A Horrible Thing

Hunter and I took a walk this morning. Just like we do every morning. Same route as always. We were walking down a semi-busy street. It doesn't have bad traffic, but it's nearly impossible at 8 AM to have no cars driving past you as you walk down the road. Here in Hobbs, there aren't many dogs around. People keep them penned up in backyards, and that's only about 5 of the 100 houses I walk by every morning. This morning, as we walked down the road, I saw someones little lapdog playing in a yard with another dog, or possibly a cat. I've seen this dog before, it belongs to an older woman who lives in one of the 5 houses on that side of the street. The houses are clumped together, littered with broken cars, junk, and a few signs warning trespassers. It's not a very welcoming part of the neighborhood. I have only seen that woman and her dog out once, and that one time, her dog did choose to follow us barking down the sidewalk for a while. But this morning, the dog was outside her fence, alone. Hunt and I were walking on the opposite side of the street and I thought that would deter the dog from crossing over to us. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The dog decided to step out into the street and barrel toward us just as a car came rushing by. There was no time for the car to stop. Or swerve. I couldn't do anything to prevent it. What's worse, is that I could do nothing to help. The car that hit the dog didn't stop. Neither did the other three cars that came by right after. I couldn't let Hunt get close to it and there was no place to tie him up. No one was around, and I couldn't figure out how to get to the woman's house. I didn't know what to do. I had just seen a horrible thing and no one could help me. I eventually walked away because I simply didn't how to help. I was afraid of finding the woman, afraid she would be mad at me for her dog's death. When I finally walked away, I just broke down crying. I couldn't even get the dog off the road because I couldn't let my dog go for fear that he would get hurt or just be annoying while I moved the dog away. I wanted to be home so I could call my mom. I called the Police as well, and asked them if they could send Animal Control to the house and take care of it, and I found out that someone already called it in.

I felt so bad. I still feel bad. I know it's not my fault. That I didn't cause that dog to chase us, nor was there anything I could have done differently. But I will never forget the sounds I heard when it happened and the way the poor dog died before my eyes. I've seen animals die, but never like this. This was violent and done to a pet. Not to livestock raised for food and done with as much humanity as possible. I feel bad for the woman who lost her dog, even if it's an animal I pretty much despise. Maybe, hopefully, next time will end happily. And the lesson I learn is: Never let your pets run loose.