Heartbreaking: Dog Refuses To Leave The Spot Where Owner Was Killed In A Hit-And-Run
Dogs are famous for their loyalty, but sometimes that devotion can go a little too far. A particularly heartbreaking example of this happened in Florida last week when a woman was killed in a hit-and-run while walking her dog. The animal was so attached to his owner that he stayed on the street on the spot where she was killed, refusing to leave for hours after she died.
As reported by the Huffington Post, 42-year-old Kelly Black was walking her dog, Paco, along the road in Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday of last week. Suddenly, a tractor-trailer sped by and struck the woman in a hit-and-run, killing her shortly after. The vehicle drove off without stopping to help Kelly Black, leaving her stunned dog to mourn her death.
Family: Kelly & Paco were inseparable. Paco was by her side when she died & stayed here, alone, after @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/gaXSIWmAz0
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) October 23, 2015
Her body was found in the middle of the street around 6 a.m. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Her dog was lying by her body, seemingly waiting for her to get back up. Police believe the dog was present at the time of the hit-and-run. It appears that after the vehicle struck Kelly Black, the semi-truck dragged her body to the middle of an intersection before she fell loose. The confused dog followed her out to the open pavement and stayed with her till the end.
According to First Coast News, authorities aren’t sure that the driver of the tractor-trailer was even sure he or she hit the dog owner, which could explain why the fatality was a hit-and-run. However, the Jacksonville Sherriff’s Office is still actively searching for the hit-and-run suspect.
The tractor-trailer was reportedly leaving a gas station at the time of the collision. Police are trying to obtain security footage from the convenience store in the hopes of finding evidence of the hit-and-run and identifying the culprit. There were no witnesses around to see the hit-and-run, except for Paco, Kelly Black’s dog.
The road was closed for further investigation. During that time, the poor dog remained at the spot where she died for hours after police found her body. According to WFOX, the dog “waited patiently while police covered up his owner’s body. With his head held low, [he] watched as police put up crime scene tape around him.”
SAD. Neighbors believe woman was walking her dog. This one has been lying down, alone near crash scene for some time pic.twitter.com/f7vADgVIMS
— Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax) October 23, 2015
“I don’t see how someone could hit her here and drag her all the way out to Beaver St. and not have known it,” said Kelly Black’s father. “I just don’t know how I’m going to tell her mama.”
According to Action Jax News, Black was reportedly a “loving sister and aunt” in addition to a devoted dog owner.
Kelly Black was “inseparable” from her dog, even going so far as to take a professional family photo with the pup.
To see the local news report on the dog who refused to leave his owner’s side even after she died, watch the video below.
Do you have a pet that you’re as close to as Kelly Black and her dog, Paco? Do you think your dog would stick by your side even hours after your death like this? Or maybe your pet would be more like the dogs in the recent viral video trend, wherein owners pretend to die and film their animals reacting with total apathy.
[Photo by Action News Jax]
