The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
‘The howl was unreal’: Owner’s horror as dog killed in hit-and-run
Family’s pet ‘wrapped round the wheel’ after she escaped from house
A dog owner has told of her horror after her pet was killed by an alleged hit-andrun motorist.
Gemma Hunter said six-monthold Trinity was “wrapped round the wheel” of the car during the incident on Saturday morning.
Despite rushing her beloved pet to a vet, Trinity could not be saved and was put to sleep the same day.
Gemma, 19, said the lurcher pup escaped from her home on Maxtone Terrace, Gilmerton, near the busy A85.
She said: “My partner had gone out on his bike and the door hadn’t been shut properly. I went out the back but just as I came in I saw Trinity run out the front door.
“I chased after her to get her. I was running down the hill to try to catch her, waving my arms to try and get the attention of traffic because I could see her running towards the road.
“She got struck by the car and was wrapped round the wheel, which spat her out. The howl that she let out was unreal and there was blood pouring from her. The driver hopped out and said ‘I didn’t see her, I’m sorry’ but in all the commotion he slipped away and drove off.
“One woman – I have no idea who she is – offered to take me to the vet, so I scrambled into her car. Unfortunately the vet said she was in a really bad way and it was in her best interests to put her down. It’s the most heartbreaking decision we’ve ever made.”
She added that Trinity – who lost a leg as a young pup due to an infection – had helped her through a difficult period of depression.
“We bought Trinity to bring some more light into the family,” she said.
“And she did – she brought lots of light and joy into the family. She’s the best dog we’ve ever had.”
A Police Scotland spokeswoman confirmed they are investigating, adding: “We received a report of a road traffic collision involving a car and a dog in the Maxtone Terrace area of Gilmerton. The incident happened around 11.15am on Saturday December 21 2019. Inquiries are ongoing.
“Anyone with any information about this incident should contact police on 101 quoting incident number 1735 of December 21.”
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The vet said she was in a really bad way and it was in her best interests to put her down. GEMMA HUNTER