Bad night
Last night I killed a dog.
I was driving slowly, about 30 in a 35 residential zone, when a cat bounded across the street. I braked just in time. Then I heard a "THUD!" and a scraping noise (I later learned this was a car-part.) I pulled over.
A medium sized dog was laying in the street, still breathing. He had apparently been chasing the cat.
I immediately ran to the nearest house and asked them to call 911. I wasn't sure what anyone could do, but it was something. As he was still alive, I had backed my car up behind him (he was in the middle of the lane) to block other cars from running over him, too. I stayed with him and petted him and talked to him for about 15 minutes until the police came. He died before they got there.
I would omit this, but I won't: as I sat petting him, the blood started dripping from his nose. It kept dripping until the police got there, by which time it had formed a stream running downhill about four feet long.
The whole incident reminds me of when my mom and I (in Brisbane) were on some errands, walking. A child broke loose from his mum and ran out in front of a car. Killed instantly. My mom didn't know what to say to the lady--no one seems to know in those moments.