A horrible tragedy happened the other day on my quiet residential street (between Old Cutler Road and Almansa Street) in Coral Gables. It’s a friendly street where many people ride bikes, walk dogs,, take daily walks and where the neighborhood children play.
But on this day, something went terribly wrong. On this day, I was walking my dogs down the street like I have done every day, 3 times a day for the past 20 years. But on this day a woman, who I would later learn rents a house on our street, driving in her new Volvo SUV plowed right into us. All three dogs were knocked to the ground. I know one of them rolled all the way over because in my shock, I remember picking road debris off his back. None of them moved for what seemed like an eternity. I thought she had killed them all.
Two eventually got up and other than some minor cuts, shock and emotional trauma they were deemed OK by the veterinarian at the hospital. I don’t know how I wasn’t hit since I was right in the middle of my pack-and I guess like many who have gone through a trauma, I wish it had been me instead. But it wasn’t me and My sweet boy Taz never got up. His screams will forever haunt me.
The woman got out of her car as I was running to her while screaming and she calmly said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you”. How can someone in broad daylight, on a shaded street, in an SUV if she was watching the road not see a woman walking three dogs? I can only believe that she WASN’T watching the road…I can only assume that she was texting. I guess I’ll never know. She didn’t get a ticket since there were no witnesses, and because she only killed a dog (considered to be nothing more than personal property in the state of Florida). To me though, they are my children. Taz WAS my child.
Enough time has gone by now that my two surviving dogs don’t seem to even remember the trauma. I, however, will never forget.
Taz’ shrieks of pain and broken bones as he lay limp in the street are forever etched in my mind.
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