On Tuesday, May 14, our beloved 7-year-old springer spaniel, Dixie, was hit by a car in front of our home in Hudson. This letter isn’t one of those “blame the driver” wailings where we fault the driver for carelessness and for not stopping to check on the animal.

Our dog in an extremely well-behaved pet who had always, until Tuesday, stayed out of the road without being tied or fenced. She’s been hurt because the owners she trusts and loves didn’t keep a closer watch on her. I guess we were lulled into a sense of security after seven years.

We’d like to thank the driver of the car for stopping. My husband was very upset because he thought Dixie was dead, so he was quite rude to the man. We know the driver was genuinely sorry. It’s a sickening feeling to hit an animal, and very hard to face the distraught owners, even when you know that the accident was totally unavoidable.

We’d also like the driver of the car to know that Dixie is not dead, as he thought when he drove away. She was knocked out and her hip was broken, but she was operated on today. She is expected to recover from her injuries, thanks to the excellent care she received from the staff at the Brewer Veterinary Clinic.

All pet owners who are reading this — please, please keep a close eye on your pets and protect them from disaster. It only takes a minute for them to do something totally unexpected. Believe me, we learned the hard way and Dixie is paying for it. Mr. and Mrs. Tom Lavertu Hudson