Simply Grand Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 This afternoon I was driving to an appointment for work down a busy two lane (well two in each direction with wide median strip) road with an 80km speed limit. As I drove I realised a dog was jogging casually along the road towards me, weaving between the shoulder and the two lanes towards the traffic. Poor boy was an obviously cared for black boy, Rottie/maybe Dane looking... he was just jogging along but on a mission. I stopped mid-road for him and as soon as he was out of the way pulled over and got out to go after him. A lady had pulled over a bit behind me and I was walking up behind him in her direction. I tried calling him, he looked at me but then continued on his way. As I got closer to the other woman who'd pulled over he wandered into the middle of the road and stopped two lanes of traffic, about 8 cars in each lane. He stood still in the middle of the road as the lady near him called him and I ran up the shoulder towards them. No one in the stopped cars did anything! I wanted to yell out for SOMEONE to get out and try to get hold of him but despite already all being stopped no one did anything, and they wouldn't have heard me. As soon as he was out of their way they drove off. Eventually he ran over the median strip and across the other side of the road down to the lake area. I don't know what happened to him then but the RSPCA turned up and said they'd been trying to catch him for the last little while and that they'd called Domestic Animal Services. I hope he was ok :D I get that not everyone can/should stop for a wandering dog, but seriously out of the probably 60 cars that passed between when I first and last saw him, only me and 1 other lady stopped and tried?? And when he was standing there surrounded, with me and the other lady behind him no one from the cars stopped in front of him did anything! Apart from that, this morning I was driving next to a guy in a ute with two gorgeous long haired GSDs in the back. They were strapped to the ute frame with a chain attached to their collars. When we stopped at lights the younger dog was hanging half his body over the side of the ute, REALLY looking like he was trying to jump out. He was trying to get around to the window of the cab to get to his owner, or the cars next door, or something... When they moved off he was still hanging over the edge of the ute and trying to climb over the top of the cabin. I was terrified he'd either jump or fall out and be strangled :p Both dogs were moving around and barking. Um, maybe harnesses would be a good idea if you're going to have dogs on the back of a ute. Sigh... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsrawesome Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 i have helped a dog on the side of the road before looked like he fell out of a ute cause he had oil stains and a torn rope lead attached to him . He was fine though he got up and was walking fine i observed him to make sure he wasnt in any pain. Then i walked him to the rspca near my house, i never seen him up for adoptions so i just hope his owners found him :D . With the ute thing i almost experienced the same thing a ute was infront of me and my friend while she was driving and a car went down the opposite side of the road and also had a dog on the back. The one in the ute almost jumped to try and attack the other dog. I screamed but luckly his lead was short enough and he couldnt really jump out but jezz it made my heat jump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I really feel your pain. Once on my way home from work there was a dog weaving in and out of traffic on the Barton Highway roundabout! Now that roundabout is hard enough to navigate in a car let alone if you're a dog. People were BEEPING at him and swerving but NO-ONE got out to help. I pulled over and tried to catch him but he ran under the underpass and I couldn't find him :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simply Grand Posted February 11, 2011 Author Share Posted February 11, 2011 I really feel your pain. Once on my way home from work there was a dog weaving in and out of traffic on the Barton Highway roundabout! Now that roundabout is hard enough to navigate in a car let alone if you're a dog. People were BEEPING at him and swerving but NO-ONE got out to help. I pulled over and tried to catch him but he ran under the underpass and I couldn't find him :D Oh, silly silly dogs, why don't they have the instinct to steer clear of cars!?! I assume because we've domesticated them, which means we have a huge responsibility to them... That is one lucky dog to survive that roundabout, it's massive! It just seems to me that a loose dog isn't necessarily anyone's fault, especially not the dog's. But I think it's nice (and responsible) that some people will stop to help, for the safety of the dog and the public... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parkeyre Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I can absolutely understand your pain; this frustrates me to no end.. I stopped on my motorbike on one of our busy main roads during peak hour, to try and steer a brindle staffy type dog from continuing to walk along the road. When I pulled over and got off the bike; I asked a pair of people walking ten metres ahead of the dog if they knew where he came from. They said "Oh he's been following us for about 30minutes". I couldn't understand why they didn't call someone to collect the dog before it was runover. I locked up the bike; grabbed the dog and walked over to a quieter area and rang my other half. He came and got the dog and I met him at home. Turns out he was a she; and was really timid with the longest nails I've ever seen. We rang the RSPCA and they said they'd be an hour. I washed her, de-flead her, fed and watered her, did her nails and let her sleep in the bathroom. The RSPCA were about 20mins late. No one ever collected her either. RIP Little girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 The thought of my dogs getting loose and running across roads makes me sick, so I like to think at least someone (like you or me!) would at least try to catch them and help them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I live near the F3 that goes north. One weekend recently, I saw a ute travelling with two dogs in the back, one was a bully and he was constantly hanginghalf his body over the side. I honked my horn and pointed, the man and his wife just laughed at me and carried on, towards the F3. Took a note of the rego no. and called the police, it was so dangerous, roads were full of all sorts of vehicles and they were travelling in the middle lane with the dog half hanging over both sides of the ute at various times. People just make me sick, the more I know of them, the less I like. Why can't they realise they are lucky to own a dog and that dogs are precious, should be looked after as carefully as a kid. Would you let your kids run round the streets and in and out of traffic, hang out the car windows unrestrained? Not too many people would do that but seem happy enough to let dogs live (and die) like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danielle Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 I had something similar happen to me on NYE. Was coming home from the city and noticed a dog running on the center median strip of a main road. Someone had already pulled over and was trying to help. We pulled over aswell and tried calling and herding the dog to get it off the road. It was panting and shaking and was obviously scared from nye fireworks. Eventually he crossed the road and while I was trying my darndest to stop traffic he was hit by a taxi. People would not stop! I was standing in the middle of a main road at 2am waving my arms around signalling pol to stop but no one did. The dog got up and ran off, god knows what injuries he had. We couldn't find him after that and I never found out what happened to him. Poor little bloke. And I hate dogs in utes! It's an accident waiting to happen. When I was a kid my brothers mate came round with his new puppy, a 12 wk old blue cattle dog called Manson. I was about 12 yrs old and I remember this like it was yesterday, I was inside and heard squeaking, I went outside and saw this little tiny pup was tied up in the back of my brothers friends ute and had jumped and hung itself on the side of the tray. I raced over and lifted him up, he had blood pouring out of his mouth. I remember taking him inside and wrapping him up and trying to help him. At that point, brothers friend came and got pup off me and I never saw it again, I don't know what happened to it. Ever since that day I've hated seeing dogs in utes, it's so bloody dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dogsrawesome Posted February 11, 2011 Share Posted February 11, 2011 And I hate dogs in utes! It's an accident waiting to happen. When I was a kid my brothers mate came round with his new puppy, a 12 wk old blue cattle dog called Manson. I was about 12 yrs old and I remember this like it was yesterday, I was inside and heard squeaking, I went outside and saw this little tiny pup was tied up in the back of my brothers friends ute and had jumped and hung itself on the side of the tray. I raced over and lifted him up, he had blood pouring out of his mouth. I remember taking him inside and wrapping him up and trying to help him. At that point, brothers friend came and got pup off me and I never saw it again, I don't know what happened to it. Ever since that day I've hated seeing dogs in utes, it's so bloody dangerous. Oh that poor little puppy you have every right to hate it, if i witnessed that i would hate it even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovemymutts Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 I too have always been a believer in either having a secured cage on the back of a ute or a bolt with a very short chain in the middle so the dogs cannot reach the sides! It's not hard! When I was younger we were driving behind a ute with a Golden Retriever tied on, the dog was leaning over the side of the ute & I was having discussions with my father about how I don't agree with dogs on the backs of utes & that dog could fall off. Next minute the people drove around a bend & I witnessed the GR fall off the back of the ute in a 60 zone, the people kept driving, fur was flying everywhere as the dog was rolling around still attached by the rope. I thought for sure it would end up under one of the tyres. My father was beeping madly & I was crying & yelling, I don't remember it but in the end I must have punched the windscreen yelling STOP & the windscreen smashed . After what seemed like an eternity the people stopped, we pulled up behind & a man who had witnessed some of it came running over & asked if I was OK, I was crying & shaking uncontrollably & angry. My father wouldn't let me out of the car fearing what I might say/do to the people. The rope had just snapped & the people just got out the car, picked the dog up & put it back onto the ute & drove away!! I don't know what happened to the dog, I hope it got to see a vet, it would have had some nasty abrasions & maybe a broken limb or 2. I believe I was in shock for the rest of the day & had to take pills to sleep for the next couple of days. It would have to be one of, if not the worst thing I have seen in my life & ever since then I have told anyone I know with utes/dogs to secure them on properly. No dog should have to go through that type of trauma & neither should anyone have to witness it. & yes it is horrible that people do not stop in those circumstances, for a minute of their time to help save a life or prevent one from being taken. I have stopped numerous times for dogs/animals that have either been injured or endangered & every time I am angered by the ignorance & even some of the comments made by some of the people going past. It is not hard people!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 The thought of my dogs getting loose and running across roads makes me sick, so I like to think at least someone (like you or me!) would at least try to catch them and help them out. Ditto. We always stop. It would be hypocritical to hope someone stopped for ours and not stop for anyone else's. We have reunited three with their owners and had three run away from us. And one run away that ended up only being a couple of doors away from its house so it ran home. Who lets their dog roam without supervision even let alone a leash when they live 50m from a 6 lane arterial road?? We are not the only ones that stop, though. The other day there was a little dog on the road and we pulled over and so did another car and another one pulled over and then left again when they saw two of us were already on the case. The little dog ran away, though, and we couldn't catch it. Another time we saw a dog walking down the street on his own and we followed him around a corner where another person was trying to call him. Wasn't his dog, he said he was just worried about it. Don't get me started on utes. My ex lost a sheepdog on a trip into town. She jumped off for some reason and was dragged behind the ute on the road. By the time his dad realised something was wrong there was nothing left to save. What a senseless, sickening tragedy. I just can't forgive that negligence. How hard is it to imagine what could happen? I didn't even know they commonly did that with their dogs or I would have said something. Our dogs travel in the back seat on crash-tested seat belts with windows and doors locked! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diva Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 (edited) The ute thing is incredibly thoughtless and cruel and now thankfully against the law, dogs have to be secured so they can't go over the side. But I am not suprised a lot of people don't stop for a stray dog. Many people just aren't into animals, it wouldn't occur to them to try and handle a loose dog, they wouldn't think they could catch it, if they did they wouldn't know what to do with it and wouldn't want to be stuck with it, they wouldn't want it in their car, they'd be worried it would bite and they are in a hurry to get somewhere. I think we sometimes assume everyone likes dogs, many people just don't even have them in their frame of reference. Edited February 12, 2011 by Diva Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK_Blue Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 Our neighbours are real pieces of work, we only just moved here 6 months ago. They really neglect their dog and 4 cats. She openly admits that she opens her front gate and lets him out a night or two a month, because she reckons he gets 'toey' ... She said he returns home the next morning looking pleased with himself. The old neighbours on the other side of us which have lived there 40 odd years told us the rangers regularly attend their house due to complaints and their last two dogs were both hit and killed by cars right outside her house. And yet she still lets her dog out once- twice a month. We had to ring the rangers and make a barking complaint as the dog barks for 3 or 4 hours on end all during the night to the point it wakes our young kids up. Our neighbour's reply was, now every morning she takes her dog out on a leash to poo & pee on our front lawn, then she takes the dog back in after it's done its business. Of course she doesn't pick up after it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwenneth1 Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 My oh and son were on the way back from work, in front of them were was a 'flashy' ute with a cattle dog tied to the back. It's a shame the young lady who owned the dog did not measure the chain to ensure safety because much to the horror of my oh & son, the dog fell out going around the corner and proceeded to have it's back legs dragged along the ground at 80kms an hour. Flashing lights and a frantically beeping horn did not stop the ute, my oh speed up, overtook and stopped the car. The dogs back legs were a mess, the young lady promptly dissolved in tears but my family were in such a state that the oh let rip and sent her packing to a vet. It distressed my male family members to the exent that it was two days before my Husband told me what happened. My daughter had a busted friendship with a girl who's boyfriend's brothers tormented and abused her staffy (trying to turn him into a 'guard dog') to the exent the poor sod would urinate if he heard a male voice. My daughter had heated arguments with them to provide this poor dog with a kennel in winter-succeeded, then bedding in the kennel and so on it went. We offerd to take the dog because we felt so sorry for him even though we have enough dogs. He was pts because he broke his foot jumping off a ute onto concrete and they didn't have the money to have him treated-three weeks later they bought two new pedigree pups, a pom and a pug. Yes, we are collectively unimpressed how some people treat dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFenstar Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 A while ago I was wandering up to the shops and I saw a middle aged guy "walking" a little white fluffy dog. He was kinda dragging it along. When he got to the road the dog hesitated and he yanked the lead so hard the dog was lifted off the ground. When it landed it shrieked in pain and he continued to drag it across the road. The sound its poor little feet were making as it was dragged along was horrifying. I followed this guy, at a distance and worked out where he lived. That night I typed up a letter which basically said that I had witnessed how badly he had treated his dog and that if I ever saw him doing that to any animal ever again I would not hesitate in contacting the RSPCA. I also added that he must be very proud of himself treating a little dog in such a way. I put it in his letterbox the next day. I never saw them out walking again and I hope that he learned his lesson, but somehow I doubt it ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Willow Posted February 12, 2011 Share Posted February 12, 2011 When I worked at the RSPCA we had a lovely couple bring us a tiny little brindle staffy pup....no more than about 10 weeks old....they were very upset as they had found her on the side of a major highway, and people had been swerving around her but they were the only people who stopped ;) It was a very happy ending for this little one fortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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