Heartbreaking and horrifying attitude to dogs hit on the road

Yesterday morning my partner (he is Dutch) and I were on a safari jeep on our way to Yala when our driver hit a poor dog on the street. Shockingly, he wanted to continue on our way saying that it was “a very normal occurrence and once or twice a day we hit a dog on the road.” This was both heartbreaking and horrifying.

We made him turn the vehicle around and found the dog lying on the side of the road half dead. We spent the rest of our day going from vet to vet on the southern coast to get Nova (that’s her name) treated. Unfortunately, it looks like the jeep critically fractured Nova’s pelvis and she may never walk again.

She is only around one year old and is a beautiful sweet girl who trusted us instantly with her life (although we are personally responsible for ruining her life). She is now being treated at Animal SOS in Ahangama and we hope that one day she will be fit enough so we can adopt her and take her to the Netherlands (where we live with two other rescued dogs).

During this encounter, not once did the driver show any remorse. He had a tendency to laugh and simplify the issue and he was terribly worried about his business. Mind you, this is a driver we knew from our last safari to Yala and we held him in good esteem until this happened. So there may be worse guys out there.

I know that this is not a big story for you, but believe it is a story that desperately needs telling. There is a dire need to control those allowed to drive these large safari jeeps and how they drive them. There is also an even bigger need to pay attention to the suffering of our street dogs and protect them. If we don’t, who will?

There are many stories about foreigners being threatened and overcharged in the news and now the government is taking some action. Even if that is just for show, it does have an impact as a deterrent. If the media publishes the story of a foreigner carrying a half dead dog searching for veterinary help in the south because of such an accident, the under-regulated and laid back safari industry may attract some government attention.

Such incidents definitely do not bode well for our tourism industry. So please consider publishing this letter.

Anushiya Vanajan