She wasn't even mine; I didn't even know her, but its broke my heart.

We were doing 50 mph along the dual carriageway, when I saw the little silhouette of a dog, then felt a horrible bump ...

We screeched to a stop, and I raced to where she lay shivering, and took her in my arms, as my fiancé raced to the emergency vets.

I felt her twitch and shiver in my arms, and her heartbeat, as it slowed down ... and stopped. She died in my arms on the way to the vets. They confirmed her death when I brought her in ...

She was only about 1-year-old and a little Jack Russell terrier, similar to my own Jack Russell ... Although she wore a collar, there was no name tag, and she wasn't microchipped. We returned to where she'd been hit on our way home, but there was noone there to claim her ... she'd been on her own.

Its only been 2 months since I lost my own beloved dog, and I was devastated that he died in an oxygen tent at the vets without me there ... and tonight, someone else's little dog has died in my arms, me being a complete stranger ... Now she lies in a freezer with noone to claim her ... I'm devastated ...

(((Gillian)))

I'm so sorry! I know it's not much comfort, but that little dog died in the arms of someone who cared about her...God bless you...

gillian i am so sorry..i dont know what to say..my heart breaks for you....many many hugs to you right now..

Gillian,
That is too sad. I think the little dog knew you were a dog lover and died peacefully knowing someone cared enough to hold him/her to the end.
You were so brave to do that. That dog would have thanked you for being there.
God bless you!!
Lisa

you gave that wee life a miracle.

We will never know why she was there...but.

She died in your warm loving arms.

Anyone else who would have hit her wouldn't have noticed or stopped and she would have died alone and scared.

You are her angel.

I am so deeply sorry Gillian that you had to experience even more anguish so soon after losing your own precious baby. Punky's Mommy said it so well-you were able to hold her close so she wouldn't be alone. My biggest fear was that when my baby crossed over I wouldn't be there for him but I was there with him in his final moments and that is a gift he gave to me-it gave me comfort that he was not alone and afraid. I hope you can find a little comfort that you gave her a special gift of your loving closeness even though you were strangers with one another you formed a bond with her when she needed it the most. I will hold you in my prayers tonight. Take care Gillian. Kathi

Oh,honey,I am so sorry you had to go thur that! It is just awful but it was an accident and you did everything you could have.It's a small comfort that he died in the warm arms of an animal lover and not alone on the side of the road.I wish there was something else I could say to help you feel better but I am as a loss for words..........My heart goes out to you and I will continue to keep you in my prayers.Take care,Renee

I know exactly how you feel. I hit & killed a whole family of racoons one night last summer. Same scenario...highway at night...swerved to miss the male and into the headlights after the car straightened out loomed the female and her two babies. I killed them all. I was sick on the side of the road. I drove home and cried myself to sleep my wife trying to console me the whole time, Remember though that you tried to help and it wasn't your fault. Make sure when those two monsters guilt & anger show up in your head that you conciously think about that. It will be your best defense against them. The vision will haunt you as mine did. The only defense I had against that was to try and push it out. It does no good to embrace such an image and is an open invitation to the two abominations I discussed above. Lastly I am sorry for your loss...even though it wasn't yours it feels the same...doesn't it? I know mine did.

I was actually in tears at the vets ... as though she were my own. And yes it does seem that it was my loss. But she wasn't mine. She had a loving owner.

I've just had her owner on the phone. She got my number from the vets (I actually work at the vets I took her to) and she'd phoned to ask what happened to her little dog.

I told her everything. Even though it's painful to know details, I remember wanting to know exactly what happened to my little dog at the end, how he felt, what he was doing, was he in pain ...

It was a difficult conversation ... and I feel so sorry for her. She said the dog had just bolted through the door, and she'd been searching for her all night ... I hope knowing what happened helps her.

Thank you to everyone for your kind words.

I'm so sorry you had to go through this. My heart goes out to you and the poor owner of the little dog. As hard as it must be for her, not knowing would have been worse.