Police dog struck by a car....What would you do?

[vs-eh?]

Apparently this person drove away...

On the news today was the story about a Toronto police dog (they actually, I think, refered to the dog as an officer at one point) that was struck by a car. There was a training exercise being carried out (with no doubt an obvious police presence), and for whatever reason something caught the dogs attention, it ran out onto the road and was struck...

The driver failed to remain.

As an animal lover in general, this is a sad story on any level. Now I'm no hardcore PETA activist or anything, I'm a carnivore to the core, but it brings up an interesting topic...

It is quite amazing to see that on real fire scenes (which, inevitably you will see the most emergent animal cases in EMS) the effort that police/fire/ambulance will take to "revive" an arrested or obviously sick animal. Something that basically none of us are formally educated in, but the improvisation, the effort, the "mouth to mouth" (read mouth to snout/nose) effort that would never ever be done on a human, is done often without hesitation on a cat or dog. I know people that can't look at animals being taken out of fire calls, or that may go on about how it is "too bad", far longer than any human death.

But back to the issue...It was raised in the news story what (if anything), this person who hit the dog should be charged with?

Accidents happen, cars hit dogs/cats/squirrels/birds/etc...Many times they are unavoidable. But most people realize they have hit something, be it a piece of wood or an animal. Most people would at least pause for a sec, pull over, and be "WTF, was that?" Now if you hit see you hit a wild small animal, and it's obviously dead. You may be like "Sh!t, that sucks", you may pause and reflect, and carry on. But if you hit a larger animal, and especially one that is more than likely domestic and a pet (read cat or dog) then perhaps something more should be done.

The officer in the news piece was too distraught to even speak on camera. Thankfully, it sounds like the dog will likely pull through.

I think the driver should be charged (at minimum) with fail to remain. If you hit a person and drive away (regardless of injuries) you will be charged. This is also regardless if the incident is deemed unavoidable. You chose to not use basic common sense and ignore laws, so you should be charged. All things being equal, it is a hit and run.

The police on the news were simply asking the person too identify themselves to police so things could be clarified and that they could let them know how the dog was doing. Nothing more, yet...

I'd like to see this dirtbag hit a deer or moose and keep driving off. That would be interesting...

[paramedicmike]

Police K9s *are* officers. They are referred to as the handler's "partner". They work for, and in conjunction with, the police. I'm glad to hear that the K9 should pull through.

I agree that, at a minimum, the driver should be charged with a hit and run. He hit an officer and left the scene.

There was a story floating around in my area about a medic who worked a dog pulled out of a house fire. Transported L&S to the emergency vet clinic. Dog still died but there was some good, and predictably humourous, publicity out of it.

And yeah. I'd like to see him try and drive off after going head to head with a moose. Like running into a brick wall!

-be safe.

[Guest DELETED]

DELETED

[bravofoxtrot]

Was there any indication that the animal was a police dog though? How would the driver have known?

[Dustdevil]

As an animal lover in general, this is a sad story on any level. Now I'm no hardcore PETA activist or anything, I'm a carnivore to the core, but it brings up an interesting topic...

It is quite amazing to see that on real fire scenes (which, inevitably you will see the most emergent animal cases in EMS) the effort that police/fire/ambulance will take to "revive" an arrested or obviously sick animal. Something that basically none of us are formally educated in, but the improvisation, the effort, the "mouth to mouth" (read mouth to snout/nose) effort that would never ever be done on a human, is done often without hesitation on a cat or dog. I know people that can't look at animals being taken out of fire calls, or that may go on about how it is "too bad", far longer than any human death.

Wow, you just described me to a T! I've never shed a single tear over a lost patient. But animal suffering just tears me apart. Everytime I have stopped to help an animal, I spent the rest of the day in tears.

As for the question at hand, I really don't know. As much as I love animals, I also understand the reluctance that many people naturally have to stop. Stop and do what? Call 911? They won't come. If they do, their only concern is keeping traffic moving. Some communities are blessed with an excellent Animal Services department who will respond quickly to pick up the animal and either transport it to a vet (during business hours) or euthanize it in extreme cases. But that is the exception, not the rule. So what is a driver to do if he or she stops? How do you determine who the animal belongs to? In many cases, they belong to nobody, so searching is futile. How does the driver help the animal with no training? And how does one do so without becoming a victim of the frightened animal's bite or struggling? Not to mention the other dangers. We had a young girl stop here to help a stricken dog and got run over herself in the process. I've come close to being hit myself while helping an animal.

It is easy to come to the emotionally reactionary conclusion that these people are heartless criminals, but in many cases it is just not so. They are genuinely scared people who simply don't know what to do and are afraid of what they will see. It's the same thing that keeps some people from going to a friend's funeral. It's the same thing that keeps people out of EMS. It's just the way some people are. They aren't criminals. They're just human.

Of course, I also recognize that there are some heartless bastards out there. But how do we know who is who? I just don't think it is feasible to drag them all into court to sort them out. I wish it were. But I don't think it is.

[vs-eh?]

Was there any indication that the animal was a police dog though? How would the driver have known?

In the end it is irrelevant if the person knew it was a police dog or not. Though, potentially given the footage that I saw of the area they were in and the 2-3 cruisers that were shown, it might have made ever more of a difference. It seemed to me that again all things being equal, if you were driving along and saw some "police activity" in the area, you'd be like hmmmm. Then you strike something on the road, see in your rearview it was a dog, you might be "Oh, sh!t I just hit a police dog!". It is reasonable, then as Dust says it adds to the fear and you drive away. I highly doubt that the officers who were handling this dog were too far away when they saw/realized that the pooch had be hit, but obviously far enough away to not get a plate.

Unless this person was driving a semi or something huge, they would have realized they hit a dog and should have stopped stopped. They would have been met soon by police officers, apologized, and things would have been dealt with.

I see Dust's points on all levels.

[medik8]

Just plain sad.....I love animals too....and would do anything to help save one.

[Guest CHP medic]

Hey VS, not sure about the hit and run laws in Canada, but according to CA laws it does sound like misdimeanor hit and run. Although it sounds like the driver probably wasn't at fault, you are required to stop at any collision involving injury or property damage. BTW dogs are considered property, in CA.

[Nate]

If your on the streets long enough your going to end up working a pet in some way shape or form IMHO.

[Guest Beegers]

It's fucked up... The driver should be charged at least with a hit and run like others said. I watch the animal shows on television and pet laws should be more strict and enforced heavier than what they are now. It's truely sad.

My animals are a part of my family...We even joke around as referring to them as siblings...(I lived half my life with our dog Lefty)...I'd be torn apart if and when something happens to him.

Same for our cats...Nala, I was there for her birth...her mother kept following me around the house when she was in labor. I had to sit next to the box the entire night as she gave birth to 3 babies. Wednesday, our other cat, we rescued from the streets and nursed back to health and is the most well behaved cat you can see (she doesn't eat table food and is content staying indoors).