I was a block from home heading to work today.  I saw a black lab (like I owned when I was young) running down the sidewalk like it had just escaped from his owner.  I was going through the intersection very slowly and watching the dog carefully.  There was a woman on the opposite side sidewalk who was saying something to the dog and I thought "You idiot - the dog is going to run across the road to you now". And of course he did.  He ran in front of my car and the oncoming car didn't see him and the dog ran into the car and under it and then bounced back out in front of my car.  I screamed a little horrified scream and started to get out to look for the dog (and yes I'm in the middle of the intersection) and cars have stopped all around us.  The other driver got out.  With tears welling up in my eyes, I asked him where the dog was.  He said that it had run back to the house on the corner of the intersection.  The woman from the sidewalk yelled to the woman at the house "Your dog was just hit by a car!".  The owner's response was... "Oh.  Well he's running so... whatever."  Everyone was stunned.  I asked the other driver if he was ok and he said, "Yes but I can't believe that dog is able to move". 

I know how he felt.  A few years ago I had a black lab literally run into my car as I was swerving into oncoming traffic and trying to stop and not hit him.  He hit the side of my car, bounced over the hood and took off.  I spent the next half hour trying to find the people who owned him.  When I finally did they were completely disinterested in what had happened.

And all I can think about is my black lab, Blackberry, who got away from my dad and was hit and died in my mother's arms.

 

Some people shouldn't be allowed to have pets. There was one guy who, (two separate times!) on my way home from work, his dog, who was never on a leash, ran into the street in front of my car. He acted like he didn't even care, he wasn't calling the dog or anything. Just standing there watching him and smoking a cigarette. Now, I know I live in the country and all, but that's ridiculous.

Why do people like that even get a pet in the first place? I'll never understand that.