You stop and talk to the owner.
Maybe the owner didn’t know what happened, maybe the dog had internal injuries that it’s not presenting and needs to go to the vet.
The rest is secondary, an animal’s life is worth more then an insurance claim.
this post was submitted on 20 Aug 2024
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I plan on going back by later today.
That’s a day too late, should have been immediately.
Hopefully the dog is okay.
Can't change the past, only decide what to do in the future. I agree that it should have been done straight away but perfect shouldn't be the enemy of good, going back to check up on it is better than not doing anything.
If you hit someone's dog and you see that someone you have a responsibility to stop and let the owner know what happened, not debate with your child for a while and go home to post on a forum.
The dog could easily be bleeding out internally and time may be of the essence.
Did you actually read Pelicanen's reply? They're not disagreeing with you. I don't disagree either. The point they're making is that it's better late than never. Obviously doing the right thing in the first place is best, no one is saying otherwise.
Edit: if you're trying to argue that returning 'later today', as OP claims to plan to do, is too slow/late then that's a fair argument. That's not what your comment reads like though.
I agree that it should have been done straight away but perfect shouldn't be the enemy of good, going back to check up on it is better than not doing anything.
This is the part I disagree with.
Stopping, debating with to do with the child then going home to post on Lemmy is ridiculous.
Also OP had their own dog, I wonder what they would do if the situation was reversed.
Again, I don't think your actually understanding what is being said. Yes, that is ridiculous. We agree. However what has been done has already been done.
Time as we humans experience it moves only in one direction. We can not go back to change that. Time travel does not exist. So the question is what should be done going forward.
Attempting even the least harm reduction, while inferior to avoiding harm altogether, is better than no harm reduction. Should OP have done much better? Yes. Should they do something now rather than nothing at all? Also yes.
Thanks for the brief history of time, Stephen Hawking.
Stopping, debating with to do with the child then going home to post on Lemmy is ridiculous.
I absolutely agree. The right thing to do here is the hard and scary thing, but it is still the right thing. And the right thing is clear.
The thing that really gets me is the parent asking the child what the right move is. Fuck.
Everyone agrees. But that shit happened, and you are talking to OP in the now, not the past.
Almost all commenters, and especially everyone in this chain has agreed that stopping is the right thing to do. We've cleared that. It's settled business. Now what happens next? The right choice is to go back as soon as possible.
And by the way. You ARE responsible and need to help cover the vet bills.
For the law alone, you damaged another person's property.
From the moral standpoint, you insured someone's pet, a living being. You have absolutely a moral obligation to take responsibility.
And as a parent, you have a moral obligation to teach your children to take responsibility for your actions and mistakes. Even if it cost you.
Legally the dog owner is responsible.
Financially the dog owner is responsible.
Morally the dog owner is responsible for their pets wellbeing.
How could you get it so backwards? The dog owner failed to keep their dog safe and under control.
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It is the owners responsibility to keep the dog out of the road. There is zero legal or moral responsibility to cover any vet bills.
The only property damage that would even be considered is damage to the vehicle, which requires stopping, calling the police to file an accident report and then reporting the accident with documented damage to the car insurance company.
What an insane take.
If you go back, this random internet stranger is proud of you.
Personally, I would gone immediately. That said, it was a high stress, emotional, and scary situation. What's done is done, there's nothing that going back now would accomplish. If you really feel bad enough to go back and explain what happened, I would suggest a letter instead. Let's you get it off your chest, let's the owner know what happened, and doesn't risk a physical altercation because the owner is upset about you not stopping immediately.
If it makes you feel any better, I've had 3 dogs hit by cars. The first survived, the driver did not stop. A neighbor told us. The second was lost and it took me hours to find him because the driver did not stop. It was devastating, and frankly, I've never gotten over his death. He was small, though, and it was night. I work off the assumption the driver thought he was a opossum or raccoon or something.
The third was hit twice, both times the driver stopped. Both times the driver was just as upset as I was, and we comforted each other. It wasn't their fault. It was my fault for not staying in top of fence maintaince, or assuming because I live in the middle of nowhere that's it's safe to let them run. Most dog owners aren't going to blame you, unless you're driving recklessly or aiming for the dog.
You're okay. It's a horrible situation, but you didn't do it on purpose, you didn't do it out of malice. You're still a good person. Be nice to yourself and try to move past this.
Going back accomplishes being responsible.
You caused damage with your car. Damage to a life, but still, pets are considered property.
Edit also op was potentially damaged too. It's important to let the law handle it.
Driving off is the coward's path, it is also conditionally illegal. (Hit and run, property damage)
If you're worried for your safety, bring someone with you when you drop off your contact info.
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In the future do not turn to your kid to ask her what she thinks you should do, unless your kid is an adult.
For now, if there’s no way to help then there’s no way to help.
One option you have is to leave your contact info. Doing this will likely lead to some financial responsibility for the dog’s care.
Finally, when passing close next to a line of cars go very slowly so you can stop in the short time it takes an animal to cross that tiny distance to your car.
Dogs are fast though, and low. Forgive yourself for the slip-up.
It's okay to feel bad for the dog, but in which country would you be responsible for the vet costs, when it's the owners responsibility to keep the dog safe?
Edit: I would only approach the owner if you feel you can do so safety, you don't know how people will react, explain what happened and leave.
That is helpful. Thank you.
It's distressing seeing an animal injured, it's also infuriating seeing so many pets put at risk by their shit owners and it's just weird that people are posting telling you you're legally/financially/morally responsible.
I'm sorry, that's horrible. Did anyone else see what happened and stop? If so, chat to them first and see if they'd be comfortable backing you up on what happened (dog ran out, no time to react). Hopefully that's not needed, but you never know.
I saw that exact thing happen when the car in front of me hit a dog. Poor thing was dying on the road and I heard someone down the street whistling for their dog to come inside. I went and told them what happened, and made sure to say that the driver is distraught and absolutely could not have done anything to avoid the dog. Fucking sucks for everyone involved
I feel horrible. I think it didn't help having my daughter inside the car and the dog with me. I agree talking to the lady across the street and stopping back by to check in may be best.
You should tell us which legislation and society.
USA?
Dogs should be on the leash... Dogs running into car is owners problem. Short of them being able to prove you did this on purpose, there is nothing to worry about.
There is no benefit of trying to talk to the owner, only risk
I wonder why no one is saying that since the dog was not properly leashed, it is the dog owner who is at fault. In fact, he would be responsible to pay for any damages to your car.