A Dog Gone Sad Story

I went to Hell-Mart today to get some groceries. On the way home I decided to stop at Dollar General to look for something for my Halloween costume. As I was driving down one of the main busy streets in town going about 50 mph, two dogs that looked to be bulldogs started across the street. They hesitated at first but before I had time to stop, one of them walked out in front of me. When I was learning to drive my dad told me over and over don’t slam on your brakes and don’t swerve if an animal walks out in front of you. We lived on a rock road and slamming on your brakes or swerving would most likely cause an even bigger accident. In the split second I had to decide, I tapped my brakes and firmly grabbed the wheel. I hit the poor dog and killed it. I pulled over into the bike lane to calm my nerves, check the car and call Jody to let him know what happened. I watched in my rearview mirror and saw a man stop traffic and get the other dog. He left the other one in the road. When traffic cleared out some, I got out and checked my van. One of my fog lights is gone and the bottom of the bumper is crunched. I’m just so thankful that my dad’s directions have become instinct. I was in heavy traffic when the dog ran out. Had I swerved or slammed on the brakes, I could have caused a more serious accident. I hate knowing that I was responsible for the dog’s death, but I’m grateful that I was watched over.