Dogs may be victims of deadly game
One Jefferson County animal clinic has treated six dogs hit by cars this week.
It leaves some people wondering if dogs are being hit on purpose. Some worry a drivers are seeing it as a game, and the bigger the dog, the more points.
Ace is a golden retriever puppy and one of at least four dogs that were hit Monday. The dogs were all hit between 4 p.m. and sunset on a clear day, all within a couple of miles of each other.
“In a normal week we don’t see any hit by a car. We may see a couple every month,” said Dr. Garth Waddoups, veterinarian at Mountain River Veterinary Hospital.
The veterinary hospital saw two more dogs this week, making it six pups in five days.
“We hope it’s not what we hear. We heard rumors that some high schools kids are playing a game that they are get so many points for running over dogs. They need to remember these are people’s pets, lots of cases these are people’s family members,” said Waddoups.
“In 2012 it was basically a game that came out saying that it was going to be a kill a pit-bull type thing, and then it expanded to be a threat towards any animal, the larger than animal, the more valuable of points,” said Sgt. Jeff Edwards from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.
However, Jefferson and Bonneville county sheriff offices say they have not had any reports of intentionally hitting animals recently. That could be because most owners do not report an animal being hit by a car.
“A lot of the times unless there is significant damage done to the vehicle, most vehicle accidents involving a pet would not be reported to law enforcement,” said Edwards.
If an animal is hit off of their owner’s property, there isn’t much that can be done.
“If the dog is in the road and gets run over, most of the time it’s the owner’s responsibility,” said Waddoups. Legally, a dog should be restrained on its owner’s property.
Hitting an animal on the road becomes a crime when it’s intentional.
“If you see somebody that swerves their car in an attempt to hit an animal, get a license plate, get a vehicle description, file a report,” says Edwards.
Haley Bazil’s dog, Moe, was one of Monday’s victims. She got to take him home Wednesday.
“For a lot people, dogs are like family. It’s just about like their little kid going out on the road and getting hit,” Bazil said.
The game has not been officially confirmed, but Local News 8 has heard from several viewers that they have heard about it from local teenagers.
