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The doghouse

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Original poster

DH accidentally knocked over dog

53 replies

Soontobe60 · 26/03/2021 08:03

My DH was driving home from work a couple of days ago when he felt something hit his car. He saw a man at the side of the road with a big fishing net shouting, so he stopped the car as he believed the man had thrown something at it. He shouted at the man asking if he’d thrown something at the car. The man said it was a dog but not his dog. DH hadn’t seen a dog and there wasn’t one anywhere nearby, not were there any marks on the car, so he just assumed the man was a bit odd and had in fact thrown something at his car. He hung around a bit then drove home. When he told me about it he was still convinced the man had been lying about there being a dog.
Last night I was on FB local page and saw a post about a puppy that had been hit by a car. So it seems that DH did hit a dog after all! The pup was on a walk along the canal off lead, got spooked by a bigger dog and ran off. It then ran straight across the road (a bridge over the canal) and into the side of DHs car, and continued running to its house which is down a side street. It was found eventually by its owners and sadly died.
DH is absolutely devastated that he’s killed a pup. He’s attempted to contact the police and eventually spoken to them this morning. They didn’t seem concerned but said if he wants he can go to the local station to make a report, which he will do as soon as it’s open.
The post on FB is really upsetting as it’s saying the usual stuff like ‘hang the bastard’ etc. I feel really bad for him because he genuinely didn’t know he’d hit anything, he stopped and saw nothing, no dog, no owners and there were no marks on his car. He’s a real dog lover and is so upset at this pup dying. He doesn’t know who the owners are as the post is anonymous, but would like to try to contact them. I feel that if he does this via FB he’s just going to get a load of abuse online. I’m not sure how else he could contact them.

OP posts:
Crappyfridays7 · 26/03/2021 09:03

I hit a dog on the school run once, luckily wasn’t going fast, the dog came running out in front of me from woods at the side of the road. I pulled over and stopped the owner apologised to me, I had my baby in car and 5 year old & pregnant so was pretty shaken then the dog bit me, it was in pain and frightened so I don’t blame it but was a horrible day. It is a testament to making sure your dog has solid recall before allowing them to run near roads or anywhere really as they could cause a serious accident. Sad as it is your DH did nothing wrong, he stopped & checked.

Tigerchips · 26/03/2021 09:13

It's the owners fault. He's spoken to the police. Just completely ignore it.

No point fessing up. Hang the bastard indeed, hang the internet bullies more like and take some fucking responsibility for having dogs on leads!!

Iwantacookie · 26/03/2021 09:13

Oh op I really feel for you. I hit a cat once. It just ran out into the road. I stopped and me and a couple of passersby had a look around but it was dark and we couldnt see anything. I did post on the local Facebook group but didnt hear anything so I hope everything was ok. Awful feeling though can really sympathize.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 26/03/2021 09:18

He shouldn't confess on social media - local sites will just blow the whole thing out of proportion and he'll be called an animal killer and all sorts worse.

Going to the police is absolutely the right thing to do as you're supposed to stop if you hit a dog (which he did) and report it. He's done all the right things.

It must be horrendous (I feel bad enough when I hit rabbits) but there was nothing he could have done. Dogs should be on leads near roads.

Soubriquet · 26/03/2021 09:28

My dog was once hit by a car

We were walking along the river bank and she suddenly bolted and ran all the way to the road side before legging it across the road

She was clipped by the car and the man immediately got out

I could tell he was devastated so I didn’t hold it against him at all.

She luckily was ok and had ran home. The man followed me all the way home to check she was ok, and I appreciated that

Unfortunately, these things happen and if the dog had nothing visible on him, it’s no wonder your dh didn’t see the dog

CrotchetyQuaver · 26/03/2021 09:30

I'm so sorry your DH feels like this. Unfortunately wrong place wrong time. The puppy was not sufficiently trained to have been off the lead in the first place.

Dontstepinthecowpat · 26/03/2021 09:36

My dog was hit by a van last year, I parked in the drive and opened the boot like I always do and she always goes straight into the garden but this day she just ran right into the road and was hit by a van. The van driver stopped, looked back saw the dog on the road and me with her then ran off. I was devastated that he didn’t stop but completely aware it was my fault. It broke the mud guard off his van. Dog was okay thank goodness but I still sometimes flinch when I think of the sound.

Hope your DH is okay, it’s very sad but it was an accident.

ekidmxcl · 26/03/2021 09:36

That was an accident and your dh has done nothing wrong.

When he speaks to the police, he ought to mention the craziness going on online IMO. Police could then put out a tweet saying something to the effect of the driver acted lawfully in this accident and it was not a hit and run. But your dh should stay away from social media and you should avoid commenting. Do not consider contacting the owner. People are lunatics online. Keyboard warriors and sometimes this translates into action.

en0la · 26/03/2021 09:37

It sounds very odd that it could run into a car, sustain injuries enough to kill it but carry on running and be found dead somewhere else. I smell a rat. Puppies are small and cars are big lumps of metal after all.

en0la · 26/03/2021 09:40

@en0la

It sounds very odd that it could run into a car, sustain injuries enough to kill it but carry on running and be found dead somewhere else. I smell a rat. Puppies are small and cars are big lumps of metal after all.
As in smell a rat with the social media post not OP.
IdblowJonSnow · 26/03/2021 09:40

I would absolutely steer clear of social media. People posting things like that could make your lives a misery.

It's a horrible thing, but your DH has done nothing wrong.

Okbussitout · 26/03/2021 09:42

Sorry I don't understand how you can knock over and kill a puppy but then just drive off because yiu think it was something that hit your car. Where was this dead or dying do as your husband waited and interacted with the man?

Surely if it was dying or dead it can't have gone far? So that's what I'm confused about. The fact it's news to him from Facebook, how did he not know at the time.

People are assuming the dog ran out into the road and it was therefor the owners fault. But you don't say this. What type of road was it?

Just feeling like it's not making sense to me.

ivfbeenbusy · 26/03/2021 09:43

@en0la

It sounds very odd that it could run into a car, sustain injuries enough to kill it but carry on running and be found dead somewhere else. I smell a rat. Puppies are small and cars are big lumps of metal after all.

It's pretty normal for an animal to run off when it's been injured - they don't hang around the scene waiting for an ambulance!

Okbussitout · 26/03/2021 09:44

Sorry also meant to say how does he know it was definitely him who hit the puppy? Just feel like it's not making much sense.

CovidCorvid · 26/03/2021 09:46

I’ve seen a cat get hit by a car and carry on running home, cat later died from internal injuries. So it’s perfectly possible it happened.

Agree with everyone else that it’s not your dh’s fault. People on social media will not know the whole story and assume the worst....that your dh just drove off leaving a dying dog in the road, etc.

Shmithecat2 · 26/03/2021 09:47

Dogs can indeed be hit by cars and make it some distance before they are discovered (dead or alive). Its so sad OP, but it was an accident that could've been easily prevented by the owners from ever happening. Your DH is not to blame.

SedentaryCat · 26/03/2021 09:56

I hit a dog many years ago in a similar situation to OPs H - it had run into the road while being off-lead beside the river. Glancing blow to it's back end (I was stopping but still hit it) and it ran off yelping. The car behind me was too close and shunted me, writing off both cars. Dog was never found, but I had a police officer as a witness. Gave a statement and heard nothing else.

Personally, I'd let it go. Very sad that the dog died, but if your DH stopped and there was no evidence of the dog or owners then what could he do? Block the thread on FB or whatever and move on.

Agree with PP though, the sound is something you never forget - I can still hear it now almost 30 years later.

ShesMadeATwatOfMePam · 26/03/2021 10:37

The owners should have kept it under control. Not his fault.

landofgiants · 26/03/2021 11:06

One of those things. Unless DP was driving too fast, then he has done nothing wrong.

sunflowersandbuttercups · 26/03/2021 14:55

@en0la

It sounds very odd that it could run into a car, sustain injuries enough to kill it but carry on running and be found dead somewhere else. I smell a rat. Puppies are small and cars are big lumps of metal after all.
It's perfectly normal. If the puppy ran full-pelt into a car, adrenaline would ensure it continued to run. Internal bleeding and organ damage don't always become apparent right away, either.
sunflowersandbuttercups · 26/03/2021 14:58

Sorry I don't understand how you can knock over and kill a puppy but then just drive off because yiu think it was something that hit your car. Where was this dead or dying do as your husband waited and interacted with the man?

It's perfectly normal for injured animals to keep running when they've been hit. Part of is is adrenaline and part of it is nature - they've been hurt and scared and just want to escape.

Cuckoochime · 26/03/2021 15:06

This happened to my DH a few years ago. The dog was loose and had run into the road in the dark. A man arrived shortly afterwards as my DH was checking the dog and started swearing at my DH and refused offer of lift to vets. My DH reported it to the police - they said it was not his fault and the owners of the dog were responsible as the dog was loose, and for any damage to his car.
A few days later the owner of the dog arrived on our doorstep (he'd walked round the estate til he found the car on driveway) demanding money for vet fees. My DH refused, referred them to police, and that was the end of it. Very glad he had reported to police.

Esther95 · 26/03/2021 18:39

This happened to my best friend. Her 5 month old pup managed to escape from the garden and ran straight out onto the road. Unfortunately the pup was hit by a car and died of it's injuries. The driver of the car wasn't very remorseful however, and gave my friend a mouthful about not having dog on a lead, and then sped off. Awful :(

en0la · 26/03/2021 19:24

I thought a puppy with weaker bones etc would be more likely to die at the scene rather than run away.

mrsbitaly · 26/03/2021 19:31

This exact thing happened to us. The scariest thing I've been through in a car. From across the road a dog for some reason shot across and smacked the side of the car it was so loud and there was even poo on the door. The dog carried on running. We pulled over and tried running after the dog but could not catch up and never found it nor any owner nearby. We reported it to the police but not much could be done and there was no follow up. I'm always thinking of that dog though and If it had any internal injuries as it was a whollop. I feel for your hubby and wouldn't recommend owning up to it on social media - people can be really ugly and you have to put your family's safety first.