My son adored that dog. Either way, don't beat yourself up too bad. There’s generally no arrest. But, she is missing him every day and all she is doing is sleeping. CCSPCA advises that once you take possession of the animal, you also become responsible to ensure that it receives appropriate medical care. well here where I live if you hit a dog and try and stop you could get killed by traffic and if you pull over you can get hit..if u try and help the dog and like me a senior with back problems what the heck.I f its night time and you stop you could be a victim and robbed.If you call the police , it takes awhile for them to come ..and by then the dog gets hit again because its to dangerous to try and move it when your older . If you hit an animal which is covered by The Road Traffic Act 1988 – namely, dogs, goats, horses, cattle, donkeys, mules, sheep and pigs you are legally required to report it to the police.But if you hit an animal not mentioned in the Road Traffic Act – a cat or a fox for example – you are not required by law to report it but you might want to inform the police of the incident anyway. I'm sure many people have wondered what to do after such an incident. A: Domestic animals like dogs and certain farm animals such as horses, cows and goats are considered property. At the very least to apologize for the harm the animal has been through because of your actions. Again, call animal services if you are dealing with a large creature and provide a precise location. Never knew it can be legal action this has happened to me but sad to say when I stopped the dog just ran off and I said ok it's alright and pulled off. It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood as I drove toward the house where I used to live. There generally are not specific criminal laws regarding hitting a dog or other pet with a car and fleeing, as there are with people. If you are involved in a collision between your vehicle and a dog, you must stop, and the police must be informed. At the intersection where I was about to turn onto my street, a group of youngsters was happily playing on the sidewalk. I did not get off my car and I called 911 and began to drive. But one of the cars managed to follow me home and told me off for not pulling over I told him I slowed down and didn’t see nobody I was not going to pick up the dog so why pull over and he kept telling me how cruel I am and how he has my plate info I am going to be held liable and I told him I had already called the police and he kept yelling out how I was lying. Rather than just continuing on your way after hitting the animal, stop and pull over. I'm glad you have a clear plan of what you will do if the situation ever arises. I'm sure that from now on you'll be very careful if you see an animal near the road. If this happens again (I desperately hope not), I may or may not stop; it depends on the details. Valuable information. In effect both the dog and you were victims of the owner's negligence. Here, we are expected to go knocking on doors in the immediate area searching for the owner, and let them know. Cat Depot suggests trying to move the animal or flagging down other drivers for help with this. Thank you for contacting the ASPCA and sharing their recommendations with us. If it is, it angers me! Just ran over her and kept going. Sounds like this elderly lady may simply no longer be capable of driving safely. Stop beating yourself up about this. What about the damages to my car? Ronald E Franklin (author) from Mechanicsburg, PA on September 15, 2014: Thanks, TheHealthGuy LM. Thniking like that shows an expert at work. peachpurple, I'm sorry to hear that. Internet Explorer 11 is no longer supported. This was informative. It was the most horrible thing i had ever experienced. Sometimes animals get killed. But I finished your article nonetheless and I'm not here to argue the value of human life over animals. Battered dogs do not bloom, rather, they grow insecure and fearful. I've hit a dog with my car. Apparently there are too many sadistic people in my neighborhood, I've seen a truck driver literally go out of his way to run over an animal even at the cost of endangering him/herself. My husband and I actually witnessed a motorcycle hit a dog on the street in front of our house in that village. Hi, epbooks. You should not panic and drive off. Dogs loved by families and as such should be given the utmost respect and receive help when a tragedy like this happens. Whether that is still true, I'm unsure. Personally, I hope I never have to tell some family that I just killed or disabled their pet. Thanks, sara0129. and payed the owner for their gas so they can get help. My heart is broken. I heard somewhere that hitting a dog is like hitting a person and you have to call the police. It would never even occurred to me to call the police. That could soon change. Cats, too, may be a valued family pet. Laura Smith from Pittsburgh, PA on September 11, 2014: It seems like obvious advice when you think about it, but on reading your title, I was totally unsure of what to do in this situation. And on Christmas, too. I didnt stop .. i slowed down but it was about three o clock and the heat was brutal i had both my daughters in the car they were asleep (my girls are 4yrs and 10 months) i wasnt far from where i live so i drove hone got my kids into a cool place and i called animal control from my house .... Am i going to be getting into trouble ? You could be charged with animal cruelty or failure to notify owners of property damage. Google Chrome, The roads seem to be littered with dead animals that no one seems to care about. Well, I hit a dog today while leaving my neighborhood and I feel terrible. I only hope its tail was merely grazed, that the owners love it enough to feel great remorse for letting this happen, and that they'll be more responsible in the future. I certainly understand your concern. But if you put the animal in your car, you have legally taken possession of it, and become responsible for its care. Thanks for reading and commenting. A hurt animal will lash out and is unlikely to recognize that you seek to help. ... i know I'm a horrible person / animal owner and i can't stop thinking about it. It used to be, the last time I had occasion to study the driving law manual, that cats were considered 'throwaway animals,' and you did not have to search for the owner, and were free to leave the scene. I would definitely call 911 and stay with the animal trying to keep him/her calm as much as possible until help arrived. I ONCE HAD A BELOVED CAT NAMED TADPOLE HE PASSED AWAY IN NOVEMBER 2016 BY A CAR PLEASE BE MORE CAREFUL I MISS HIM SO MUCH, I can't begin to wrap my head around driving off. Ronald E Franklin (author) from Mechanicsburg, PA on September 11, 2014: Thanks, Laura335. For example, although the owner may not have leashed the dog, he or she may still claim comparative negligence if he or she has evidence that you were speeding or driving illegally in some way. The confusion and fear associated with being in a situation they aren't prepared to handle are what lead many people to do stupid things, like driving off after hitting a dog. Thanks for reading and commenting. So I understand the dog that gets out,Stick glow stick on them.all it takes is a second.with texting and driving it's not going good to get better.we need to be pro active. I hope that as you grieve your dog, you'll also be able to forgive her. Elaine, I'm so sorry about what happened to your dog. If you don't do so, you could find yourself in legal hot water. I hope you never have to put it into practice, but it's great that you've already decided to do the right thing if you should hit an animal. It is not illegal to leave a … I wasn't sure what to do so after I composed myself I continued on my way. Many people consider dogs their children so taking those lives can be just as detrimental. In light of these recommendations from CCSPCA, there is one thing I would change about the way I responded when the dog collided with my car. If you are dealing with a small creature, use caution. Is it illegal to leave your dog in a parked car? As many have pointed out, we might not think about this situation until it comes up. Dispatch said they would have someone go and pick it up. 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