On Monday, Sept. 18, a golden lab named Barney was struck by a small white pickup truck in the vicinity of 189th Place and 45th Drive N.E. in the Walnut Ridge housing development in Arlington near the Arlington Airport trail system.
I am Barneys pet sitter, and I too drive a small white pickup and was due to arrive to take Barney out for a run at the approximate time that he was hit. Barney is kept on a leash or confined to his backyard, but he managed to escape when his wheelchair-bound owner was attempting to exit the house.
Barney did manage to make it home. When I arrived, he crawled to me. Ill never forget his cries of pain, or the sight of his raw underbelly from the road rash, or the look of shock and terror in his eyes.
Dogs being hit by cars are the number one most preventable emergency accident that occurs. In a perfect world, dogs would not escape from their homes, and dog owners would not allow their dogs to run rampant in rural areas. In a perfect world, a driver who hits a dog would do what is morally right and pull over and at least make an effort to get aid for a helpless, injured animal instead of speeding up and driving off, which is what happened in Barneys case.
All dogs are excited by motion, as they perceive it as moving prey. Some dogs are genetically designed to chase and herd, so they dont understand the danger cars represent. If a driver sees a loose dog, they should slow down if it can be done without causing an accident. If they hit a dog, they should get it aid instead of leaving it to suffer hopelessly along a roadway.
Susie Ewing
Arlington