Dog Hit By Car: Owner’s Letter ‘To The Person Who Ran Over My Dog’ Goes Viral
When a dog gets hit by a car, it can truly become a life-shattering experience for a pet owner, especially if they witnessed it firsthand. However, it can be even more traumatic for the person behind the wheel of the car that hit the dog in the first place.
One particular dog owner recently shared their emotional experience online in the form of a Craigslist letter. According to the listing title, the letter was simply addressed “to the person who ran over my dog.”
During their interaction, the dog’s owners apparently did not get the driver’s contact information or even their first name.
From the listing title alone, it may seem at first glance as if the tone of the letter would be aggressive, attacking the driver for hitting the dog and driving away with a nonchalant attitude. However, the exact opposite was the case. According to the letter, the driver was very concerned about the dog on that Saturday morning (November 14) and stopped right away.
The purpose of the letter was just to notify the anonymous driver of the dog’s current condition while inadvertently shining a spotlight on their major act of kindness.
“I just wanted to say that he is okay!… My dog, a medium-sized tan lab mix, darted out of the house and into the street in front of your car at the wrong moment. Thank you for stopping to see if we needed help instead of driving away. It has been bothering me that I had no way to contact you and tell you that you didn’t kill him. My neighbors were shocked he survived with how ugly it looked, but he is too stubborn to die and he has more lives than a cat. He is alive and fully recovered! Hopefully you know that its not your fault my dog is not smart enough to stay out of traffic. Have a good day!”
This Craigslist letter from the dog owner to the kind driver made waves on Reddit Thursday in the “Uplifting News” sub-Reddit thanks to Reddit user “r0nn0c.”
Perhaps the fact that it had a happy ending spoke volumes to the people that read it. Sadly, that is not the case with all incidents involving dogs that run into the street.
Police dog dies after apparently being struck by a vehicle: https://t.co/iRackB7vRA
— ABC12WJRT (@ABC12WJRT) January 6, 2016
A dog has been ‘put to sleep’ after being hit by a car on a Dalton roundabout: https://t.co/TpRuIWhH5Y
— Kate Fallis (@kate_fallis) January 12, 2016
Angel needs your help! 5 month old dog hit by car and left to die needs help with vet bills: https://t.co/WRFHcEqaaZ pic.twitter.com/Cx6of4P4BY
— DogRescue2014 (@DogRescue2014) January 8, 2016
One report claims that 1.2 million dogs are killed on U.S. roads each year. According to the same report, the number is eclipsed by the approximately 5.4 million cats that experience the same type of tragic death year after year.
According to the Pet’s Tech, most of these unfortunate accidents occur for a simple reason: the driver is not able to see the dog (or cat) in enough time to stop the vehicle.
“In most of these cases, the dog was hit for a relatively simple reason considering the facts. The dog cannot be seen by the motorist and the driver only spots the dog once it is too late. Even if you have a light colored dog, at night every dog becomes a hidden target.”
The Compassion Action Institute claims that most dogs run out into the street primarily because they are chasing something or someone. Therefore, drivers are advised to pay close attention when they see something that a dog might chase enter the road; someone’s canine companion might be running directly toward it.
[Image via Dollar Photo Club & Craigslist)
