Dear Unknown Dog Owner

[gategrrl]

Dear Dog Owner,

Thanks to either lack of responsibility, or a clever dog that dug its way out of its pen or escaped out the front door, your dog is now dead. Why? Because your dog was loose and running around in the dark where employees of a very large company exit their parking lot. Your unsuspecting dog was hit by my unsuspecting husband. He proceeded to call the police, who wouldn't do anything about it. He then called another branch of the government, but wasn't helped. Only a half hour later, long after your dog had expired, was he able to get someone to say they'd pick the body up "sometime the next day". They wouldn't take his personal information, telling him "This happens all the time."

Your dog had a collar on it, but no tags, so he couldn't call YOU. He was devastated; he hopes that if you had children, they can find out what happened. He was so upset when he got home, he finished off the bottle of wine we had in the fridge and went to bed early.

So, thanks, dog owner. And your dog thanks you. And I'm sure your children will thank you, too (if you have children). You just ruined everyone's day.

No love,
Fellow dog owner

Comments

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

It is so difficult for me to imagine people who don't love their pets enough to keep up with them.

I got my first of my current three cats when he was hit by an SUV on a major street around here and I stopped to pick him up.

I am so glad I'm his owner now. The other people didn't deserve him if he was outside crossing that street. (I know he had owners because he was fixed.)

[gategrrl.livejournal.com]

I understand that sometimes, dogs and cats get out and fulfill their wanderlust (we had two diggers when I was kid: the dog officer knew them by name--we were LUCKY as hell they were never hit by cars). Sometimes, it's accidental, and they get away.

But if you're responsible for a dog or a cat, you are RESPONSIBLE.

Did you know in LA it's illegal to keep an animal you find on the street? You have to deposit it at one of the state shelters and then, if you want it, you have to wait three days while they give the owner a chance to locate it.

But we did the same thing you did.

[queenoftheskies.livejournal.com]

Right. I understand that animals get out. It's just that I rarely see owners searching for them, you know? Though I guess they could get out of their area quickly if they're fast.

I had no idea it was illegal to keep an animal, no. Is it a new law? Or one that's been around a while.

In my case, Kero was hurt and had to have medical attention, so I drove around until I found a vet open (it was early). His leg had to be amputated, so the vet either had to put him down, or I had to be the new owner and cough up medical expenses.

I couldn't let him be put to sleep. He's such a wonderful boy.

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

I like you already.

I too can understand a digger, because we had a jumper. My mother ended up getting our 4 foot fence replaced with a much bigger one because our golden retriever would jump the fence with ease to say hi to people who were walking by. She was friendly and loved everyone. So, new fence. But when you have a dog, you keep the tags on always (or a cat that might roam).

We feed some stray cats that live in our neighborhood and three come to our door reliably for dinner everyday. They are feral so we can't give them a good home. I dread the day I pull onto my street to see one was hit.

[agentotter.livejournal.com]

Really? I found a ridiculously adorable pit puppy once in the Westwood area and took it to a shelter to see if it had a microchip, and the guy there convinced me to take her home, said she'd only catch parvo or something in the shelter. I thought that was cool of him, though probably totally against policy. :D He just had me fill out a card with the dog's description and my contact info so if anybody came looking they'd know where to find me, but nobody ever did. (The dog had been tied up to a post in the park all day long and had clearly been abandoned.) My roommate and I found her a nice home with some folks who already had an older pit, and it worked out really nicely, though I wish I could've kept that adorable girl. Sweetest dog I ever did meet, and she claimed me immediately as her human being (and my futon as her domain).

[aostara.livejournal.com]

IME, rescued dogs... especially pits, particularly if they were not fought... make THE most grateful dogs.

[agentotter.livejournal.com]

I love 'em. I'd never been around pits before (though I think she might've been mixed with something else somewhere in there) and she totally won me over. I'm a big fan of them now, they're awesome dogs.

[aostara.livejournal.com]

I've had three mutts and one pure... love them to BITS... as long as they are handled properly, of course.

[betacandy.livejournal.com]

I feel so bad for your husband. That's got to be just plain traumatic to go through something like that.

It certainly is possible for a pet to get away from a responsible owner, but a lot of people reveal in casual conversation that they don't take the most basic precautions against it happening, which blows my mind.

[moonshayde.livejournal.com]

Oh God. This makes me so angry.

[deej1957.livejournal.com]

Oh no. How sad, your poor husband. That poor dog! Some people have no business having pets :-(

[khek.livejournal.com]

Oh, your poor husband. I hit a squirrel once, and felt horrible for days. Give him a big hug from a fellow dog lover.

I don't understand how people can let out dogs to roam. And even if it was a one-time thing, how they could not have made sure their dog was wearing ID tags so that if it did get out, it could be returned.

Then again, Maggie doesn't go outside alone at all, and some of my friends (even fellow dog-owners) think I'm weird because of that. Then again, they don't seem to attract lost dogs like magnets like I do.

I hope your husband feels better soon. And it makes me angry that someone at the police station and other agencies he contacted didn't even try to help. I've always had more help from vets though...even if the dog isn't their patient, they seem to have some kind of network. TAlways in a smaller town than where you live though.

[forcryinoutloud.livejournal.com]

Oh god, that is AWFUL! :( That poor dog. :( Your poor husband. :(

STUPID, STUPID pet owners!!! >:(

[amycooper.livejournal.com]

(((HUGS))) and another for your husband (((HUGS)))

[aostara.livejournal.com]

**HUGS** to you and Guy. That so sucks! Oh, and *HUGS* to your pup too. I gotta go hug my critters now.

[jennywren102.livejournal.com]

Aw, geeze. I can understand why your husband is upset. Being an animal lover can make it ten times harder to recover from accidentally causing their death.

The lack of responsibility on the part of the owner is one of those things that will forever bother me. Pets allowed outside, and particularly dogs, should ALWAYS have their tags on. Somebody's family pet is never coming home and they have no idea why. The stinkers.

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

{{{hugs}}} for you so you'll have extra for your husband.

I'm so sorry. Poor doggie, too.