We had a tragic event in our family Jan. 31. My children and husband were in the front yard with our dogs, Maggie who is 5 years old and Chloe who is 5 months old. The puppy wriggled away from my 9-year-old son and darted into the street to go play with some children walking by on the other side of the street. She was hit and killed by a car that was traveling faster than the speed limit. My children were right there screaming the puppy’s name, trying to stop her. The saw their baby get hit.

I am writing this letter because the driver kept going. We are talking about a 35-pound puppy. They had to know they hit her. And worse yet my children were right there, and there is just no way they didn’t see the children. What kind of world do we live in when people don’t have the decency to stop. Our puppy derseved help, but more than that, my children deserved some thought.

It is my understanding that it is required by law that we stop if we hit any animal. But more than that, I would think a person would want to stop and at the least say how sorry they were. I want everyone to give thought to the fact that the animal they hit is probably the member of someone’s family. It isn’t just the animal that was hit. There is a family attached to that animal in many cases.

I know that there are also strays and wild animals that are hit, but even they deserve more than to just be left by the side of the road.

Chloe was the light and laughter in our days. My children are devastated. I want people to know that they need to stop, or at the least call the accident in. I have never heard of anyone in trouble with the law for having hit an animal. Why are people so insensitive? I expect better from the human race.

Lori Guthrie,
Madera

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