Thread: Ran over a dog.. tell me has anyone ever done this?

My husband just came in the house almost in tears.. he was driving around the corner in our neighborhood and a small white dog literally dashed out and ran under the rear wheels of his car.

We are dog lovers (we have four) and he is just beyond sad. A neighbor who witnessed the accident told him that there was nothing he could have done but he still feels horrible.

The dog's owners were in the front yard and the dog was off-leash and just darted into the street. The part that is ripping my husband up is that their daughter witnessed the hit and she is about 9 years old. They had just got the dog in Dec. (I'm thinking an Xmas gift).

My husband has offered to help them find another dog and he will check on them in a couple of days. The family doesn't seem to blame him (which ironically makes it worse).

This has been a rough year for my husband (he lost his mom to an aggressive form of cancer on 03/15/07).

Please.. has anyone else accidently hit a dog or cat and, if so, how did you get over it?
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Damn, that's rough. I know how your husband must feel...

The only time I've run over a dog was about three years ago. I was coming home, late at night. Completely oblivious, I was just listening to the radio, paying attention more to the distance (there were no other cars around, on the road) than to the immediate front of me (you know; the kind of vigilance you have to take, when looking out for potholes and whatnot). All of a sudden, there was this big 'mass' in the road. I didn't even have enough time to swerve, before I hit it.

Immediately, I'd wondered if I hit an animal, but I was on they type of road that would have taken me damn near forever to actually turn around and check. Ironically, I was coming along an SUV that had stopped, on the side of the road. Driving much slower, now, because I'd just hit something, I looked over to the parked SUV on the shoulder, and saw a woman, inside, crying. A man was in the passenger seat, obviously trying to console her.

I knew that I'd hit the same animal that they'd just run over, moments before. The woman was obviously stricken with grief. I then realized that there was nothing either of us could have done, to avoid that.

Your husband should not feel too bad (but it's only natural that he does). He should not hold a grudge against himself for something he had no control of. Sure, it will probably eat at him for a while (It bothered me for a time, after that, even though the dog was probably dead, when I first hit it, since it had already been hit) but you have to understand when things are out of your control, you cannot hold yourself personally responsible for them.

Aside from that, I was hit by a neighbor's car, while riding my mini-bike (motorcycle thing) on the sidewalk, while I was like 8 years old. I saw them pulling out of the garage and hit the brakes, by the time I stopped, I was directly behind their car, and they smacked into me, luckily stopping when I was under the car and they were inches away from running over my head.

I (still, to this day) could not blame them, at all...because they didn't see me...and there was nothing that they could do.

I know the feeling I've never hit a dog or cat, but I've accidentally hit a large raccoon, possum, and a few birds, including a large pheasant. I felt so bad afterwards, it makes me feel sick. But I know that there was nothing I could've done differently.

It wasn't your hubby's fault, Clairity, and to blame himself is just torturing himself. The family knows it wasn't his fault, and it's just one of those sad things that happen in life.

A couple years ago I hit a black cat that darted out from behind a bush. I did'nt get depressed or anything because I know it did'nt suffer, but I still felt bad. But, I'm kind of a detached, desensitized person so it really didn't preoccupy me. Don't think that means I would purpously hurt an animal, though.

I've been wondering if the luck factor of running over a black cat will come back to get me. The ultimate of crossing paths with a black cat.

Oneironaut, Burns & Half/Dreaming, thank you for the replies.. it meant alot that you took the time to share your stories.

I know it will take time for my husband to get over the "ifs" (if I had just gone another way, if I had just been 1 minute earlier or later, if they had kept the dog in the backyard or on a leash, etc.). I just wish there was something I could say or do to make things better for him.

Thanks again.
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Ouch.

I've hit a lot of critters over the years, and was involved in a beautiful dog getting hit once. It was high speed and I narrowly avoided it - but in doing so blocked another car's view of the situation and the dog was hit and instantly killed. I was sick for a couple weeks over it.

Guilt and grief... there are no easy answers there. It's easy to say "You shouldn't feel bad; it wasn't your fault," but a conscientious person will not dismiss the horror and the damage, and the absolute fact that he was involved even in the most accidental way.

The quality of the man is apparent in his agony, and your love for him comes through so strongly in your own concern and need to comfort and console him. The bottom line is that he's just going to get through it. He will. It will take some time, and you will help him. Remember that if either of you were lesser people, this wouldn't be a big deal. It takes real strength to accept responsibility - especially when the circumstances clearly dismiss you from it.

As horrible as all this is, Clairity, you watch carefully how this plays out. I'll bet you lunch at your favorite restaurant that something beautiful and lasting is going to emerge from this pain.

I'm praying for you both.

Originally Posted by Clairity

My husband just came in the house almost in tears.. he was driving around the corner in our neighborhood and a small white dog literally dashed out and ran under the rear wheels of his car.

I ran over a cat once. I went back to help it, but it was gone. I never knew how injured it was. I felt bad for the cat, but I didn't feel guilty because I was not responsible. The cat darted out in front of my car, and there was nothing I could do. I never saw it as my fault. Similarly, your husband is not at fault. Your husband is no more at fault for that dog's death than Dorothy was at fault for the death of the witch her house landed on.

A lot of people run over pets and don't go back to help them. Your husband did. What happened was not his fault, and he still tried to help. He did absolutely nothing wrong but did do something right.

I don't think dogs should ever run loose in the front yard unless the yard is fenced in. Dogs should be either fenced in or on a leash. It is not your husband's fault that the dog was left to run around freely. I'm sure the owners didn't think the dog would run out in the road, but I hope they now know not to let dogs roam around without restraint.

Oneironaught, Gwendolyn, goldney and Universal Mind, thank you so much for your replies and your empathy.

My husband does realize it wasn't his fault and he does feel better as time passes.. tho he will always regret that it happened.

Thanks again everyone..
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So today I was delivering on my usual route as a postman and I got to the farmhouse where I have delivered every day for the past 4 years, every day I saw the same 2 Labradors and gave them both a quick stroke, this day they weren't about so I gathered they were inside the house, I delivered the post and got back in the van and had to reverse turn to get out of the driveway...little did I know one of the Labradors was sniffing at the far side tyre where I couldn't see (was in my blind spot), I reversed and unfortunately ran over her, the noise she made will haunt me now for a long time I got hold of the farmer who was working in the field at the time and I brought him back to where the dog was and she was very quiet now, I left my phone number with the farmer as I couldn't bare to live with not knowing what had happened that evening, the farmers wife rang me later on to tell me she had been taken to the vet and put down. At that point I broke down in tears with the lady over the phone, she explained to me to not beat myself up over it because it could have happened at any time by anybody and that the dog was 15 years old with arthritis, I can't help myself from being sad over it as I'm a real lover of dogs. I wish I could in some way make it up to the owners, i wanted to ask whether they wanted me to find a new dog to help aid their grief but don't really know whether this is a good idea!? Mark

So sorry Royal Racer

I think it is nice though that the person who opened this thread "Ran over a dog... tell me has any one ever done this" (on the 30-July-2007) also opened another thread on 15-August-2007 called "Do you need a hug" and Clarity's most recent post was to that thread on 30-October-2013.

Here is Clarity's Thread. Look at her latest post. It is post 9035 of here thread.

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http://www.dreamviews.com/dream-view...ml#post2058077

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{So this is not necro....Mods}

Thank you for posting RoyalRacer and welcome.

I just accidentally ran over a dog on a farm. I feel very bad. The scenario is theres a motorcycle coming on our way and i reduce the speed the street is wide enough for us both but i reduce the speed for the reason that i saw th driver struggling i mean his motorcycle is a bit wiggly then suddenly a dog just cross the street and that happens.. I talk to the owner and she said its fine because its not my fault. They forgot to put the dog's leash. But the thing is i feel very bad. this is the first time that things like this happen to me. I hate this feeling if i could just turn back time. I feel sorry for the dog and its owner. My deepest apologies to all the dog lovers out there. May God forgive me for i have sinned.