I would feel horrible if I ran over any animal, and YES, I would STOP. It's the right thing to do. If you hit an animal on the road you are required to stop. Suppose that animal is still alive and could be saved, or is suffering and needs to be put out of its misery?

We are responsible for our actions and we are supposed to be the guardians of animals on this earth.  Does the fact that it might be a stray okay? How can anyone justify hitting an animal and just keep going? What is wrong with you people?

I also think the parents were wrong for not having the dog on a leash, but 2 wrongs do not make a right, here, folks.

Having a conscience is very important in life; it is the moral compass that guides us to do the right thing.   Those responding have all read the facts on this topic, however, it is appaling that a few diehards think it is okay to run over a dog and simply drive away.  If you leave the grieving children out of the equation, what you still have is some thoughtless, spineless coward who hit and split; he/she killed a dog without even bothering to see if the innocent animal was still alive . . .  

Step up to the plate, be a man, get a back-bone, or substitute any/all the other metaphors you choose so you can remotely comprehend:  The bottom line is, we are individually responsible for our actions.  

What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what type of difference you want to make.

Look out, Bambi and Thumper:  Run for your lives; it is open season according to a few diehards.

Well, um, olivia I like did state that the dog should have been on "a better lead" like, um, eight comments prior.  That indicates very clearly that the dog was on some type of lead.

And bigdog, the expression "I'm sorry" is a common one used to express sympathy to another human being.  I have told a person "I'm sorry" when I heard they were very ill, even though I did not cause the illness.  I have also heard other civilized people use the expression when hearing about a misfortune. 

I was angry at the callous disregard one person demonstrated one day last week so I wrote this blog when I got home.  I have been disturbed at the number of people who live here that share that disregard of life and the law.  The anger from people who think the actions of that driver were acceptable has been a real eye-opener to me.   

I'm trying to imagine the type of individual who would run over an animal and just keep going?  Don't even think someone would not be aware.  I ran over a little squirrel (by accident) and you get a thump, thump noise.  I stopped and moved his little body to the side of the road ..... at a minimum to keep someone else from swerving or running over him again.

I mean, you don't pull over to see if you can help?  You don't pull over and see if the animal can be saved?  You don't call animal control if you're out on a country road?  You don't pull the dead body to the side of the road?  The driver was a coward.  You don't know if you can help unless you stop.  He decided to keep going because he didn't want to stop (or she .... don't want to assume here) and take any responsibility.  We've all discussed that topic before. 

Geez - for my all my senses (moral, common), you pull over and see what can be done.  Period.  Sorry bigdog, we part company on this one - poor little doggie, poor little kids.  My heart goes out to them. 

Lori ..for the record if I hit a dog I would stop.

Seriously, ground squirrels (the ones around Tehachapi) are nasty disease carrying varmits, if I hit one I'd be more concerned about the mess it made on my tire.

I for one would rather (if put in this sad situation) run over someone else's dog than cause a traffic accident. The driver didn't stop, BFD, life goes on. I wish people would mind their own business and worry about sustaining their own morals and using them to judge their own actions, not someone else's.

Like I said before, the driver might not've been aware that they hit the dog...talking on the phone, listening to music...

How about skunks, if I hit a skunk am I required to pull it's dead little stinky body off the road or check to see if it is seriously injured?  As I've said before, why would we wish this man nasty things and bad karma?  I understand that this was a horrible thing to watch.  I've seen animals get hit, I've hit animals, it's never a pleasant experience.  I've hit two dogs in my lifetime.  One I stopped and started to get out, I thought for sure I killed it, as soon as I opened my door, he jumped up and took off running.  Another little dog ran out in front of me driving through a neighborhood, again I stopped and the elderly owners were very understanding and sorry for me.  I'm not stopping for squirrels, raccoons, skunks, rabbits, they have diseases.  

So TK, now that a few days have passed, do you think of this guy as just an a**hole, or are you still wishing nasty things on his head and bad karma?