Witnessing an animal get run over

loveisdivine

A few years back when I was still living in England I saw a dog get ran over. I was walking to work at the time and it happened right infront of me. It was one of th emost horrific things I have ever witnessed. The dog then got up, stumbled over to me and collapsed at my feet. It died a few minutes later. I dont wan tto go into detail, but it was particularly gruesome and distressing.

It seems to have left me with a bit of a fear of it happening again. Whenever I see a loose dog/cat/animal near the road, even if its with an owner (but not on lead) I instantly start to panic.

The last 2 mornings cats have waited until I was right infront of them, to dart out into traffic. Yesterdays was definitely a pet, todays was possibly a stray. Thankfully they both made it across.

Does anyone else suffer from this? I dont exactly live in fear but it is always in the back of my mind, worrying that I'm gonna witness something again and I dont know how I will cope with it.

The worst thing is knowing theres pretty much sweet FA I can do about it.

Irish Stones

I'm alway worried about this.
Twelve years ago it happened to me to run over a cat, but he got minimal injuries, only a dislocation of the hind leg. The cat tried to get back home but was in difficulty, so I helped him and rang the house. I offered to pay all the medical expenses for the cat but they refused. I payed visit to the cat every day for two weeks, he was fine and still he is now.

I always drive slow and careful when in an urban area.
I also care for birds and other small mammals. When I see one of them killed on the road I get deeply sad and angry.

Fortunately I never had to witness such a disaster, but once I found a cat killed a few seconds before and I removed it from the road.
Sad stories...

spank_inferno

I'm baffled by road-kill myself.
I mean... who hits these animals?
I've driven over a 1/4 million kms in my driving career at all hours of the day and have never hit anything bigger than bugs.

Its always saddening seeing a fresh batch of dead badgers / foxs / cats when Im out.

I was saddened to pass a dead deer (doe I think) on the n11 this morning

youtube!

cats and dogs dont know the rules of the road, they will dart out without looking up and down and side to side shockingly enough. Then when they see the car aproaching they dart across as fast as they can...sometimes its too late for the driver to avoid. The blame is obviously with the owners. They must be on a lead when near a road. Period.

loveisdivine

Dead wildlife on the road always saddens me too. No matter what anyone thinks, a life has still been lost. Something that was alive and breathing is now dead for no reason at all.

Fortunately I have never hit anything myself. I know you are not supposed to brake or try to avoid the animal, but I really couldnt see myself just plowing along and hitting an animal without trying to avoid it. It would just be my gut reaction.

westies4ever

Can't speak for others but I have hit a deer. I wouldn't have believed it possible til it happened to me. It was on a straight road, a clear day and I was within the speed limit. I saw nothing until it was right in front of me. I don't know what became of it as it sprang into the hedge on the far side. I was so upset. Guy behind me pulled in to see I was ok. He said I had no chance as it jumped from the ditch into my path.

Very very nervous Now when I see the 'deer sign'.

Manach

I would say, based on the one incident witnessed, it was not the drivers fault. In that the animal dashed across the road and there was no way to avoid the collision. Saying that, in other cases with road kill just at the margin or well into a footpath I would say there is blame to be assigned.

kylith

My mum hit a doberman once; she had no chance to avoid it and slow down as we were on a main road, it just ran from the footpath directly in front of the car. It ran off so I hope it wasn't badly hurt.

Tranceypoo

I was driving behind a car that ran over a kitten, a couple of years ago now but I will never ever forget it. The kitten didn't make it but it was a couple of minutes before it died, I stopped and picked it up it was covered in blood, makes me well up every time I think of it.