

The vet can also scan for an identification microchip. They can make sure the dog is taken to a veterinarian where it can receive care.

If possible, try to muzzle it with some type of fabric. A hurt and scared animal can become aggressive and lash out or bite. Move the animal only if you can do so safely and it's necessary to prevent further injury or possible accidents from cars swerving to avoid hitting it. If the dog is still alive, call for assistance and wait until help arrives.
#Is a dogs purpose still coming out driver#
The following steps are my understanding of what a driver should immediately do when his or her vehicle hits a domestic animal. My thanks to the Cumberland County, New Jersey SPCA (CCSPCA) for providing direction regarding this issue. Failing to find a reliable source on the web, I turned to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) in the hope that they would have a recommended procedure.

Some of the advice given on the internet seemed problematical, at best. What Should I Do After Hitting a Dog With My Car?Īn authoritative answer to that question proved surprisingly difficult to find. What, exactly, is a driver supposed to do when their vehicle hits (or, as in my case, is hit by) a dog, cat, or other domestic animal? What is he or she required to do? But as I continued to think back on this incident in the several years since it occurred, I became more and more disturbed that I had no idea what my legal obligations would be if I ran over a dog. Seeing that the dog was being cared for, I remained in my car and went on my way.īecause the apparent owners of the animal were on the scene, and immediately took charge of their pet, it seemed to me at the time that I had no further responsibility in the matter. Of course I jammed on the brakes, and as the car came to a stop, the children who had been playing on the sidewalk ran up to the injured animal, picked it up, and carried it away. But, oh so thankfully, it turned out to be a dog. For a terrifying moment, I thought I had hit a child. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shape hurtle off the sidewalk, into the street, and straight into my moving car.
