Hit and run

[WaitWhatOh]

One of my dogs was killed by a car this evening. (Saturday evening I mean, haven’t slept I’m still awake) she was not yet two and my constant companion. It was dark, she was dark, and the car doing about 60 no doubt didn’t see her. She was in the hedge on our drive and somehow pushed through onto the road. As ever on the scent of something. Being pitch black I was stood in the doorway thinking she was rustling in the hedge, no clue you could even get through it.
Most horrific bang which will not stop playing in my head.
I can’t even begin to sleep. Ive settled the kids, dh is asleep after being upset. I’m sat with our other dog feeling, well, devastated.
My head is full of stupid questions - can I bury her? She’s a pointer. Are vets even open on sundays for cremation options? Who hit her? Why didn’t they stop? Have they damaged their car? Why didn’t I get her in before she got through the hedge? Do we have to report it to the police?

[MaitlandGirl]

I’m so sorry.

Yes, you can absolutely bury her or (if you’d rather) call a pet cremation service in the morning and they’ll arrange for you to bring her in, or come collect her.

If you want to bury her then you need to dig a deep hole (as close to 6ft as you can) which may not be possible with some soil. We certainly can’t do anything like that here as were on a really rocky block.

If you haven’t already let your other dog see her, it helps to reduce the anxiety of “where’s my friend?” over the next few days.

As for why the car didn’t stop - I’ve no idea. Certainly it’s the law that they should but a lot of people don’t.

[Jammydodgerdunker]

So sorry what a awful thing to witness, at that speed I expect she didn't suffer.

Its worrying the driver didn't stop to check what they'd hit and the dog owner is liable for any damage caused if loose on highway (what the 3rd party liability pet insurance covers).

I also prefer my remaining dogs to see their friends body too, they've usually had a sniff & then shown little interest just going back to usual behavior maybe a bit subdued by change in the following days but not looking for them.

Hole digging would've been hard work on our ground but i also didn't like idea that we may move in future & the grave be disturbed. Instead chose a local crematorium & dropped our dog off. They had option of spending bit of time with dog in a homely room to say goodbye after we'd done the paperwork & chosen options. The ashes were ready to collect following day, they took a paw print & little jar of fur which was a nice touch.
Some vets are open Sundays (vets4pets/ companion care do) or may have staff in & be OK to store for their cremation collection service.

I've had to say goodbye to a couple of dogs now and part of the grief process is all those 'what if' thoughts, even when you couldn't have possibly known or done anything different so please be kind to yourself

[WaitWhatOh]

Thank you.
I’m a bit of a wreck after no sleep. Feel so sick.
I’ll look at ouT our insurance then incase the car turns up.
They hit her hard enough to throw her into the air and across the other side of the road. So they knew they’d hit something.
My poor baby girl.

[GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman]

I'm so sorry. Pointers are such lovely affectionate dogs. If she was hit that hard, it would have been instantaneous.

You can bury a pet on your own land. And yes, you should be able to find a vet on a Sunday - many vets do out of hours and should be able to advise about cremation. [Flowers]

[Alwaysgrey]

I’m so sorry. How awful they didn’t stop. I would also show her body to your other dog so they don’t keep looking for her. So sorry for your loss.

[tabulahrasa]

They’re not likely to come back to claim for damage - hitting a dog is reportable, so driving off is in the same category legally as leaving a traffic collision without reporting it.

Not that that helps hugely with the loss of your dog, but one less thing to worry about

[Catsrus]

I don't want to upset you further OP, what happened was horrific, but it happened to someone I know and the car owner DID come to them for compensation once they realised the cost of the damage to the car. They refused to pay and the car owner eventually went away, but it wasn't fun to deal with.

Your third party insurance should cover it. I would check your policy, inform the police and get a crime number and inform your insurer.

[WaitWhatOh]

I have reported it the police say the driver is in much more trouble for driving off. However I have no registration so they can’t do anything. They assured me I’m not the bad guy here. My insurance papers say third party coverage so I’ll call them Monday.
I showed my other dog the body and have taken the dog to the vets.
I have messages from all over the world sending love -they knew her from Instagram madly enough- and that helps. Utterly lost without my shadow. Thank you for your help.

[DullPortraits]

[Floralnomad]

Sorry for your loss but the driver probably thought he’d hit a fox or badger and lots of people wouldn’t stop , I doubt he / she realised it was a dog as you don’t expect a dog to be in the road in the dark .

[loulou20106]

I'm so sorry we lost our cat last night and it just feels shit I keep expecting to see her, we also are thinking of cremation but will most likely bury her. The only thing I can take away from this is how lucky she was to be so loved when there are so many cruelly treated animals in this world

[katmunchkin]

OP I think I've seen your post on the Facebook GSP page (pointer owner here too). So very sorry, she was a beautiful girl 💕. They are the most amazing breed who make it very obvious when they love their owners - I'm sure she had a great life with you 💕💕

[WaitWhatOh]

@katmunchkin yes you probably did.
I’m finding it very weird with just one dog and not two. The missing one being the one who never left my side and bounced everywhere. I’ve found a cherry tree with the same name as her so when her ashes come home I’ll bury her under that. Utterly surreal but there we go. Hugs to your pointer ❤️

[Imonaplane]

So sorry for your tragic loss. GSP owner here too. I have commented on your Facebook post. It's absolutely heartbreaking to lose such a huge part of your family. 💔

[Teacakeandalatte]

So sorry to hear about your doggy.