I was walking my dog around 5pm tonight when this cute little terrier started following us. I wasn't sure who he belonged to or where we came from but he would not turn around and go back the other direction. He was very friendly and would come up to me but quickly dart away when I tried to read his dog tags. This continued for several blocks.
Anyway, as were approaching the main road that goes through the subdivision, I was finally able to get a phone number off his tags. As I was on my cell phone leaving a message for the owner the dog pulled away and ran right out into the street and was hit by a car. The driver wasn't speeding or anything but the way the dog came from the side, I don't think she even saw him until it was too late. I was only a few feet away but there was nothing I could do to stop it. It was horrible...like everything was moving in slow motion.
The worst part about this was the message I left...I was basically saying my name and that I hoped they got the message soon as I wanted to make sure the dog got home okay and then without thinking I say: "OMG, he just got hit by a car!". It's like I completely forgot I was on the phone and I feel so bad, like I made the owners a witness to it or something.
The poor thing died almost immediately and the two girls in the vehicle that hit him were just devastated. I called 911 because I really didn't know what else to do. They asked me a few questions about the incident and I gave them the phone number that was on the dog tag. They gave me the name of a vet that handles emergencies like this, but I felt 99.9% sure it was too late.
Another one of my neighbors came up to help and we carried him from the road to the grass. At this time someone said they thought they knew who the owner was and ran off towards their house. It was just a minute or two until the owner drove up and ran over to the dog. He was crying (as were most of us). He carefully picked up his dog and left. I still can't believe this happened.
I have gone over it in my head time and time again and think about the things I could have done differently...maybe I should have turned around and walked him back towards the area he first started following us but it was raining and I was trying to get home, or maybe I should have just picked him up and carried him back to my house. I just feel so badly for the owners. I did call the phone number back and left another message that I was terribly sorry about what happened and the way I handled the previous call.
I just can't seem to quit thinking about this and I know it probably doesn't belong on this board, but so many of us are animal lovers and I just wanted to remind everyone to keep their doors shut and the gate closed as tragedies like this can happen in an instant.
Also, make sure the contact information on your pet's tags are up to date. This poor little dog didn't have an address on his tag and the phone number was a different area code than the city we live in. It was just coincidence that someone walking by recognized the dog.
