[Lauren12]

I found a beautiful yellow lab mix puppy on the side of the road last week, running in and out of traffic. I stopped and picked her up - she was SO sweet, just looked so happy to have a person petting her and paying attention to her. She was a little dehydrated and had some fleas, so I took her home, fed her, Frontlined her and set about looking for her owner. She had no collar, no microchip, so I posted an add on Craig's List and put some fliers up around where I found her, and called the local shelters and vet offices to let them know I found this dog if anyone was looking. Exactly a week later, I got a phone call from her owner who had seen one of my fliers and I got to deliver the beautiful, sweet puppy back to her mom (she had accidentally escaped from the back yard fence). Puppy just looked overjoyed to be reunited with her family, and they were so thankful she wasn't lost or hurt.

On the way back from delivering puppy back to her home, I hit a black and white dog running across the street with my truck. I pulled over and searched for it for about a half an hour (I figured the least I could do if it was terribly injured was to take to to the vet school and have it euthanized), but I couldn't find it (the side of the road was really thick woods/vines etc, so I assume it ran off in there). I know I hit it - I felt it - and I just feel so, so awful.

I feel like that was some kind of karmic message - where one life was saved, another one ended. Definitely put a damper on my day.

[ptownevt]

You don't know that a life ended. Animals do often survive being hit.

[shiningwizard255]

Ugh, that's so rotten...no good deed goes unpunished, eh? Hope you are doing okay. Thanks for helping the puppy, and trying to help the other dog.

[FLeventer]

I feel horrible as I hit a small dog the other day when driving the trailer home. I was going 35 mph and had the 4h trailer fully loaded.

Oncoming traffic and dog = CDL training kicking in and I braked a bit but the dog went under. I cried for the rest of the way home hoping the dog survived.

Good on you for saving your dog and hopefully for both of us, the dog we hit survived.

[JumpQH]

I feel horrible as I hit a small dog the other day when driving the trailer home. I was going 35 mph and had the 4h trailer fully loaded.

Oncoming traffic and dog = CDL training kicking in and I braked a bit but the dog went under.

I was always taught not to kill yourself and/or others trying to avoid hitting an animal. Sometimes things are unavoidable and can't be helped.

[saje]

Were you not in a place where you could stop and check it out?

[monstrpony]

On the way back from delivering puppy back to her home, I hit a black and white dog running across the street with my truck. I pulled over and searched for it for about a half an hour (I figured the least I could do if it was terribly injured was to take to to the vet school and have it euthanized), but I couldn't find it (the side of the road was really thick woods/vines etc, so I assume it ran off in there). I know I hit it - I felt it - and I just feel so, so awful.

I feel like that was some kind of karmic message - where one life was saved, another one ended. Definitely put a damper on my day.

Were you not in a place where you could stop and check it out?

Umm ... read for comprehension ...

Good on you, Lauren. Hopefully, it wasn't badly injured and just scampered off.

[saje]

Umm ... read for comprehension ...

Good on you, Lauren. Hopefully, it wasn't badly injured and just scampered off.

If that was there when I posted my question, I didn't see it.

And it wasn't meant as an accusation, just a 'that doubly sucks' thought.

[SLW]

Aww, what fortune for the puppy to have had you for it's angel. Hopefully the other dog made it way to some persons house and was helped. Focus on the good outcome.

An injured stray found its way to my house a month ago. I took it to the vet the next day and the neck wounds were treated and the leg splinted. Another dog had attacked her and left her for dead. Anyway, she is now rehomed with a friend and living the good life.

[Rallycairn]

I thought saje's question was for FLeventer?? i.e. was FLeventer able to see if the dog s/he hit was ok?

It can be absolutely unavoidable to hit something for sure.

[BuddyRoo]

Accidents happen, OP. And it's no one's fault--that's why they call 'em accidents.

((hugs))

[suz]

i think it's worse for us when we hit something. while imagining the pain and fear is horrible, i try to remember that every living thing dies eventually. not all beings are going to have long lives, or happy either.

also i just realized this year what this really means, and it actually helps me.

why did the chicken cross the road?
to get to the OTHER SIDE!
doh!



disclaimer---please know i am not making fun of your distress, just sharing what helps me when i have a similar experience.

[Alex and Bodie's Mom]

Maybe that dog found its way to another person who's time had come to earn some good karma by helping it. (Hey, we have to think positive, right?)

[Lauren12]

I drive down that stretch of road every morning and afternoon to go to the barn, and I keep staring at where I think I hit it and expecting to see a black and white dog pop out.

I'm crossing all my fingers and toes that it managed to get home to get some help.

[Sobriska]

Sometimes, its not safe to stop. On a busy road with no shoulder and a horse trailer.
It sucks. I have hit a dog once. It was safe to stop. I looked for the little turd, with its owner, for an hour and a half! Found him with only a little spot of blood on one paw, sitting on his owners back steps!

But I would never expect someone to put their life or others in danger to search for an animal they hit. (In reply to what fleventer said, and I know that no one was making accusations. Just stating my POV)

OP, no, it's not karma. It's life. You can't help that people allow dogs to run loose, or control that pets get loose at times despite our best efforts. You did a wonderful thing.