The owner should pay. The owner has the obligation of maintaining control of their animal. The person was driving on the highway, not through their living room.

The good thing is that the person stopped and offered aid, there are many times people hit an animal and keep driving.  

<blockquote><b>Quoting Sonia[MOBAS]:</b>" The good thing is that the person stopped and offered aid, there are many times people hit an animal and keep driving.  "</blockquote>




And smurf like this is why.

Probably threaten to counter-sue to cover the damage I'm sure the dog left on my car.


You want to play the smurf card, I'll play right back.

Just thinking about it , if the dog had gotten out and bite someone, owner would be at fault. It should be the same if the dog is injured.

Quoting Jude the Super Kinkster:" <blockquote><b>Quoting Sonia[MOBAS]:</b>" The good thing is that the person stopped ... [snip!] ... offered aid, there are many times people hit an animal and keep driving.  "</blockquote> And smurf like this is why."

Yes, very true. Personally I would be terrified if I hit an animal and would probably freak out. Jeez I hope that never happens.

It would be completely on the owner. It's not my fault that you weren't responsible enough to put a leash on your dog before you opened the door.
They are lucky your friend was nice enough to do as much as they did. Not only finding the owners but taking it to the ER and missing work over it.
That IMO is a very big thing for the person to do.
I think that the owners are acting out of rage and being unreasonable.
Nothing will hold up in court and they need to leave your friend alone.

This actualy did happen to me about 15 years ago.
I was driving at night down a dead end street and a cat ran under my car so fast that I didn't even know it or see it I just heard it.
I stoped and looked around and saw a cat hobbling along. The cat kept trying to run away I could tell it was badly injured and managed to capture it, it had a broken leg.
I door knocked all houses down the street and of course out of at least 20 houses the last one was the owners, who at this time were so gratefull that I stopped and took the time to find the cats owners and inform them.
I was in tears and offered to take them to the vet etc which they refused. I gave the owners my mobile number and asked them to call me and let me know how the cat was doing BIG MISTAKE.
They were friendly people untill the vet bill arrived then I was getting abusive phone calls every second day and to make matters worse they lived two doors down from my cousin and got a bit abusive with her to.
I offered to pay a portion of the bill ($350)but they refused and asked for all of it to be paid, which in turn I refused.
I got told I would be taken to court etc,etc but nothing ever happened.

Um, no I wouldn't pay. Especially not $4k. Screw that. Not my dog, not my responsibility. It shouldn't have been on the road and they are lucky that it was a good person who stopped and had the sense to even track them down.

Money really turns people into smurfs.

Part of pet ownership is being responsible enough to pay for the "what ifs" that may occur. This situation is not uncommon and totally the responibility of the owner.

I would tell them to kiss my ass and to sue me. They need to be responsible dog owners and keep their animals protected.

Nope, they are responsible for keeping their dog leashed & failed. The driver was where they were supposed to be & the dog was not.

i'd tell them that they shouldn't have had a pet in the first place, if they couldn't afford the possible vet bills that could accrue due to their negligence.

Legally there is no question, the pet owner is responsible for all vet bills AND for any damage to the vehicle if the animal is off leash.....period.

Hell no I wouldn't pay. If they threaten to sue tell them to familiarize themselves with the dog ownership laws.

ok just looked it up and i guess in some states judges see it as hitting a child..cause in there eyes what if it was a child...if they take it to court the judge might look at how fast you were going and ect...