Redditor Asks If They Were Wrong For Yelling At Their Neighbor Whose Dog Was Just Killed By A Car

"I tried very hard to get her to stop letting her dogs get out of the yard and I knew this would happen."

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• August 2, 2023

Being a dog owner comes with significant responsibilities. It's a commitment that requires time, energy, and dedication. The importance of these responsibilities escalates in urban environments where there are added risks like traffic, lack of green spaces, and larger populations.

Notably, one of the major duties a pet owner carries is ensuring the safety of their pet. It involves measures like secure housing, proper leashing, and training to prevent accidents.

Unfortunately, some dog owners fail to realize the gravity of these obligations until it's too late, and a tragic event unfolds. In OP's case, their neighbor, Jan, failed to secure her dogs - a German Shepherd and its five puppies - which frequently escaped and roamed their busy city street.

Despite OP and other neighbors expressing their concern for the dogs' safety due to the traffic, Jan dismissed their worries, maintaining that her dogs were friendly. But the issue wasn't the dogs' behavior, it was the potential for them to be hit by a speeding car - a fear also held by OP's mother-in-law, who noted that the GSD had been escaping for years.

The situation persisted, and in a tragic turn of events, one of the dogs was hit and killed by a car. In the aftermath, OP confronted Jan, blaming her for the dog's preventable death. Despite feeling guilty for yelling at a grieving Jan, OP is left frustrated and heartbroken over the tragic and avoidable incident.

OP asks:

OP's neighbor, Jan, failed to secure her dogs - a German Shepherd and its five puppies - which frequently escaped and roamed their busy city street.

Despite OP and other neighbors expressing their concern for the dogs' safety due to the traffic, Jan dismissed their worries

In a tragic turn of events, one of the dogs was hit and killed by a car.

In the aftermath, OP confronted Jan, blaming her for the dog's preventable death.

OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the a-hole:

"If you don’t care about your dogs safety then you simply don’t care about your dog."

She is directly responsible for the death of her dog.

After been told again and again she continued to disregard the possible dangers

The crocodile tears do not help now

Let us all hope that this tragedy will make the neighbor realize the dangers and act

The bottom line is:

This situation is a tragic reminder of the critical responsibilities that come with owning a pet. It's deeply distressing that Jan's negligence led to such a preventable tragedy.

It's not about the dogs being friendly or not; it's about their safety, which was blatantly disregarded. OP's reaction, while seemingly harsh amidst Jan's grief, stemmed from a place of frustration over a loss that could have been avoided with responsible pet ownership.

We can only hope that this painful incident serves as a wake-up call for Jan and other pet owners who might underestimate the importance of their pets' safety. The fact is, being a responsible pet owner is non-negotiable; the well-being of these innocent creatures depends on it.

Damjan