To think I wasn’t in the wrong.

[CD41]

Today I popped out to buy some essentials. Driving along a normally busyish road going under 30 which is the speed limit there.

All of a sudden a dog ran out at full speed in front of my car. It just ran out in front and it didn’t stop. If I was going a tiny bit faster I would have hit it most definitely. It ran out from an enclosed pathway and there’s no way I could have seen it before I did. I stopped at this point shook up more than anything. The dog didn’t seem to notice it was nearly hit and just carried on.

So. I’m a bit shook up. Been driving for 10 years and never came close to hitting an animal or anything. I am an animal lover and would be devastated if it hit it.

I know dogs run off etc.

So I decided to wait around for the owner to see where she was to let her Know what just happened. She was walking on behind it seemed. When she finally caught up (she wasn’t running after it just casually strolling behind) I calmly told her that I nearly hit her dog and dog should be on lead near the road. She said he always walked off the lead as he needed the proper exercise and on this occasion he had got spooked by another dog and ran off. I told her that if he gets spooked by other dogs he should definitely be on a lead and why wasn’t she making an effort to run after him. She was walking on behind.

I told her I would be devastated if I had hit him and please use a lead.

She started calling me c**t swearing at me her body language aggressive. If it wasn’t for social distancing I reckon she would have come closer to my car.

I was pretty calm. I’ve never had a row with a random member of the public before but it was vile the way she was speaking to me. So I told her a cow and to fuck off and drove off!

Aibu to think

1. Dogs should be on lead near roads particularly if they have the tendency to run off. She admitted herself he was very fast.

1. I was right to hang around and let her know her dog nearly got ran over?

I have anxiety and now my brain is telling me maybe it was my fault maybe I should have drove off and not spoke to the dog owner!

I hate arguing with people and I make up these little scenarios in my head and that she may find out who I am or something! It’s a small area she probably could find out who I am. I’ve never seen her before.

Of course it should be in a lead.
She is very lucky, around here some people are driving like maniacs and not sticking to the speed limits.

You did nothing wrong.

People don’t like being told they’re in the wrong, so she was probably feeling guilty and expressed her guilt as anger. She was a twat.

You were not in the wrong. She was probably feeling guilty and verbally attacked you because of that. Some people are just horrible.

The dog should be on a lead at the best of times, unless the owner is very close and the dog is well trained and under control.
With social distancing, etc, it should be on a lead on/near pavements and roads - or anywhere where it needs to remain socially distanced.

The incident itself, and the batshit owners' explosion must have been really unpleasant, I hope that you're feeling calmer now - you weren't in the wrong.

I feel sorry for the dog too, that he does not have a caring and responsible owner - well done for sticking around to let her know.

You were absolutely not in the wrong. I'm not a dog owner and even I know that dogs should be on a lead when near a road.

Please try to let it wash over you

I probably wouldn't have bothered waiting around for the owner tbh. She sounds the type that won't listen to reason until she gets a large vet bill or worse, the dog gets killed.

Irresponsible dog owners boil my piss.

At the moment, dogs should be on short leads in public places full stop as far as I am concerned, but definitely alongside roads.

You did nothing at all wrong OP, it's just another of those cases where people know they're at fault, get defensive and start swearing instead of apologising as a pp said.

If i started running after my dog he would bolt.

Thanks all. I’m not usually the type to stick around and say something. In fact I’m usually the opposite but I’ve never nearly hit a dog before. I was shook up. I can’t help think if I was going a bit faster what would have happened to the dog. Even hitting at the speed i was doing wouldn’t have been great.

This was definitely not your fault. The owner should have kept her dog on a leash, it's not like she was walking in remote countryside. We all know the most docile of animals can be spooked. Her outburst at you was terrible, it always shocks me that people resort to vile language when they cannot find the right words. Had I been in her position I would have been trying to reassure you and said that I would keep my dog on a lead in future.

However, CD41, it is over now. Near misses frequently happen, I'm just glad, as are you, that the poor dog was not hit. You encountered an extremely vulgar woman (who may now regret her outburst, we'll never know), hopefully nothing like that will occur again.

Bloody dogs off leads. What's the point of social distancing when some strangers dog comes and slobbers all over you or nicks your kids ball as has happened a few times recently in our local parks.

This is one of the major differences in law between dogs and cats. Dogs are supposed to be under control and if a dog causes an accident, the owner can (at least in theory) held to account. This is the reason drivers are obliged to notify Police if they hit a dog.

Cats can do what they like and are therefore not considered as the potential cause of a crash - the quid pro quo for their free roaming is there is no requirement to inform Police if a cat is hit.

You are definitely not being unreasonable. At the moment we are keeping our dogs on leads all the time, as although we largely walk through fields the public footpaths are busier than usual and I wouldn’t want them running up to people to say hello. Regardless of current times, whenever we are in the village or on a path by the road, the dogs are always kept on lead, it just isn’t safe for them to not be as there is so much that could make a dog bolt.

Stupid woman (her not you!) - ok let's say the dog ran off cos it was spooked there was no reason for her to talk to you like that. You did the right thing OP xx