Last week, we witnessed a road accident involving a motorcycle and a dog in the middle of the night. Even though it's part of the National Highway going north, the area where it happened has insufficient streetlights. In addition to that, that very road is surrounded by residential houses.
According to the witnesses, the motorcycle was fast. He saw the dog crossing the road, but it was too late to hit the brake. He lost his balance while trying not to hit the poor animal.
As a result, the motorcycle rider fell from his bike in the middle of the highway and sustained injuries. The dog? It still got hit and died on the spot.
We stopped at the scene and helped the rider. There we realized that he was drunk. I asked the bystanders if they owned or at least knew the dog and its owners. According to them, the dog must have come from one of the houses in the inner parts of the area. Unfortunately, I had no luck tracking the owners down.
Who’s to Blame
The most obvious answer is the drunk motorcycle rider. If only he didn't drink or he had driven carefully that night, there would be no accident.
On the other hand, if the dog's owner had been responsible enough to keep his dog safely secured at home, none of this would've happened.
I don't understand these people who can sleep peacefully while their pets' lives are at stake outside their properties. They could easily say that the dog had escaped in the middle of the night. If their house or fences aren't designed to secure anything or anyone inside them, then why did they get a pet in the first place? Shouldn't this be a priority if they care about their dog's welfare?
I still get devastated whenever I remember that accident. My heart broke because of what happened to the dog. This is a classic example of a dog owner's negligence.
If only these universal rules were followed, there wouldn’t be any problems:
1. Don't drink and drive.
2. No overspeeding, especially in areas with residential houses. Using a modern car GPS while driving, you'll learn the speed limit in specific areas you're passing through, even if you know the way. Even if you're on the main highway, the speed limits are different/lower in areas where houses are built on the roadside.
3. “Aso Mo, Itali Mo” (Leash Your Dog). This is the government's official slogan, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should keep your dogs on a leash 24/7. The main idea is to always keep your dogs inside your property. Whenever they have to go out to do their business, accompany and walk them with a leash.
4. Always practice Responsible Pet Ownership. There are many rules here, but most are common sense.
1. Don't drink and drive.
2. No overspeeding, especially in areas with residential houses. Using a modern car GPS while driving, you'll learn the speed limit in specific areas you're passing through, even if you know the way. Even if you're on the main highway, the speed limits are different/lower in areas where houses are built on the roadside.
3. “Aso Mo, Itali Mo” (Leash Your Dog). This is the government's official slogan, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should keep your dogs on a leash 24/7. The main idea is to always keep your dogs inside your property. Whenever they have to go out to do their business, accompany and walk them with a leash.
4. Always practice Responsible Pet Ownership. There are many rules here, but most are common sense.
For me, it's never the dogs fault. It's the owner or the community where the dog lives should be responsible. Then it's the driver's fault as he was drunk. Sadly lives were lost because of irresponsible people. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteMe, my wife, and my 6 year old daughter met with an accident today. A normal road, normal speed (under 30 kms per hour), a normal driver (not drunk; just had breakfast), and a normal 2 wheeler. We still rammed into a stray that suddenly crossed our path. It was running on the opposite side of the road, and changed course just like that. I never got a chance to hit the break. I think the drivers are not always at fault!
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