‘I wish I could have done more’ to save dog
A gallant attempt to save a dog left injured on the side of the road in Richmond came to a tragic end.
Jeff Rai was hopeful the injured German shepherd he found lying prone on No. 5 Road near Westminster Highway during rush hour Monday night would survive.
“I wish I could have done more,” said Rai Tuesday, after learning the dog died from its injuries.
Rai was on his way home Monday when he saw cars in front of him swerve to avoid something on the road. When he saw it was a dog that had been hit, he pulled over, not wanting it to become roadkill.
“I knew he was still alive,” said Rai. “Another car could have come and run over his leg or head and the next thing he’ll be a pizza on the side of the street.”
The incident was captured in a dash cam video Rai’s son had uploaded to YouTube.
In the video, Rai could be seen stroking the animal, then jumping in fright when the dog seemed to snap at him. “I tried to calm him down. I told him many times ‘I’m trying to help you,’ but every time I touched him he growled.”
He tried to drag the animal to the side of the street. A woman stopped to help, taking off her scarf to gently muzzle the dog. The pair then dragged the prone animal on to the snowy sidewalk.
Rai left the dog in the care of the other concerned passersby because he had to go home to his disabled son. He reported the incident to RCMP and returned later to try to find out what happened.
He found out about the dog’s death Tuesday morning.
Eyal Lictmann, CEO of the Richmond Animal Protection Society, which is responsible for animal control in the city, said there was no lack of concerned citizens who wanted to do something for the injured German shepherd.
The society was flooded with about 100 calls about the incident, including one from the person driving the vehicle that hit the dog.
An animal control officer was dispatched immediately, said Lictmann. When the officer arrived, the dog had already died. The dog, which was wearing a collar and was licensed, was taken to the shelter, where the owners were contacted.
Roadkill incidents involving domestic animals are rare, said Lictmann. Most calls the society gets about injured or dead animals on the streets involve wildlife, such as raccoons, squirrels or coyotes.
Lictmann said the driver who struck the dog also knocked on some homes in the neighbourhood trying to find the dog’s owner.
“Everyone did what they could to save the dog as much as possible,” he said. “But it is a sad, tragic outcome.”