Would there be all this rage if it was a squirrel/deer/armadillo/duck etc? Yeah dogs are different because we keep them as pets. But by that token there's only one person to blame in this situation: the irresponsible pet owner. Everybody else, as far as I am concerned is welcome to grouse about their own misfortunes in the situation and just be glad it was *still* a low-order animal and not a human being that was hurt/killed.

If I ever hit a stray dog, you will find me doing the following in this exact order.
1. Go home and hug my own dog
2. Rant bitterly to my wife about jackasses not taking care of their dogs.

 

lol what if you hit a stray human...i think there would be much worse repercussions there, even if they were homeless. Just saying haha

 

About 20 years ago I was giving my father a ride. Driving in a chevy caprice classic. So this black cat decides to dart out in front of me from a ditch. Needless to say he didn't make it. My father when into a rant "Jesus Christ, do you know what you just did, a black cat crossing your path is 20 years bad luck" I said "Don't worry dad, he didn't cross my path he only made it half way"

Now dog lovers may laugh at my statement but cat lovers would cry. To each their own. I did feel bad, but swerving at 50mph on a gravel road would have meant certain death for one or both of us. Was in the middle of nowhere so most likely a stray.

I feel your pain. Hit a raccoon with my fit and it took out the bumper, lower radiator support, one fog light assembly, lower engine shield, inner fender skirt, license plate holder, front bumper brace and some other odds and ends. Cost me $1000.00 (deductable) and total bill was $3,084.27. We all end up paying for pet owners negligence in higher insurance rates.
Lots of stray pets in my area(live in rural area), as people from the city who get a pet and no longer want it simply drive out to the country and drop them off. Pretty sad.

 

If you swerve and wreck to avoid an animal, it is considered "failure to control" by the law. Regardless, I would rather hit an animal than risk damage to me, my passengers, or other traffic. When I encounter an animal I brake as much as is prudent under the traffic circumstances, but swerving can just as easily run you into the animal or other traffic. They can move much faster than you can react. I have come across folks in the ditch who have tried. Unfortunately driver ed teaches more about parallel parking than emergency driving judgement.

I saw a movie where a bus driver ran a busload of kindergartners into a lake to avoid cute little Bambi. Granted, only a movie, but it shows what can happen if your attitude isn't "humans first".

 

For everyone caught up in looking to blame a negligent pet owner of which there are bound to be a few and certainly not the majority, there exist feral dogs and cats for you to run over.

 

Heh no kidding, I had some dumb tw@ blow a red left turn arrow at lake-cook/skokie and hit me a while back when I was on a mountain bike.

I luckily walked away with a few fingers broken, some cuts, astoundingly large bruises in assorted colors all over my left side, and a pounding headache. But the whole front end of her new VW Beetle was crushed in. The window, the "hood", the drivers side A pillar and the roof I rolled over didn't like impacting a 285lb animal at ~25mph apparently.

The mountain bike went flying but it was in working order afterward, though they made me ride in an ambulance anyways which was probably a good thing as I wouldve just biked home after getting her insurance.

She was stuck with a bunch tickets, a steep bump in her insurance to cover her car and me, as well as a felony for something or other.

 

I think you hit the nail squarely on the head here.

The OP's tone was "Upset" and insensitive to the ultimate demise of Man's Best Friend. So we get a flood of Dog Lovers reacting.

People love dogs. But really? I'm making the assumption that this was an accident...that the OP did not in any capacity look to hit a dog.

I love animals. I live near some parks and golf courses, I once slammed on my brakes because a squirrel darted infront of my car. Luckily no damages outside of a lot of smoke and tire wear and sudden brake wear happened. The squirrel lived.

But as the 4 or 5 cars behind me, verbally assaulted me for my stupidity I realized that ultimately they were right. My instinct to NOT want to kill an animal, put a lot of people and property at risk.

My point being? We drive heavy machines that move us from one place to another. They transport us by creating momentum and physically moving us from point A to point B. Sometimes in this world between point A and point B, you might have a Dog, Squirrel, Deer, Rabbit or beloved Cat suddenly for any number of reasons appear in the way. This can unfortunately result in a lot of negative outcomes. By my way of thinking? If no human was hurt, and damage is limited to one vehicle? That's not the worse outcome possible.

Next time a squirrel runs out infront of my vehicle? If I have people following me? I might have to become a squirrel killer! Not all dogs get to live "Marley and Me" existences, and die in the arms of beloved owners. Sometimes they run into streets and get hit.

Doesn't mean the person hitting the dog, hates them, doesn't love them, or is "evil"...it's just something that happens in a world with Dogs, roads, and automobiles.

 

That made sense bud...

 

Would there be a different reaction if it were a deer or huge ass raccoon or even a purple dinosaur that got hit?

I love our pets... we love our pets but sometimes we love them so much as we treat them like human beings. Making them part of the family is normal but treating them like sons and daughters and brothers and sisters or a substitute husband or wife is just ridiculous. Ever seen those TV shows about animal hoardings and fatal attractions? Pets should be loved and taken cared of... as pets.

Does my rant make me cold and heartless?

 

Because you're the only one that has ever hit anything and had to pay $500 on this whole forum???

 

^^^ lmao :d

 

Lol this thread is awesome

 

Darwinism at its finest. I feel bad that your car got whacked, but its the dogs fault, or the owners fault that it ended up perforating your Fit. That's not to say I hate pets, I have a cat that I love, but if a dog, or anything for that matter ran out in front of my Fit and I hit it, the first thought that would run through my head would be is my car OK?

About two years ago I was comming home from work in the middle of a rainstorm at 1 in the morning and I creamed a raccoon. It did nothing to my dad's Cruiser, I hit it with the tire, but it pissed him off that I hit something. About three weeks later, on that same straight of road, in the middle of another rainstorm, I was driving along when I saw two orbs turn and look at me, about 75 feet away from me, another fucking raccoon looking at me. He was eating what was left of the first one. I pulled a Jason Statham around that fucker, and managed to not hit it. Swerving around it scared me more than hitting the first one. So from then on out, if anything jumps out in front of me, I don't swerve.

 

Maybe you should swerve seeing that is seems if you hit a chipmunk in a Fit you could total your car!

 

I'm bored, so um I'm just going to throw this out there. What if classical physics and hard determinism are fact and free will is just an illusion?

 

To hell with pedestrians.. If the bastards get in front of me and cause damage to my car may they die and burn in hell forever.. It'd serve them right and their dog too.

 

For the record, I am a Cat lover and I laughed at that. Goes to show, you can't assume.

I certainly agree with the "it's the owner's fault" sentiment in this thread, and if it was a stray in this case, as the original poster stated, it's still some owners fault if you trace back. Someone had to let this dog, or one of its ancestors, out on its own. The damn dog didn't know better, so directing your anger and frustration at it is unproductive. Aim it at the frellin' idiot who let it get where it could get under your car.

 

Isn't there a point system for all this?????

 

..the OP had no choice but to hit the dog. conversely, the dog had no choice but to run out in front of prim3tim3's speeding fit

How do you feel about nihilism?

 

should have better insurance..... im sorry for the dog! they should cover rental car!