AuburnPub.com - Driver who hit family pet did more than kill a cat

Driver who hit family pet did more than kill a cat

Wednesday, September 19, 2007 9:33 AM EDT

This letter is written to the person who carelessly took the life of our feline family member Saturday evening, Sept. 1, on Pulaski Street.

First off, if you're the type of person to carelessly hit our cat, and run, I'm sure you're not moved by this letter.

I will write it anyway.

My daughter saw everything. We were just arriving home for the evening at 10:30, when the last of the kids came through the door.

She came in shouting that Bear had been hit, but everyone ran outside and we carried his lifeless body in the house. We were hoping he was maybe just knocked out, but there was no heartbeat.

Our 4-year-old was crying very hard, as was I, as I held her. She said, “Who could do this, Mommy?” Why can't we help him?”

I told her he couldn't be helped and whoever hit him didn't mean to. That's when the one who saw everything told us what happened. She said, “Bear froze in the road, a white truck speeding fast had its lights on him, it never slowed down or attempted to brake. She said, “They didn't have any brake lights on, they hit poor Bear, saw him and kept going.” I would never explain this to my 4-year-old, who cried herself to sleep.

The next day our 4-year-old woke up crying and painted a rock for his grave.

Whoever you are who did this, you should be very ashamed of yourself. Just in case our daughter is wrong and you didn't see him, it seems impossible for you to not know you hit him. He was a very heavy, large cat.

You are actually a coward for not stopping afterward, if so.

Bear was a beautiful, young Siamese cat and because of you, he will now be missing from our family.

Melanie Gabak

Auburn

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The Citizens' Say

There are 24 comment(s)

ej2521 wrote on Sep 21, 2007 7:15 AM:

" I am very sorry to hear about your loss. I can't believe I am going to say this but for once I actually agree with Karl..somewhat, the cat should have been inside. It is possible to think that when the family openend the door to go in the house the cat ran out..at any rate whoever hit him, should have stopped if nothing else than to offer an apology. "

cm wrote on Sep 20, 2007 8:30 PM:

" karl the neighbors say NO busses were at your door this week--so you do have time to catch a kitten! "

cm wrote on Sep 20, 2007 8:20 PM:

" DD-thanks for the image of kl holding a rifle to garfield-ranks up there with trying to get your 'naked parents' out! wickedly dizzy now! lol. "

doodles13021 wrote on Sep 20, 2007 5:40 PM:

" Another tragic story. A beloved family pet killed by a vehicle on a city street. I am sorry for the loss of your family pet and the pain and sorrow that come with this. However, there is another side that some of the writer's touched upon. I do not know if your cat was an "indoor/outdoor" cat or an indoor cat that did a "HOUDINI" and escaped. It is the owner's responsibility to keep their pets safe. If you cat slipped out without anyone knowing it (and that can happen easily) that's one thing. But if your cat was allowed to roam the neighborhood freely, you have to take some responsibility in this. I live in the Washington St. area. I take a bus to work every morning. While I only have less than a block to walk, I encounter no less that 5 cats every morning, darting in and out of traffic. I have a feral cat I rescued about 6 years ago. She has not been outside since I got her in 2001. She is not happy about this, but I love her too much to let her outside. Please everyone, owning a pet is a privelege, not a right. Take care of your pets. "

DD wrote on Sep 20, 2007 5:29 PM:

" Maybe we should put little antlers on the cats, and open up season on them. "

Andy B wrote on Sep 20, 2007 3:45 PM:

" I think I'm going to have to go to a doctor.....I agreed with Karl on something! LOL!!! "

Andy B wrote on Sep 20, 2007 3:44 PM:

" I've never understood the law that requires drivers who hit pets in the road to have to stop and find the owners. It doesn't solve anything but make the owners who let their pets wander in the road feel better. Why should I have to do that and miss a meeting or something because owners couldn't keep their pets out of the road? "

karl L wrote on Sep 20, 2007 11:07 AM:

" cm, maybe you've got the time to sit around waiting to catch a feral cat inside a crate with a stick and a string to pull, but I have better things to do. Maybe if they wouldn't return cats to their areas of prowl, people wouldn't think "oh--so and so let their cat out, I can let mine out too so they can say "hello"! I think feral cats should be put down, period. It pains me to say that, because I LOVE animals; but I also hunt deer--I realize why, when and how populations MUST be controlled, and the feral cat problem is just OUT-OF-CONTROL! If cat owners are so disturbed about it, let them get serious about controlling their pets and the populations, and stop making it society's problems and society's burden! "

karl L wrote on Sep 20, 2007 10:59 AM:

" brew1234, I had a good laugh when I read that you think I'm "full of myself" and it's a fair charge; I DO present myself that way on this site, but honestly, its mostly because its so easy to wind up cm, Chris, bobbo and DD by sounding arrogant and pompous--it just makes them sizzle, and amuses me to no end, but I don't really imagine myself as sincerely the know-it-all that I sometimes sound like.I'm glad to hear that you appreciate my political views however! :) "

cm wrote on Sep 20, 2007 9:14 AM:

" they can be caught-food inside a crate and the TIME of waiting! "

cm wrote on Sep 20, 2007 9:12 AM:

" well that was a mere 9 months ago! I am not telling you how you should live your life--BUT do call others idiots when maybe they just feel sorry for the cats starving and thats all they can do! YES people SHOULD be responsible for their pets! Last year a neighbor around the corner came to my door saying my white male got his prego! I said my male has been fixed since 1998! But the neighbor who moved away left her 4 cats! Down the block-a wooded area-people would drop their kittens--an elderly lady would feed them-she meant well..my kids brought one home that was so sickly we took it to the SPCA-I didnt know this kitten by cried like a baby over it! We NOW have a vet/bus that travels around to different locations and one can bring a feral cat to be fixed and return it to its location for free-it doesn't give it a home but it does help with decreasing the cat troubles in the areas! The sad thing is kittens are FREE daily in the paper-the SPCA would adopt more out of the costs were lower! BUT again it is the owners responsibilty! "

cm wrote on Sep 20, 2007 8:59 AM:

" karl is only right to the point of being responsible for YOUR pet! if you have ONE or MANY --they should be fixed unless you are a licensed breeder. Keep them up-to-date on shots in case of an accidental biting or scratching. Micro-chipping for outside cats is mandatory HERE-good for the owners too in case the pet should get lost! But everyone knows a cat cannot be trained like a dog! I remember being 6 and at 1 am getting woken up to the door being pounded on--my sis left the cellar door open and 2 kittens got out. A man hit one of them! Yes we cried-he offered to get us another one--But my mom said no we still had 3 more--and WE would have to learn to be more careful when doors are left open! It is the owners responsibilty BUT it is a better person who stops! "

brew1234 wrote on Sep 20, 2007 2:18 AM:

" Karl, I think you are a bit full of yourself but I like your politics. By the way where is Boobo? I miss his right wing blather. Or did he go where all right wing conservatives go- to hades? "

brew1234 wrote on Sep 20, 2007 2:15 AM:

" Did you expect the driver to slam on the brakes to avoid your cat and possibly lose control of his truck and kill someone or himself and his passengers? There is not much a driver can do when operating a truck that may be a heavy vehicle and not able to stop on a dime. He or she should have stopped and it is the law to stop for domestic animals. The blame for this unfortunate accident was probably half your's and half the driver's. "

karl L wrote on Sep 20, 2007 12:06 AM:

" cm, last year I took two feral kittens in, one with an eye hanging out of its socket and made a donation to the SPCA. They were living under my porch and not yet paranoid of humans. I'd take more in, but you know you just can't catch the darn things! I noticed also, cm, that you "assume" a lot too, and are also very quick to tell me how you think I should live MY life. Just an observation...DD...good man!....(today)!LOL! "

cm wrote on Sep 19, 2007 8:03 PM:

" Karl--you're such a good citizen why don't you take a feral cat in to get fixed???? Instead of complaining about it and calling your neighbors idiots-DO something constructive! I think if the TOMs are screaming its because they can't stand the "sound of music" "

DD wrote on Sep 19, 2007 7:18 PM:

" Very sorry your child had to be put through that, but it is a lesson we all must learn sooner or later. It'll toughen the young ones up. Now to you Mom---keep your cat inside. I don't mean the one killed because that would stink up the joint, I mean any future cats. Karl---you are right--see, I'm big enough to admit when you're right. "

karl L wrote on Sep 19, 2007 3:54 PM:

" You know, the sad thing is, Chris, that you would show MORE compassion to the cat than you would to that poor 4-year old if her Daddy or Mommy had an unexpected tragedy and had to go on public assistance. You'd tell them that they didn't "deserve" the assistance, accuse them of being lazy and sucking off the system, and then pat yourself on the back for being lucky enough in this day and age for retaining your employment or far not having your pension or retirement stolen by your company. Your comment here is beneath contempt, and furthermore, completely tries to twist the import of my comment which CLEARLY blamed the ADULT who wrote this letter--who should have known better. But that's what I would expect from a Conservative, and especially a bitter and resentful one like you whom I have bested with Logic, Intellect and Facts time and time again; and I shall continue to do so. Keep it up, Mr Coulter; I love it when you give us these revealing insights into how the "Compassionate Conservative" "thinks"! "

Chris Van Note wrote on Sep 19, 2007 2:32 PM:

" I see Karl showing the famous liberal compassion by establishing his moral and intellectual superiority over the 4 year old who watched her cat get killed. Karl directs us as to how to treat our animals, because as a liberal, he knows better than anyone on how we should lead our lives and handle our responsibilities. Just ask him, he'll tell you. "

interested wrote on Sep 19, 2007 12:48 PM:

" I am sorry for your loss. Recently I had to have my cat put to sleep. She was 18 yrs. old and a very good cat. I really loved her and she held a special place in my son's heart too. I had a hard enough time explaining that to him, I couldn't imagine having to explain your situation to him. I hate that people drive so fast down these streets w/o a care in the world. If it was their animal or child in danger of the speeding cars, they would probably slow down. "

OMG wrote on Sep 19, 2007 12:05 PM:

" I am so sorry for the loss of your precious cat.Please accept these caring thoughts & pray that the malicious person who struck down this defenseless animal will not carry out his cruel actions on yet another animal or human being. "

karl L wrote on Sep 19, 2007 11:51 AM:

" Wrong again, cm. What Auburn has lost sight of is a proper means of enforcing feral cats! I live near a big old building, and every year there are kittens running around looking like they were rolled in grease--all scruffy and filthy and paranoid and thin! You have Toms screaming and fighting with each other al night. And worse, you have the idiots across the street who will feed the cats--but not take them in or spend the money to spay them! The bottom line is, that if you have cats, BECAUSE THEY HAVE A "MIND OF THEIR OWN", keep the damn things inside! Or walk them on a leash like a dog! "

cm wrote on Sep 19, 2007 11:18 AM:

" Where in this story does it say the cat was NOT fixed??? Karl again reading between the lines! The proper thing to do was to stop -but there a few of those people in Auburn left! Karl--cats have a mind of their own, they do whatever the like, have you seen cat-obedience classes??? I have 4 of them-I planned for them to be indoor cats--BUT the were smarter and learned to use the doggy door! They ARE fixed, Micro chipped and up to date on shots-it's the law here to have those 3 things or face a 500.00 fine! Cats normally don't travel far from home unless they aren't fed! I have 1 that sits on the roof of the house-2 stay in front guarding-1 stays in backyard guarding. Occasionally they venture to the neighbors on either side to say HELLO. Everyone has pets around us-each house for 3 blocks-we all just watch out-drive slower-and go door to door should we find an escape artist! That's called NEIGHBORLY! something Auburn has lost sight of! "

karl L wrote on Sep 19, 2007 10:13 AM:

" Bottom line--sad for your child, but you bear the responsibility for not keeping your HOUSE cat in the HOUSE. Imagine how many strays and feral cats he fathered on his daily travels who have no homes t go to and die in the cold and from starvation--and create MORE FERAL CATS! KEEP YOUR CATS INSIDE! "

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