I feel awful..

[PonyFeet10]

Went to the Car Boot this afternoon to have a look around and after we had finished had to make our way to argos. Half way there, there was a van stopped in the road, with a woman (owner) and man (the driver) crouched down over a little Westie cross on the pavement. The driver of the van had run over the little dog, he said it was on one of those stretchy leads and one minute it was on the pavement, the next under his van. I asked if they needed a lift to the vets which was only up the road, to which the driver replied 'look, the dog is dead there's nothing you can do'. The woman (owner of the dog) was in tears cuddling her dog and I don't think she even heard me, however I've been thinking about it all day and feel absolutely awful. That little dog was in a pool of blood (which had come from its head) but was still alive on the side of the road trying to wag its tail, although it was shaking from shock. I keep thinking over and over that if I had gotten out of the car and spoken to the dogs owner, maybe we could have got the dog to the vets and had it put down before it had died on the side of the road.. My partner was with me at the time and just said to leave it and carry on as they had a van to use themselves and that they had chosen not to take it. I just feel it was a huge mistake and now worrying what happened with that dog, did it die or did they take it to a vets to be pts and end its suffering.. A hundred questions

Edited to add that after the driver had told me there was nothing I could do, he turned around to the owner of the dog and said "don't worry, it's ok", what its ok that he's just run over and pretty much killed her dog!?

 

[Fools Motto]

How awful.
As horrid as it may sound in the circumstances, I doubt the van driver had any time to react. Hope it was quick for the dog. At least he had his owner with him.

Personally, I hate those flexi leads, and am surprised this kind of thing doesn't seem to happen more often (maybe it does, and we don't hear about it?). Only the other day my friend had to go to A+E as a 'flexi lead culprit' took a slice out of the back of her leg. Was really nasty, like a wire cut. The owner in question didn't seem to make any appologies at the time.

Hope you don't feel too traumatised by the sight you saw. There would have been little you could do. I am sure the owner would have appriciated your offer anyway.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I really don't think there is anything more you could have done x
Don't torture yourself.

Agree, unless you have distance/directional voice control of your dog, Flexi leads should not be used ANYWHERE near a road, I have nearly hit two because of them

 

[PonyFeet10]

Thanks guys, It's just that horrible question 'What if..' Well I think you have put my mind at rest now, that there wasn't much else I could do. Thanks again.. RIP little dog

 

[The Original Kao]

I really don't think there is anything more you could have done x
Don't torture yourself.

Agree, unless you have distance/directional voice control of your dog, Flexi leads should not be used ANYWHERE near a road, I have nearly hit two because of them

Ditto
I do use flexi leads when I'm near the roads but always keep them short.

 

[Dobiegirl]

What a horrible thing to have happened.

I dont use those awful leads having had a few dogs run into the road in front of me, I do think they should only be sold with a warning leaflet, but have seen them for sale in the Pound shop so I cant see that going to happen.

 

[keeperscottage]

So sad. Extending leads are so DANGEROUS to use near roads; my friend, who used to live on a main-ish road, just happened to be looking out of her window one evening when she saw a dog, on an extending lead, run into the road and be hit by a car. The owner, as in your case, was hysterical, but the driver was in no way to blame. Very, very sad.

 

[PonyFeet10]

Maybe the title should be changed as a warning.. Or have a warning sticky thread on here about them?

It was just so awful, I didn't see the full extent of the dogs injuries but all because it was on one of those damned leads with the owner looking the opposite way for just a second

If the dog was on a standard length lead there is minimal chance that it would have been able to get in to the road enough to be run over with the owner looking the other way.

That image will stick in my mind forever..