8 in 10 motorists admit they’d break the law if they injured a dog while driving
A Bournemouth couple whose beloved dog was killed by a motorist are calling on drivers to do their legal duty in the event of an accident
Dog-owners in Dorset are begging drivers to call police or inform owners if they hit a pet with their car.
It comes as 16% of drivers admitted they would prioritise their journey over the wellbeing of the stricken animal.
Dominica Sojka, who lost her 10-month-old pup in June this year, said: “I was in shock and hoping that she was still alive but then I got a very sad call from the vet and they said she didn't make it.
“It was very painful because we didn’t get our closure and where she was hit and if she died in pain.”
It is estimated that 80,000 dogs and 230,000 cats are hit by a car on UK roads every year.
More than half of drivers said they would stop their vehicle and take the wounded dog to a vet while one in six said they would knock on nearby homes to find the dog’s owner.
Despite acting in good faith, most drivers would be breaking the law by not calling the police at the roadside,
Under UK Law, a driver who hits a dog must stop and report the accident to the police – however, the same legal requirement does not apply if a cat is involved.
Dominica’s partner, Ian Clague said: “We know someone brought her into the vets but we couldn’t find out who because of data protection which leaves a cloud of uncertainty.
“We just want to say that in our case we aren’t looking to prosecute anyone, all we were looking for was peace of mind and to know what happened.”
Research by the Blue Cross found 86% of motorists would not call the police if they injured a dog and no owner was in sight – with that number rising to 91% in young drivers aged 18 to 24.
Now, a new road safety initiative has been launched encouraging drivers and pet owners to be more alert to risks on the road, especially as winter approaches.
Dominica said: “There isn’t any awareness in the UK, that it’s your legal duty to call the police when you hit a dog.
“If a situation ever arises, there are also ways you can help the dog, just by taking it to the vets might even be enough to save the dog’s life.”
Six months on from the tragedy, the couple are left with a cruel mix of loss, injustice and many, questions about what happened on that fateful summer evening.