The dog I ran over today

[soc]

So you just left it in pain ??

Sicko

You're joking, right? I don't think you have a clue about vet care out in the countryside in Thailand. There wasn't a vet in a 300 kilometer radius who could have performed emergency surgery or would have been equiped to euthanize the dog. The only "humane" thing I could have done would have been to back up and put it out of its misery. Would that have met with your approval?

l've unintentionally run over both cats & dogs.

lf they were still alive & beyond help then l put them out of their misery.

You should have killed the dog.

[Morakot]

You should have killed the dog.

How?

[Morakot]

Horrible cruel ,selfish man.

The cruel ones are those who keep feeding them, prolonging the unnecessary suffering of the stray dogs as they reproduce.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Morakot

[jobin]

If in a more civilized land euthanizing the dog with a club or shovel in your hand may have been a good idea. Here, and in other places, once you admit to first harming the dog the local people might be on you for compensation, even for committing some kind of criminal act. Those folks of course may never have seen the dog before, but they know a fancy ATM card when they see one. And every farang represents cash-in-hand, for those that play the card right.

IMO, offer a silent prayer for the the unfortunate dog, and drive on.

I would ask some posters here, those who find great fault with the OP, if they have ever passed a beggar on the street, turned their eyes, and walked on?

[cornishcarlos]

You should have killed the dog.

How?

Read it some TV threads, it would have died pretty quickly...

[Saan]

You're joking, right? I don't think you have a clue about vet care out in the countryside in Thailand. There wasn't a vet in a 300 kilometer radius who could have performed emergency surgery or would have been equiped to euthanize the dog. The only "humane" thing I could have done would have been to back up and put it out of its misery. Would that have met with your approval?

Yes.

[mad mary]

If in a more civilized land euthanizing the dog with a club or shovel in your hand may have been a good idea. Here, and in other places, once you admit to first harming the dog the local people might be on you for compensation, even for committing some kind of criminal act. Those folks of course may never have seen the dog before, but they know a fancy ATM card when they see one. And every farang represents cash-in-hand, for those that play the card right.

IMO, offer a silent prayer for the the unfortunate dog, and drive on.

I would ask some posters here, those who find great fault with the OP, if they have ever passed a beggar on the street, turned their eyes, and walked on?

I wouldnt have a problem putting a injured ,suffering dog out of its misery but a beggar I draw the line.

[Gecko123]

Maybe I should have crept up on the dog, grabbed it, swung it around by its hind legs, and smashed its skull against the nearest cement post. Never mind that in the process I would likely have sustained a vicious bite by the terrified animal. I'm sure the guard, the three or four customers sitting outside, and the counter girls and mechanics who stopped working and wandered over or looked out the window to see what all the commotion was about would all have been saying, "Wow, that farang, what a compassionate, caring and loving man he is!' You ever have the experience where you think you're talking to a total stranger, and it turns out they know exactly who you are? That happens to me a lot. I always assume that word will get around. If I had put the dog out of its misery, I'm sure I would be branded as a monster who murdered a dog in cold blood for the fun of it. The next time I came for an oil change, I doubt the counter girls would be flirting with me. There's no way that would have been seen as a good thing. What we might universally think of as an act of compassion, wouldn't necessarily be viewed the same way by Thais.

Or maybe I should have gotten on the phone, called Bumrungrad Hospital's vet unit, and told them to send a medivac chopper STAT. Emptied my retirement accounts to pay for whatever care the dog required. No wait, doesn't Abu Dhabi have a world renowned vet hospital? Didn't the Shah of Iran sent one of his poodles there for cancer treatment? Microscopic nerve surgery, electric pulse therapy, leg casts, physical therapy, rehabilitation strength training. I should have called Kyoto University or MIT and gotten them started working on some doggie robotic legs. Spare no expense. I don't care what it takes. It's probably too late for the mutt I hit, but the next dog I hit is going to get the royal treatment. Promise. I just imagine presenting the rehabilitated dog to it's owners, subtly letting it be known that I had spent 2MM baht ensuring the dog's recovery, only to meet the owner's emaciated daughter dressed in threadbare rags, confused why I had wasted so much money on a dog that they didn't really even think of as belonging to them.

Also, as another poster mentioned, these dogs are quite resilient and you can't always tell how lasting the injury is going to be. I can't tell you how many times I've either seen or heard doggie collisions, thinking there's no way the dog could have survived, only to find out the dog survived just fine. Even though I'll be the first to admit it didn't look too good for the dog, I can't say for sure it wouldn't have survived.

I live in what's considered rural Thailand. The Isuzu dealership is about 50 km away from my house. I have owned various dogs over the past 7 years, and know all the vets in my area and what limits each has to the sophistication of the care they can provide.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Gecko123

[Sutty]

Maybe I should have crept up on the dog, grabbed it, swung it around by its hind legs, and smashed its skull against the nearest cement post. Never mind that I would likely have been viciously bitten by the terrified animal in the process. I'm sure the guard, the three or four customers sitting outside, and the counter girls and mechanics who stopped working and wandered over or looked out the window to see what all the commotion was about would all have been saying, "Wow, that farang, what a compassionate, caring and loving man he is!' You ever have the experience where you think you're talking to a total stranger, and it turns out they know exactly who you are? That happens to me a lot. I always assume that word will get around. If I had put the dog out of its misery, I'm sure I would be branded as a monster who murdered a dog in cold blood for the fun of it. The next time I came for an oil change, I doubt the counter girls would be flirting with me. There's no way that would have been seen as a good thing. What we might universally think of as an act of compassion, wouldn't necessarily be viewed the same way by Thais.

Or maybe I should have gotten on the phone, called Bumrungrad Hospital's vet unit, and told them to send a medivac chopper STAT. Emptied my retirement accounts to pay for whatever care the dog required. No wait, doesn't Abu Dhabi have a world renowned vet hospital? Didn't the Shah of Iran sent one of his poodles there for cancer treatment? Microscopic nerve surgery, electric pulse therapy, leg casts, physical therapy, rehabilitation strength training. I should have called Kyoto University or MIT and gotten them started working on some doggie robotic legs. Spare no expense. I don't care what it takes. It's probably too late for the mutt I hit, but the next dog I hit is going to get the royal treatment. Promise. I just imagine presenting the rehabilitated dog to it's owners, subtly letting it be known that I had spent 2MM baht ensuring the dog's recovery, only to meet the owner's emaciated daughter dressed in threadbare rags, confused why I had wasted so much money on a dog that they didn't really even think of as belonging to them.

Also, as another poster mentioned, these dogs are quite resilient and you can't always tell how lasting the injury is going to be. I can't tell you how many times I've either seen or heard doggie collisions, thinking there's no way the dog could have survived, only to find out the dog survived just fine. Even though I'll be the first to admit it didn't look too good for the dog, I can't say for sure it wouldn't have survived.

I live in what's considered rural Thailand. The Isuzu dealership is about 50 km away from my house. I have owned various dogs over the past 7 years, and know all the vets in my area and what limits each has to the sophistication of the care they can provide.

So according to your OP there is no vet within 300km now it's 50km and you know all the vets in the area anyone of which could have put the dog to sleep. Edited January 15, 2016 by Sutty

[bazza40]

Unfortunately, in Thailand there are many dogs running around loose without obvious owners. And they tend to lie where they shouldn't.

I'm not going to get judgmental about what the OP should have done, because one doesn't know for sure unless they are placed in the same situation.

[cornishcarlos]

Bet he wished he'd never posted now

Not sure what the actual point of the OP was anyway !

[bkk6060]

I have run over 2. I stopped driving.

Edited January 15, 2016 by bkk6060

[bazza40]

Who cares about dogs ...... they're just bigger rats (in Thailand).

OP did the right thing. Up to the Thai guard to do anything, if he wanted.

You probably don't like them because they might snap at your heels when you are riding one of your four bicycles.

I think it was Arthur C. Clarke who suggested an alien intelligent species could well judge the human race by its treatment of animals.

[vogie]

Congratulations!!! One less mutt to deal with.....can I get you to drove on my Soi???????

Seems to me that stoneyboy is your best bet, higher head count.

[MickGC]

No problem up my neck of the woods. That night the guard would have invited his mates around for a BBQ and Lao Khao piss up.

[Gecko123]

So according to your OP there is no vet within 300km now it's 50km and you know all the vets in the area anyone of which could have put the dog to sleep.

Should I be 'lawyering up' here, officer?

To give you an idea of my thinking on this issue, the most sophisticated vet I have used is Saraburi Veterinarian Hospital.

As an example, they have equipment to measure a dog's kidney function. After accidentally drinking some fertilizer laced water, my dog had off-the-graph kidney failure. The topic of euthanizing Deedo was discussed with the vet. The vet basically refused to provide this service. While I have not had occasion to specifically discuss euthanasia with any of the other five vets I have used in my area, I would be very surprised if any of them would be willing to provide such services. If you or anyone else is aware of a vet who provides this service, would be grateful if you or they would pass the name along for future reference.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Gecko123

[connda]

No intent, no blame. You feel remorse. Send loving-kindness. That about the best you can do. It was the dog's time to get it's ticket punched. You were just the unknowing puncher.

[Tchooptip]

Years ago in the countryside I ran unintentionally on a pair of ducks, yes two at the same time... we ate both of them,

On the same road I also ran into a hare ...we ate it too.

[connda]

Who cares about dogs ...... they're just bigger rats (in Thailand).

OP did the right thing. Up to the Thai guard to do anything, if he wanted.

You probably don't like them because they might snap at your heels when you are riding one of your four bicycles.

I think it was Arthur C. Clarke who suggested an alien intelligent species could well judge the human race by its treatment of animals.

The aliens would think I'm pretty advanced. I probably have the best trained and cared for animals in the Amphur. The aliens would probably just eat me instead of the dogs.

Edited January 15, 2016 by connda

[Sutty]

So according to your OP there is no vet within 300km now it's 50km and you know all the vets in the area anyone of which could have put the dog to sleep.

Should I be 'lawyering up' here, officer?

To give you an idea of my thinking on this issue, the most sophisticated vet I have used is Saraburi Veterinarian Hospital.

As an example, they have equipment to measure a dog's kidney function. After accidentally drinking some fertilizer laced water, my dog had off-the-graph kidney failure. The topic of euthanizing Deedo was discussed with the vet. The vet basically refused to provide this service. While I have not had occasion to specifically discuss euthanasia with any of the other five vets I have used in my area, I would be very surprised if any of them would be willing to provide such services. If you or anyone else is aware of a vet who provides this service, would be grateful if you or they would pass the name along for future reference.

Hey I'm not judging at all would maybe have done the same who knows, was just pointing out the inconsistencies from your OP that's all. Any qualified vet worth his/her salt would put a distressed and dying animal to sleep. Edited January 15, 2016 by Sutty

[Cpkt8]

If OP really feels bad, he could go to make merit at a temple for the dog. Just a suggestion.

[arjunadawn]

Maybe. But you convinced yourself it was a speed-bump. You convinced yourself some clown with a whistle is correct and listened to his authority to back up and to drive away, like somehow you have validation for your actions because some yoko with a whistle told you... You convince yourself there was no where to take the dog anyway, without the slightest indication in your post that this was even deliberated. You included the relevant parts of your awareness to tell this story and excluded deliberating the dog's plight from the OP because it was not relevant; it was not in your awareness- it never occurred to you. It was rationalized after others realized what a piece of work you are. People at movie theaters cheer when villains like you get their just due in the movie finale.

I am unsure what my response would have been, or my options, but my deliberative process would have been very different. My post would have contained the nagging and painful story of trying to find the dog care. Your post is a journey through a sad mind.

[meltingpot2015]

Security man is also at fault for not chasing away the mutt (from near your vehicle).

Like someone said before the Op has passed the Thainess test. A westerner just arrived in Thailand would have stopped to put her out of her misery (irrespective of what the Security man said or did - 'waving you on to the exit').

[louse1953]

-snip-

I've mowed down about 5 or 6 over the years,unintentionally obviously.

They haven't even got the decency to scoop them up off the road after dying,rotting corpses litter highway 21 between Lom Sak and Phetchabun,I keep a score tally now and my personal best is 8 going to and coming back from shopping.

Wow, you should open a roadside BBQ. Call it The Roadkill Grill and you'll make a fortune.

When I lived in Isaan they scraped dead dogs off the road for dinner. That was Sisaket province, not the north. Women didn't partake.

I have lived in Issan a long time and have never,ever heard that.Not saying it's not true,but.......

[louse1953]

I would do the same if I ran over a Thai trying to chance there luck running or stumbling drunk in front of me on the highway.

<deleted>,you mean back over them to finish them of.Just Thais is it,what about Laos,Khymers or dare i say a drunk farang.

[louse1953]

If in a more civilized land euthanizing the dog with a club or shovel in your hand may have been a good idea. Here, and in other places, once you admit to first harming the dog the local people might be on you for compensation, even for committing some kind of criminal act. Those folks of course may never have seen the dog before, but they know a fancy ATM card when they see one. And every farang represents cash-in-hand, for those that play the card right.

IMO, offer a silent prayer for the the unfortunate dog, and drive on.

I would ask some posters here, those who find great fault with the OP, if they have ever passed a beggar on the street, turned their eyes, and walked on?

Those folks of course may never have seen the dog before, but they know a fancy ATM card when they see one. And every farang represents cash-in-hand, for those that play the card right.

IMO, offer a silent prayer for the the unfortunate dog, and drive on.

Urban myth.

[dotpoom]

Really sorry to have read about your bad experience today, It is something I pray I never have to deal with...but it was an accident and that is the end of the matter, it could have happened to any of us.

While we are on the subject....for all dog lovers...did you ever hear the great Jimmy Stewart recite his poem about his dog Beau on the Carson show. Please wait until near the end to get the full impact.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mwGnCIdHQH0

[talberry2]

Funny hearing all these posts about people angrily pointing hate at this man because he didn't kill the dog so it couldn't suffer. I wasn't aware you could even do such a thing. Had I been in his circumstance, I suppose I would be the evil, vile, cruel Farang too.

[starky]

Shit go mate you really should have put her down. I know it wouldn't be easy but no way I would have left her dying paralysed in her own piss. <deleted> mai ba lai that just don't cut it for mine

From a practical point of view: would you purposely drive over the head with your car or would you get out and smash the brain with a rock with a group of bystanders watching and filming with their mobile phones?

Well from a practical point of view since you asked a tyre iron to the skull would most likely do the job and I wouldn't worry about bystanders. Have no fear of Thai people but do have a conscience. That is if I for sure thought the dog was dying. See I come from a country where it is against the law to leave a dog dying by the side of the road if you are responsible for its injuries. So at the very least I would try to find the owner or failing that take the dog myself don't care if it was 500 km to a vet. Some people just have different ideas on personal responsibility. Being someone who has been around, bred and raised dogs my whole life the one thing I wouldn't be doing is just driving away and leaving the dog to die. Practical enough?

[SoiBiker]

If this had happened to me I probably wouldn't have mentioned it here, for reasons that many of the replies have made obvious. Respect to the OP for his honesty about something that must have been distressing.