Friday, August 2, 2013

Look Both Ways

It was just after 7 AM the morning I subbed, and I was headed to school. I was just a block away from my house when a small white dog darted in front of my car.

The dog was too close. I hit the brake, but I knew that I didn't have enough space to stop. I cringed at the moment that the dog should have hit, but because of the size of the dog and the front of my car I couldn't see it happen.

Then, from about where my right front tire was, the dog rolled away from my car, bouncing off the tire of the parked car next to me (the reason I couldn't swerve to avoid the dog). He bounced up, regained his feet, and ran back the way he came.

That's when another little dog (more chihuahua like) ran from the direction the white dog had come. Dog 2 was chasing white dog. Dog 2 took off following white dog, and both safely made the yard across the street.

However, I was still shaking.

The dogs' owner called for my attention then. She had seen some of that happen, but not all, for she asked if I had hit the dog. I confirmed that I had. But she didn't see white dog take off, so I pointed out where white dog was now running around.

Perhaps I had slowed my car down enough so that white dog was not injured. He certainly seemed to be still in play after the incident.

9 comments:

  1. Wow, glad the dog was okay! I once clipped a cat (I cringe just thinking of it) but it was dark and it ran off so I have no idea what the outcome was :(

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  2. Jeez, what a heart attack. I'm glad the dog is okay. People should be careful about letting their dogs off-leash outside. Play is good and all, but it should be in a place where there are no cars.

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  3. After feeling enormous relief for the dog, this post infuriated me! I want to slap that dog owner silly. Not only was she negligent, risking the life of her dog by letting him off leash in a trafficked area, but how about your life? What if you'd had time to swerve? You could have hit another car, a tree, etc. That woman doesn't deserve to own a dog.

    VR Barkowski

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  4. Holy crap! That would give me such a sickly, shocked feeling. I hope the doggy was okay, but seems like he literally bounced back.

    I agree with VR though.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, that's about what I was feeling. I was so grateful the dog ran off.

      It looked like the dogs got out the front door, probably by running past the woman. I don't think she let them out. But that's just my opinion.

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  5. OMG Liz, that is pretty scary. Hope you've calmed down. These things happen SO unexpectedly ..glad pooches seemed to be ok.

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  6. I had something like that happen once, except it was a kid and not a dog. Fortunately I didn't hit him--which is a miracle because I was careening down this ridiculously steep hill. His mom came running out about thirty seconds after I screeched to a halt, and it's a miracle I had any brakes left after that. Whew! Crazy memories. I'm shaking from relating it.

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  7. oh.

    Yeah I know the feeling. *knock on wood* I've never hit a dog thank goodness. I try not to run over snakes and turtles even when they're in my lane.

    But possums, well know that is different. I'll drive into on-coming traffic to hit them. *not really. Just don't like 'em*

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