Amen bighorn

JohnQ: I agree with you regarding the trooper. Even to the point of admitting that I would not have left a note. He's a better man than me, but is getting a tough lesson now. Been there, done that, I'm afraid.

So, if the VicAd can't be trusted in a little bitty story about a puppy, can we trust them with bigger issues?

I questioned a highly regarded young reporter for this paper regarding a simple statement regarding wealth of a particular county in this state. From his response, it is obvious that the young reporter takes "hearsay" as TRUTH and hence the problem. He has an opinion, then finds "hearsay" to fit his opinion and justify such. THIS IS NOT REPORTING! WHERE DID THIS GROUP GO TO JOURNALISM SCHOOL? Even a first year professor would have busted your butt for such poor writing passed off as reporting!

Does the VicAd staff know what true journalism is?

I think the trooper did the right thing and is not responsible for any damages, but that is between him and the dog owner.We the public, who dont know the full story,should not judge one way or the other, nor should we automatically assume the dog owner is a worthless p0s. Im sure the Penas are not the only ones whose dog has gotten out of their yard, I'll admit my dog has squirmed under my fence through a hole he dug out. But I guess all the other responsible, righteous dog owners walk the perimeter of their property daily to check for such things. But leave it up to the vic.adv. and a stupid neighbor to blow it all out of perspective.

And JohnQ, your point was.......not to take it for granted that his newspaper organization is truthful?

You people who are quick to judge and assume the worst of others you just read about, but dont actually know that person or the full story, are totally pathetic. You leave your little comment dogging the person and feel good about it, but you are actually cowards because you do it from the safety of your computer,never to the face of that person because they may have a side of the story that you dont know, and may challenge your holier than thou mentallity. But I cant really blame you mindless sheep because you are only going off of what our super duper newspaper tells you. Why do so many people take the trash in our crappy newspaper as gospel. Wake up, we are smarter than the machine we made.

So okay I'm not going to sit here & read all 140 comments, but what really happen is that the advocate twisted the story around. The owner was not mad at the trooper. The neighbor that lives behind the owner called the advocate as soon as he/she saw it happen, and saw that the trooper left a note. The neighbor only called the advocate because the trooper had stopped him/her for speeding so they were trying to give the trooper a bad rep. And the owner said that he has no problem with the owner. So the advocate turned it all around. My mother heard the story from the trooper & the owner & they were exactly the same! So the next door neighbor needs to mind his/her business!

Once again, the choice of front page news leaves one wondering when and where -- or if ever -- common sense will prevail. Bottom line: the dogs should have been secured by their owners. And the incident certainly didn't warrant front page attention.
As to photos in the Advocate, I can ASSURE you that enhancing features have been used since they first became available to the Advocate. Virtually every photo that appears will have been enhanced through exposure/density manipulation, color saturation changes -- and yes, sharpening. Occasionally, even distracting objects are removed.For any Advocate personnel to claim otherwise is simply ludicrous and an outright lie.

BREAKING NEWS: Trooper hit dogs stops to leave note on door for owner!!!!!!!

In other non essential news, 700 billion dollar bailout plan proposed by government a reality. (not really a big deal)

135 posts on this (who gives a rats a55 article)

For those asking about the photo of the dog, please see the gallery photo editor Frank Tilley has posted of the other images he shot Monday afternoon: http://victoriaadvocate.mycapture.com...

I repeat for all concerned the Frank has worked at the Advocate for 30 years and is one of the most ethical photojournalists you'll ever meet. When he says he does not doctor any news photos, you can believe him.

For responses to other questions raised here, please see my blog:
http://community.victoriaadvocate.com...

Yeah, you're right, Horn...

I posted that like, fifteen minutes ago and have already received three death threat emails, six menacing phone calls, a nasty letter from PETA and I think the sherrif's on his way over with a subpoena and a GJ bill of indictment!

I just gotta learn when to let well enough alone.....

Ernie

Note to VA. Do a little research before doctoring up your photos. The color of blood on that pup's leg is a brighter red than any oxygenated arterial blood I have seen. However it is obvious that is not an arterial bleed or the blood would be sqirting and the dog would be down from blood loss in a short time. This is veinous blood which is a duller red. This is getting trashy of you VA. Doubt you really cared anything about this dog, let's get another story out to bash another public servant of this community! That is all this was about. Chris Cobbler, you arn't from here, no ties, and you have or have let this once professional respected newspaper be driven into the ground. Maybe you should move on?

I thought the same thing, Ernie. But I figured to better leave it alone......the animal rights nazi might fine me!

Ummmm... since I perceive that this would not be a good time or place to interject that the officer might have been well advised to put the poor suffering animals out of their misery I'll simply vote "Present" on the currently pending poll.

Ernie "Headed for the Nearest Exit" Cash

What I said was that this is a PEOPLE problem & the dog suffered because of it. I did NOT narrow the range of irresponsible people involved in this. I certainly think that we have more than enough of irresponsible people involved in the story. Now nice it would be to see the paper tomorrow & find a happy ending.

Maggie: You are correct. The owners are the problem. And the neighbor who apparently knows the number of the VicAd, but not a Vet.

Bottom line.....people SUCK & create all the problems we experience in our everyday lives. Heres another scenario....he summoned animal control (since they were right down the street) & let them pick up the dogs....the dogs would've been euthenized & the family would be pissed about that too. These dog owners suck & they created this mess from the beginning.

Maggiey...have you thought about what would have happened had he taken them to the vet & the family wasn't happy with THAT decision? They could have filed suit etc....what if when he was taking them to the vet something happened that he needed to respond to like a wreck? What would he have done with the dogs? He was in a lose lose situation & he choose right. He made sure the dogs were not in a life or death situation & left a note. Why aren't you questioning why the neighbor sat back & did nothing except call the paper?

The dogs suffered pain because of PEOPLE problems. The dogs didn't do anything wrong. They really do not know to stay out of the street.

With your misguided view, Victoria is blessed with current circumstances.

Notice the DPS officer did the decent thing, and is now getting run down by fools and supported by rest of us jokers. Bet he never thought he'd catch this much crap for being a good guy.

Will the pet owners pay for the therapy he will require after suffering such a terrible event?

Obviously this is an alleged "accident". Fully investigated, I doubt. The point is, the dogs were hurt, maybe in pain. These dogs or any other animal can't pull out the cell ph & call their family or anyone for help. The dogs should not have been in the street, but after the dog is hit, what is the dog to do. How nice if a human would help. I'm not saying Mr. Trooper hit them on purpose. I hope by now that the dogs have been to the vet. Too bad that I'm not in Victoria.

But Maggiey that is if you hit a stationary object...these dogs ran into the road obviously out of nowhere. There is a difference. It happens too often kids darting out into traffic from between cars or whatever & get hit....the driver is not at fault but is required to get help....not take them personally. These were dogs who were in violation of a leash law. I feel bad for the dogs & hope they have a full recovery & a long happy life but Ifind no fault with the troopers actions.

Being RESPONSIBLE in NOT a sob story. It's more of a duty. Too many responsible people in the world---wouldn't that just be terrible. And, if you hit a piece of TX property---that the state, city or local govt owns---you/or your insurance company will be billed for the damage. They bill the RESPONSIBLE party.

i came home from work one day to find my dogs eye hanging out,instead of worrying about what animal did it i borrowed the money and took him and had his eye taken out. no one left a note on my door. these things happen when your a pet owner. these people are waiting for a free ride.

I agree with Rom...this all happened because of irrisponsible dog owners..the poor dog never would have been hit had the owners had it in a fence...the football party was sunday, and it might have slipped out then, so who checked up on the dogs between sunday and the time the dogs were hit??? This never would have happened had they been put up in a secure place...the dog owners should be ticketed, and the officer was nice enough not only to leave a note stating what happened, at least he didn't leave them a TICKET, I would have!

Maggie, please spare us the sob story. The trooper is just as innocent as the dogs. Fact is, if he HAD taken the dogs to the vet, then the owners could have held him liable for the medical costs, since they would surely claim, that they would not have done so since they can not afford it.

Now if the trooper had hit a child that a stupid parent had let get away, the trooper would have both a moral and lawful duty to assist the child and seek medical attention. NOT the same with animals.

The kind thing to do is, leave a note if you hit a piece of property that does not have feelings---that is another car, house, etc. If you hit something that needs medical attention, then the responsible thing to do is HELP get the medical attention. Again, the dogs were innocent. They don't know to stay out of the street. How sad that anyone would leave something in pain. Would the world be so bad if people were more kind to others & to animals?

OK, so here is what I would like to know....
1) Have the owners of the dog gotten the medical treatment that the dog needs as of today, or are they still waiting on the trooper to fork out some of the money?
2) Why come on this thread and defend yourself and completely contradict what the VA reported?? Someone is lying here....

ya'll know what is comical about all this----that KAVU25 did not do a story also. Usually both Medias run the same article and overlap somewhat.

did we ever get a Neighbors "name"?????

After this story and thread. Man, if I ever see a VA reporter and photographer headed towards me. I’m gonna look to both sides of the road and RUN LIKE HELL.

at least the trooper was nice enough to even stop. Had it been me.... I hope I wouldn't have reversed!!! Sorry to say but I have hit my share of dogs (OK one) but he wasnt lucky enough to make the papers.

This is so ridiculous…trooper hits dog – neighbor sees it and discuss the matter – trooper leaves note – husband returns within one hour – someone calls advocate day or two later – then they figure out the dog needs medical treatment and don’t have the funds to pay for it, give me a break! The DPS, PD and Sheriff Department have enough to worry about. Why were the dogs running loose in the first place? Did they not check to see if the dog(s) needed food and water before leaving for work that morning? Just another reason why people do not need animals...

Do we have an update on the condition of the dogs? Honestly, still the dogs were not negliegent. They don't know about traffic. It does not feel good to be hit by a car. They need medical attention. I'm not in Victoria at the moment. We also need to remember that dogs need their shots & heartworm preventative. ALWAYS.

This is crazy. The trooper went above and beyond what he was obligated to do. When are people going to understand that "they" are responsible for their pets. The dogs were on a public road and if the dogs had caused bodily injury to a pedistian or a driver on that public road, they (the pet owners) would be responsible.
I'm betting the next time something like this happens, the trooper will just continue driving and not bother and they would be within their right to do so.
The dogs will heal on their own. Their injuries were not that bad. Also, why not try taking them to Adopt A pet. They have a vet. on staff

Ok so we all pretty much agree that the trooper did nothing wrong and the owners are at fault.
What I don't understand, if they were so worried about the injury to the dogs, why did they wait around and do a photo op and a interview with the advocate.
I will never understand the actions of people.
Why did the other neighbor feel the need to call the advocate, man I would hate to live next time him, tick him off and he will puplicly humiliate you. It's not like a members of law enforcement don't have enought to worry about with out adding puplic ridicule to that list.

It is NOT the troopers responsibility to take the dogs to the vet. What if he had and then the owners said, we wouldnt have taken them but would have treated them at home since we can't afford it. Then the trooper is responsible for bringing them there!

That is stupid logic.

The trooper did right. End of story. Fault lies on the owners.

And I still think the picture of the pup was doctored. Either that or the photograph lighting was done in such a way as to make it look brighter. I know how these digital cameras have all kinds of fancy settings on them to do such things.

If you cannot afford for your dogs/cats/animals to have medical treatments...in my opinion you should not have animals. Same with children and no I am not comparing children with animals. I just feel if you cannot afford them...don't have them.

I do think the trooper did the right thing, because if he happened to have taken the puppy to the vet...you would have been crying about something else. The neighbor witnessed the accident and I'm sure they agreed it was not bad enough to take the dog in. I am so sick of people "crying for help" when they can afford to buy beer / cigerettes / party (the night before as YOU mentioned) / drive the best car. I could go on and on.

FOLLOWUP: What has become or happened to the dogs as of now, Thursday? I'd contribute $10 to a fund to help with Laila (Layla) medical expenses.

Have the Pena's tried any other vets in the area? The one they took Laila to - is one of the most expensive in the city and my regular vet on Main Street charges far less than the one she got treatment at.

Gee if everyone commenting gave $2 she'd be fixed up.

Thanks for your coverage of this, I think the trooper did the right thing.

But I wonder wouldn't car insurance cover damages but its a property claim since animals are property?

well the trooper did the right thing... well partially.. he coulda took them 2 vet & contacted owners as 2 where they were, after the pena's returned home from work & then I always believed that if u hit some1s animal u should replace or pay 2 have it cared 4... altho u cant replace an animal u love like a family member but....

Perhaps some of the "unbiased" reporting is coming home to roast at the VicAd in the form of a puppy. Heh, heh, heh....how appropriate.

It should be clear by now that "unbiased reporting" isnt something the VA is famous for.

If the dogs owner was so worried about their dogs well being, shouldnt they have made an effort to stop the bleeding on the pup rather than wait for the photo op?

"the Chupacabra is set to mediate the dispute between VPD and Tyler"

Id buy THAT for a dollar!!

The neighbor who called the VicAd is what is known as a "shitheel" for (1.)inaction (2.)demanding action from another party (3) involving parties that had nothing to do with anything related to the minor drama.

(Quote)Comment From: Davidpena
An anonymous neighbor that had it out for the trooper had their opportunity to try to get back at the trooper and put "me" in the middle of it and called the advocate. My wife and I are very embarrassed and the advocate stretched the story.(end Quote)
You may not have called VA, put you took the time to take pictures of your injured bleeding dog and give an interview before getting medical attention??? You should be embarrassed at YOUR behavoir.

(Quote)Comment From: whatsthedeal
First of all let me say that i did witness the incident and did observe the "The Troopers" actions.At the time of the incident an animal control truck was just down the street,and a few moments later the animal control truck drove past the scene unaware of the incident."The Trooper" could have called the animal control Officer back and have the injured and suffering animals looked at and/or possibly treated at the scene or taken to be treated.Second The Trooper did enter the backyard of the homeowners and did inspect the animals and noted that they indeed where injured.Third the homeowner did not call the advocate i did for the above mentioned reasons.Fourth the pictures are real and the blood was very visible and please note that the advocate did not get a wide enough picture to show just how much blood was on that patio deck,nor where there pictures of the second puppy who suffered head injuries.The advocate fumbled the ball,and if the whole story was printed views would be different.Fifth the incident took place at at 4:25 in the afternoon and the homeowners like most of us didn't get home until after 5:00,so the animals suffered longer because of the actions taken by "The Trooper".(End Quote)

If YOU saw an animal control truck driving by while the trooper was checking the dogs, why didn't YOU call animal control.
Were they really in the neighborhood at 4:30 in the afternoon? That is a fact that can be checked into very easy. How did the advocate "fumble" the ball as you put it. What is the whole story as you see it? This story was written in a way that makes the trooper look bad already, what else should be written, or are you just mad because your revenge tactic on your neighbor didn't work the way you wanted. Animal Control are not vets, what kind of treatment do you think they could have provided in the owners back yard? When animal control picks up injured or sick animals do you think they rush them to the nearest vet for treatment? NO they get a free ride to doggy jail, sit for a day with the very minimum done to make them comfortable. If no owner comes forward, they get a one way ticket to the rainbow bridge to end their suffering, even if it is not a major injury. YOU SHOULD HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME

Our reporter and photographer were on the scene shortly after the incident. Photo editor Frank Tilley took several pictures of the scene and did not doctor in any way the one published on the front page.

Our reporter talked to the Penas at their house. She also talked to a neighbor who reported the accident. I've pointed readers to my blog because that's my best summary of what we did and why.

I'm signing off for the night, but I'll try to respond in the morning to any comments to my blog.

wow, what a "whole lie"??? Is that what the Pena's are saying??? This is all gossip just like the National Inquire
just what kind of reporting is going on???

Is the Viper Football team really 2-0??? Was there a Mexican National killed by his roommate??? The VA said so...Why does CCobler want people to "go to his blog"? This forum is just fine. Tell us what is really going on in stories and with both sides interviewed. what a mess :-P

Sweetara: The number of comments is due to the fact that "EVERYBODY LOVES A PUPPY!". And that poor pitiful fella on the front page sure hit that nerve.

AAAAHHHH! Life in a small town.

I am ASTONISHED at the number of comments this story recieved. Let me just start with one thing - BUNDY...I don't know where you live but I live in the "trailer park" section (as you would call it) of Quail Creek and I just want you to know that it doesn't mean that I am poor, retarded, slow, below you, and it for sure doesn't mean I don't know how to take care of my animals. The kind of house you live in has NOTHING to do with how capable you are of taking care of your animals! You must be a complete MORON to think that since there are "manufactured homes" wihin a mile of this certain street, there will be dogs running loose?? What kind of thought process do you have?? Let's hope that you don't have children that you can possible rub off on. And for the record, I have three wonderful dogs that have never set foot outside of my FENCED IN YARD! Please, try not to post such idiotic stuff online that doesn't make any sense at all.

And to the family of the dogs...I am sorry that your animals were hurt not matter how it happened. I hope they feel better soon!

I find it interesting that the reporter spoke with a member of the SPCA of Texas when they don't even have a local shelter. Why not call animal control for a quote?
If I recall, SPCA was nowhere to be found when those malnurished horses were discovered near Yorktown earlier this year.
I've seen more active chapters of the SPCA than what I see in this area.

So, the puppies suffer because the "responsible family" doesn't secure them & the trooper won't help. The puppy has NO way to call for help & does not carry an insurance card. The dogs are dependent on people. It's not like the puppies quit a wonderful job to be slackers. It does not make the dogs feel any better to argue about you should have done what. Obviously the dogs needed medical attention & probably new owners. I have 5 dogs that I have taken in off of the streets because of irresponsible people. Any helpless animal needs to be cared for. The abandoned animals have no choice.

the main thing i have to say is
how would u feel coming home to find your puppies injured?
like said pets r like kids,they need tending to and love.if u can't provide it don;t take a pet!

Please direct specific questions to my blog: http://community.victoriaadvocate.com...

I can't say strongly enough that the photo was not doctored in any way. We also stand by the accuracy of the story as told to us by witnesses, including a neighbor and the Penas, on Monday and Tuesday.

CORRECTION, I MEANT FENCED NOT FENCHED--MY BAD

THE TROOPER WENT A LITTLE FURTHER AND DID THE RIGHT THING. FIRST OF ALL, THE CITY AND OR COUNTY I BELIEVE HAVE SOME ORDINANCES THAT REQUIRE THE DOGS TO BE ON A LEASH OR FENCHED UP.. THE OWNER OF THOSE DOGS SHOULD BE FINE FOR LETTING THE DOGS ROAM AROUND THE STREET..THE TROOPER AINT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING AND ALREADY DID THE RIGHT THING..JUST MY OPINION---

stupid.....most people on here were agreeing with how the trooper handled the situation & were in line with what you just spewed forth. How do you live with yourself?

Are you people just stupid?Most of you making comments on here would not have even noticed you hit the dogs much less stopped to check on them or even thought about leaving a note. Heck most of you would have been to busy talking on your cell phone to even notice the dogs in the first place.Second of all there is a city ordinance about dogs running at large and a state law about it. The owner should have showed more diligence in making sure his dogs were secured in his yard.As for the person that had it out for the trooper, I bet you the trooper was doing his job and wrote the guy a ticket or arrested him at some point and time. So knucklehead thought this would be a way to get him back.As far as the advocate, I looked at the picture, blew it up with photo editing software, and all kinds of stuff...don't know if it was photo edited or not....BUT, regardless is this the best story the Victoria Advocate could find to report on? Is this the best story in the Victoria area? What about all the hurricane related stuff? How about reporting on the hundreds of volunteers helping people out?I have been reading the paper for 30+ years and every time the paper is published it gets a little worse.GET A NEWS WORTHY SUBJECT AND DO SOME REAL REPORTING...Wait first get someone that knows how to proofread your stories. My ten year old writes better than you do !!!   The best comment posted so far was by Mr. Pena! Now if he realizes that under criminal and civil laws, he is solely responsible for his dog being out running at large. So he is solely responsible for the injuries to the dog and if there was any damage to the vehicle that Trooper Dunaway was driving Mr. Pena is also solely responsible for fixing that damage as well.    You know this whole incident is indicative of what is wrong with our country. Take responsibility for your actions and pay the consequences!!!

Mr. Pena, thank you for coming on here & addressing this situation. I feel sorry for you for being caught up in the middle of this scenario. I hope you insist the Advocate writes a clarification on this story so you can tell your side. They have made you look like an irresponsible, only caring about whats in it for you, person. I wish your pups a speedy recovery & a secure fence.

So,let me see if I can get this right...

The VA did not get this complaint from the dogs owner but from a neighbor whom dislikes this trooper?

So none of this information in this article is even legit?

Please tell me this is not so,VA.....

Okay I have to ask? Why would the Victoria advocate add  the blood to this picture!!! Come on Now.... The state Trooper that hit these  puppies did the right thing by leaving the note he didnt have to do that he could have just drove away, but he didnt. He owned up to it. As for this witness that saw the whole thing instead of calling the Victoria advocate to write such a story and to put the troopers name in the newspaper that was just stupid of this person and the advocate shame on you!!! The trooper puts his life on the line everyday to protect us and that includes you too (whatsthedeal) FOR YOU TO GIVE MR DUNAWAYS NAME IS JUST PLAN WRONG. WHY DIDNT YOU GIVE YOUR REAL NAME?? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO HIDE. And you saw the whole thing happend  why didnt you take the puppies to the vet if you are so worried about this. Shame on you whatsthedeal and the victoria advocate. Anyone with animals that live in town need to keep them in there own yards and behind a fence or inside. And this wont happen....
Mr Dunaway
I truely hope that the mistake of whatsthedeal giving your name out doesnt cause you and your family any harm.

yeah, the photoshopping of the pup picture is pretty tacky. blood is blood. geez, i would hate for of the VA to have gotten ahold of any pictures of that murder scene!

whatsthedeal...you do realize that striking a dog with your vehicle is not considered a vehicular accident right? Now if it is done on purpose it may constitute a Cruelty to Animals. However, that was not the case.

The dogs owners are completely to blame here and carry full responsibility for the medical bills. How pathetic of them to expect the trooper to pay.

That's gross, oldrustybucket1! I ate Chinese food last night!LOL

I'm the owner of the dogs "David" and I didn't call the advocate. An anonymous neighbor that had it out for the trooper had their opportunity to try to get back at the trooper and put "me" in the middle of it and called the advocate. My wife and I are very embarrassed and the advocate stretched the story. I spoke to the trooper and he told me that if there was anything that he could do to give him a call. I thought the cop took the right actions and left the note because he didn't have to.

Comment From: ArchieBonkers Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:49:32 CDT
"In China they don't have a problem with dogs running loose they take good care of dogs there!" Yeah, they get all that old hot hair off of 'em and give 'em a nice bath and fill a pot with good spices and a few veggies and put the doggie in the nice warm pot and turn the heat up. Then they EAT 'EM.

Wed Sep 24, 2008 16:59:18 CDT
"If you hit a human, it's the driver's fault."
Not always......

Whatsthedeal....why didn't YOU take the dogs to the vet or call the owners instead of calling the paper? Seems you are as responsible as the trooper since you did witness the accident. If you had witnessed a car accident & did not stop to render aid you would be criminally responsible.
I was hoping the photo was photo shopped as I never would've thought someone would allow their dog/beloved pet to remain injured just for a photo op. Shame on the family....my heart goes out to those dogs.

I tried to address on my blog the issues involving this story: http://community.victoriaadvocate.com...

I'll try to answer any other specific questions there. Thanks for the various comments so far.

Whatsthedeal, so you called the Advocate to report nefarious doings by a DPS Trooper... You say these dogs "suffered" longer because the Trooper didn't take them to the vet -- well, I say that the owners, who irresponsibly left the dogs unsecured, allowed the animals to suffer because they didn't find someway to pay for the animal's health care! That's a nasty looking gash on the pup's leg there...

I too am an animal lover. I have 4 dogs and 3 cats. One of my dogs climbs over the fence, every single day! He thinks he owns the road out here. He's been hit by a car once. I took full financial responsibility for his vet bills. The driver was driving way too fast but, if he swerved to miss my dog, he would have hit my son and his friend who were walking along the side of the road. Luckily, Taz suffered only minor injuries... mostly road rash and some bruises... Luckily my son and his friend were unscathed.

The trooper did what he should have done! Did the owners do what they should have? No. They are still allowing their dog to suffer by not getting medical treatment.

If you hit a human, it's the driver's fault.

I no longer live in South Texas but do get online to read the Advocate and Cuero Record. I now live on the West Coast...it's interesting to see the difference in attitudes towards animals between here and there...particularly dogs. I can remember growing up in Cuero...people thinking it's quite allright to take a dog they no longer want and drive it out of town and "dump" it. I know this went on because my parents lived out in the "country" and at one particular point they had 22 "dump" dogs. They fed, vaccinated and loved them all until the last one died at the age of 15. If I hit someone's dog, I would make it a POINT to find the owners and if I couldn't I would take that animal to a vet. Gates get left open..not purposefully but accidentally...whose to say a kid did not go back there looking for the neighbor kids to play with and just didn't shut it back? Not tending an injured animal is just total irresponsibility in my view...and being it was a "Trooper" that hit these dogs exhibits a total lack of compassion much less that of a role model to any young child. It's called doing the right thing....get that animal tended to ... if necessary fine the owners...and if they are unable to afford the vet bills make them surrender the animal so it can find a good home. Just to leave it injured is unacceptable. But then when you have a community that thinks its okay to just dump a dog out in the middle of nowhere....what else can you expect from that mentality?

The photo of the puppy has not been altered in any fashion. The characteristics of a monitor’s display does slightly increase saturation of color, but believe me the dogs leg was extremely raw and bleeding. I stand behind the accuracy of the image. Frank Tilley, Advocate Photo Editor.

Just adding one more thing... Out of all the dogs that I have had, there have been a few that were hit (I live on an fm rd). Not one person has stopped and left a note!! Not one! Do you know how many times I've had to tell my son that his dog ran away?

How many times has someone hit an animal and left them there to die? And this family cannot afford the medical bills but they wanted the officer to drop off the animal for medical treatment? Who was supposed to pay for that bill? Oh! and are they just letting this dog suffer with a gash in its leg? Isn't that animal curelty??? Why own an animal if you can't afford to take care of it when it is hurt??? I am on the officer's side. He left a note to let them know what he had done. But I am sure that he never said he would pay for their mistake...

First of all I don't think anyone on this forum is saying that they don't take care of their pets. I agree with everyone that this was not a resposibility of the trooper. Reguardless of who hit these animals, the point is they should have not been roaming the streets. That's the bottom line.
Second of all, I have large farm animals, cows and horses. If my animals were roaming the FM rd I live on and someone hit one. I don't think I'd be asking if they can pay for the damages done to the animal. I'd be eating steak.
And it doesn't matter WHO called the advocate. They would have came out and did a story cause the owners obviously want their 15 minutes of fame.

First, Time magazine alters OJ Simpson picture for its cover and now the Victoria Advocate does the same to Laila the suicide dog on its cover.

What is journalism coming to?

Aye Chihuahua

I think if the advocate was to print the whole story all of the people who post these comments would have a totally different opinion.First of all let me say that i did witness the incident and did observe the "The Troopers" actions.At the time of the incident an animal control truck was just down the street,and a few moments later the animal control truck drove past the scene unaware of the incident."The Trooper" could have called the animal control Officer back and have the injured and suffering animals looked at and/or possibly treated at the scene or taken to be treated.Second The Trooper did enter the backyard of the homeowners and did inspect the animals and noted that they indeed where injured.Third the homeowner did not call the advocate i did for the above mentioned reasons.Fourth the pictures are real and the blood was very visible and please note that the advocate did not get a wide enough picture to show just how much blood was on that patio deck,nor where there pictures of the second puppy who suffered head injuries.The advocate fumbled the ball,and if the whole story was printed views would be different.Fifth the incident took place at at 4:25 in the afternoon and the homeowners like most of us didn't get home until after 5:00,so the animals suffered longer because of the actions taken by "The Trooper".I wish to let it be known that the homeowners did not call the advocate,I did.I always though that Victoria was a good place to live and raise a family,to include pets.I am ashamed to call Victoria my home today with all of the people who do not care about an animals senseless suffering.I live not too far from where the animals reside and have witnessed on many occasions the families three small children playing with the puppies.The love that a child has for a pet is beyond any understanding that any of us can have.The people out there that have children will know exactly what i am getting at.

thnx... that's me at about lunch time at work :D

They could have photoshopped a collar and tag on the puppy while they were doing the blood.

Hey upsman and victorianbybirth, I'm glad you two took notice of how the picture was Phottoshopped. I have heard that they Phottoshop everything nowadays. Shame, shame, shame.

whatsthedeal....they were dogs. I recently inquired as to the legalities involved in hitting a dog that is in the road & was informed by the police that as long as it is not intentional then it is not a crime. I love animals, I have 3 dogs & too many cats (all strays) but if they are in the street & get hit, I have no one to blame but myself.

Oh my god!! The dogs were in the roadway. Doesn't any body remember drivers ed? It was always said that its better to keep your path instead of swerving or slamming the breaks whenever an animal gets in the roadway. I could understand the criticism if it was a HUMAN in the road. But for godsake it was a dog. It happens, the owners of the dogs should make sure there animals are secured on thier property whenever they leave. I have two dogs and I daily check my fence and gates to make sure they cannot get out. Also, what was Victoria Advocate thinking by putting a Texas Highway Patrols Cell number in the paper. Not only can this cause him several harrassing phone calls but could also result in other problems for the Troop and his family. After this article I will be cancelling my subscription and will have no courtesy towards all of the Victoria Advocate Delivery drivers when they drive recklessly in the early mornings but running stop signs and not paying attention to other DRIVERS. I support the Trooper on this. Just blow it off Trooper Dunaway

I am in support of law-enforcement,as well as a compassionate animal lover. All of these comments about "The Trooper" has lost sight of of the one and only fact that is the matter of concern.I understand accidents happen as well as the owners should always insure the safety of their pets,but all this talk of "if you cant afford a pet you don't need to own one.Let's be real people,How many of us on a day to day basis plan on having an unexpected expense such as a injured pet.The way our economy is and the price of fuel these day doesn't easily make extra money readily available.All of that is off the subject,The thing that is horrendous is the unmistakable fact that "The Trooper" knew the animals where injured and suffering,but choose to just leave a note.Let us that an exert from the law "Any driver who fails to fulfill their duties after being involved in an accident can receive a traffic ticket, at a minimum. In some cases, especially when an accident causes injury or death, a driver who leaves the scene of an accident can be subject to serious criminal charges such as "felony hit and run."When this is put into layman's terms if you commit hit and run and please note that the law does not specify person or animal,you will face criminal charges.My question is why is the law not being followed, and all this nonsense talk about financial responsibility.I only have one more statement to make "If the pet was yours HOW WOULD YOU FEEL./ so put yourself in someone Else's shoes and walk that mile caus4e i don't see anywhere in this story about the dogs where malnourished.

I agree with you Upsman.....the photo shopping was over the top.
I feel bad for the dogs, they were doing what dogs who weren't trained properly do.
The story does not say what the trooper was doing when the accident happened. Was he responding to a call or on his way home...did the dogs dart in front of him, did he see them at any point before they came in contact with his car?
I do not fault him at all....he stopped, looked for the dogs, asked a neighbor about them. He left a note after he found that they were back in their yard. I'm sure had one of them been incapacitated in the middle of the road he would have done something more but since they were gone so quickly after being hit he probably thought they were not on deaths door.
I hit a dog on a country road years back, it was late at night & a black lab, never saw him but knew I hit something. I stopped, got out & looked for the dog. There was a man sitting in his driveway drinking a beer so I asked him, he said it was his dog & he was probably alright. I left him my number just in case I did hurt the dog. Just think, I coulda been beaten to death by stopping!

OK, everyone here has said what I wanted to say, and then some but there is something else that needs to be noticed. To make matters worse the VA has to photoshop the color of the blood on the dog to make it brighter!!! This is the exact reason, THE EXACT REASON, i do not subscribe to this lame excuse for a newspaper anymore. I just happened to hear about this story and had to let off some steam. I just bought a paper in a ******stop and the clerk was so happy that this happened to a DPS trooper. When I asked her, what was he supposed to do she had nothing to say but "its good for him; They're allways giving out tickets so they should get one". I guess this shows what kind of demographic the Adovcate is trying sell to. (no wonder Im not subscribing to this filth anymore)
ps- please stop littering my driveway with your free newspapers

90% of the people in this world would not have even stopped after the incident, much less leave a note.

Even if the dogs were loose accidently, the responsibility lies with the owners.

When you accept ownership of a pet, you have to assume responsbility for that pet also....that include financial. These people do not need a dog or a pet of any kind if they cannot even afford a few stitches.....most vets in this town will allow you to pay your bill off. My bet is the dogs get no heartworm protection or vaccinations either.

If you can't afford a child, you should not have children. If you can't afford a pet, you should not have pets.

What would I do? If I were the VA I would not waste newsprint on this story, a story about irresponsible pet owners.

The VA had to print the Officer's cell number for all to see? How about the Pena’s phone number?

These dogs should be adopted out of this family or euthanized.

In China they don't have a problem with dogs running loose they take good care of dogs there!

VA,take the DPS NUMBER OFF PLEASE so some of these folks can quit complaining about it!!!!!!Gzzzzz.

Okay, I felt the need to say a couple of things here. First I live on Pheasant Drive in Quail Creek and it is nowhere near the trailer park area. I'm not quite sure what difference that would make if it was the trailer park area or not. (perhaps a little stereotyping? Not going to touch that one!) We do have alot of responsible pet owners, I being one of them, in the subdivision, so please keep that in mind. I do feel sorry for the puppies in this situation but I agree 100% it is the owner's responsibility and not the trooper's. I recently had been teaching a teenager to drive and that is one of the things I stressed alot. If an animal runs out in the roadway DO NOT swerve because it could cause the vehicle to go into a spin or rollover and maybe do serious injury to yourself and others. I also know firsthand how a pet can "get away" from you, but that also would be my repsonsibility if anything were to happen. I know if my pets were ever to be injured, I would hope someone would have the same decency and respenect as this trooper did to leave a note about what happened. Once again, I do feel sorry for the puppies and hopefully lessons have been learned, it's just too bad it is at the expense of the puppies. Thanks for letting me vent.

How about this scenerio...the(loose)dogs run out in the street, startly the Trooper who swerves and then hits a child on a bike! I wonder then if they would be complaining about the Trooper not helping to pay for the dogs medical bills!!! For shame on these people for even bringing this stupid thing up and for shame on the Advocate for even printing it, especially on the front page. Heck, when someone gets stabbed or hit by a car and is injured, they usually put it under the Police/Courts section. Maybe these people are thinking a vet or someone else will offer to pay to do the work for free. Shame on the people who offer to do it.

The trooper did exactly as he should have. The Pena's bear the responsibility for the injury to their dogs for not insuring they were propery secured. I can't believe this made the front page of the paper. Are we that devoid of news?

Maybe the officer should not have left a note then the Pena's wouldn't have have anyone to blame but themselves.

They should be thankful for the note. At least they know what happenned and not just had to wonder if they were abused or fighting with other animals.

Pena's when you point your finger there are 3 pointed back at you!

Take care of your pets!!! He could have called the animal police on ya.

I think that the more appropriate question is: If the dog hit the Trooper would he have left a note?

I think the Trooper did the right thing. What kind of dog owner lets their dogs run loose? I call them ignorant. These dog owners are responsible for their own vet bill, they are probably the type that would not get vet care for their pets unless they can benefit from this type of situation.
Why do people move to the country or to these subdivisions on the edge of town and let their dogs loose?
I'm sorry that these little guys were injured.
The owners are totally responsible for this, not the trooper.
So pup owners stand up and face the fact it's your fault quit blaming others for your mistake and take care of your pups instead of whinying.

The Victoria Advocate should not have posted the officer's number or anyone's number in the paper. That was irresponsible of them to do so.

The dogs were loose and at least the officer placed them in their yard so noone else would hit them. Give the guy a break. Most people in this town would not have even done that.

OOPS, posted on the wrong story. Its been a bad morning.

I'm sorry for the victim and his family. What a horrible death and over something so stupid. The place where they worked had nothing to do with this death. It is a matter of watch the company you keep. This community is going down hill fast.

Could this dog problem in Quail Creek have anything to do with the trailer park?

Let's not be critical of the Trooper! Let's be critical of those dog owners who:
1) Should not have allowed their dog to be running loose
2) Should not have a dog if they cannot afford proper vet care in case of an accident or illness
3) Are quick to blame others for a situation that is clearly and totally their own fault!
Get a grip, Victoria Advocate! Responsible pet ownership begins with the pet OWNER! These folks are clearly not "responsible pet owners"! They are irresponsible pet owners!
The trooper in my opinion did what he could in a bad situation. The owners did not and have not.
And I completely agree with Ms Sheila's post: the Advocate has a pet story with a bigger headline than a murder?!? For shame Advocate!

That block of Quail Creek has too many dogs running loose. I hope the brown chi hua hua is not the next victim as he has tested my breaks several times.

I love my dogs. They would not run loose, ever. The owner should hold himself or a family member responsible for letting the dogs loose. Let himself or that other person get a job or an extra job to pay for the dogs care. Why quote the SPCA president comparing an animal's life to a human life.

And - why did the Advocate run a longer story with a bigger headline about a dog when the story above it was about a man beaten to death? Humans are more important than animals even though some people want to place them on equal terms

Sheila

I really wonder where the Advocate's priorities lie? The headline news in today's paper reflects a relatively smallish article that discusses a heinous murder that occurs. The MAIN FOCUS article is about a dog that gets hit by a DPS trooper. The size of the article about the trooper and the huge picture of the injured dog took up the majority of the front page. So is the Advocate's priority to demean the trooper that accidentally hit a dog or inform the public about a serious murder that occurred in our community? C'mon Advocate get your priorities straight! This trooper did more than Joe Q. Public would've done if they had accidentally hit that dog. Why should Trooper Dunaway have to pay for injuries to a dog that he accidentally hit because the dog was left in an unsecured yard? And as for the Pena's...you should pay for your own dog. If you can afford to have a football party then you should be able to afford to provide adequate medical care for your animals!

The trooper did more than most would have. Pets are the owners resposibility. If you can't afford medical treatment for them, don't own them. Keep you gate closed and your fence in good condition. I guess now these people are going to try and sue the trooper.

I totally agree with the majority...keep your gates closed and check on your animals before you leave the house.

I hope the owners weren't expecting sympathy.

To clarify, the phone number in the note was to the DPS office in Corpus Christi. It is not a cell phone number.
Thanks for commenting.

I have to say that I agree with the officer and he did more than alot of people would. I have to agree with that if they can afford a football party then the cost of the vet would be no problem. The DPS officer did more than he had to. He let his supervisor know of the incident and tried to do right. I think it is sad that this made the front page with a large picture of the note. It is sad that the dog's owner went to the paper and the paper printed it on the front page. I would hope there are more important issues in the city/county than dog that needs stiches.

That's the number to DPS in Corpus, where his dispatcher is. They blotted out his number on the bottom.

I hope the officer keeps his phone records and then turns them over to VA. Since it is posted on the internet its WORLD WIDE. Even the news wire, TV and other media forums could pick up on this and CALL HIM.

Did the pets have their tags/shots??? I didn't remember reading that or AGAIN is the story not well researched?!?!

These people need to keep a better eye on these ANIMALS. It is not our (the publics) responsibility for your dogs. They got out that is your problem your lucky the trooper was kind enough to leave a note and not a note wanting you to pay for damages to his car!!! Boo Hoo.

So when did this kind of a story become news? Obviously the dog is the owner’s responsibility ALL THE TIME. Also the advocate should handle the cost of changing the troopers cell phone number, since the plastered it on the front page.

I am on the Trooper's side 100% on this one. See? I am not anti-law enforcement, as many have suggested.

if the homeowners can not afford for medical care for the pets then how do they feed them???? You think maybe the dogs were HUNGRY and THIRSTY????

I say Mr. DPS--carry on..... Pena's -- keep your gate closed

one more thing, Did the VA have to print the Officer's cell number for all to see????

gimmeabreak, I second that!

Good job, Dunaway! I have gained even MORE respect for you now. The other posters on this forum are absolutely right when they say this accident was caused by the pet owner's irresponsibility. By trying to contact the owners, you did more than most anyone else would have done. Thanks for doing the right thing and being a positive role model for law enforcement.

I'm also with the trooper. What a hilarious comment by Pena, "He said Dunaway apologized for the accident, but didn't offer to pay for Laila's stitches." Of course he didn't. It's not his dog, he didn't let it out and he didn't run over it on purpose. Pets get out and pets get ran over, it's not his fault... it's yours.

To the advocate staff... start the poll over. When I first saw it last night there was no story to go with the poll and people just blindly voted that the Trooper should have taken the dog to the vet. Now that the story is out the vote is quickly going the other way. I understand it's not a "scientific poll", but the results would be very different if the poll was restarted now that the story is out.

Pets are alot like children....if you can't afford them....don't have them! I can't believe anyone would voluntarily have a pet and not have any money to take care of them. I wonder how much they spent on that football party they had. Priorities, of course.

Please, you can afford a football party, but no money to care for your dog. The officer should have called animal control. Does the dog have his shots, tags?

I'm on the officers side on this one.I've seen multiple people hit animals due to them being in the MIDDLE of the ROAD.

These people are lucky they got a note instead of tickets for letting there dogs run loose!

Tue,Wed,Thur at Adopt A Pet it costs 20 bucks to see a vet to treat these dogs.If one doesn't have 40 dollars to take there dog for treatment then why in the world do they have pets in the first place.They were probably hungry and out roaming the streets looking for FOOD.

The trooper did way more than he was "required". These people are just looking for a handout, and probably another frivolous lawsuit. The owners of the dogs had no right to let their dogs run loose, last time I checked, that was what a backyard was for and obviously they have one. These people need to get a life and probably a part time job to pay for those stitches that poor animal needs due to their lack of being a responsible pet owner!

What BS! The officer should pay for the the stupid owners letting their dogs run loose?

How about fining the owners?

The trooper did the right thing! He's got more important issues to deal with! I've hit dogs before but they've always been in the roadway I refuse to sacrifice my life or my family's life for a dog or animal! Keep your dogs secure!

Darned if you do....darned if you don't. BTW, how much does it cost to stitch a dog up?

Okay, you leave your gate open, your dogs are in THE STREET, they get hit by a car, and you don't bear any responsibility ---- why?

According to the article, the Trooper attempted to contact the dog's owners. They were not at home and therefore he left a note.

FYI, Adopt a Pet offers low cost animal health care -- Hillcrest animal hospital offers payment arrangements. So don't cry about not being able to afford it! Dr. Beck and his staff care about animals and will help!