying attention and had let the dog wander off. It's against the law to have a dog unleashed within the town limits over here BTW.

Luckily the dog only suffered a small head wound, because I could break in time. I think I was more upset about it than the owner.

Grrr. I hate those people. Have a dog, or any pet, comes with repsonsibility. If you're not up to take that, don't take a pet.

 

Another Mexico story:

Not far from my apartment was a house with a tiny fenced-in front yard. It was paved, and just big enough to park a car in, if they had had a car. Really just a driveway, the length of a car, with bars around it to keep thieves out. They kept a very large black dog there. Much too small a space. No room to run at all.

The dog barked furiously and jumped at the fence every time anyone passed, which was more or less constantly. But on the rare occasions when the gate was open the dog would stand quietly on the sidewalk and sniff the passersby without so much as showing a tooth.

 

Wow! It must have had a law degree.

:mrgreen: