My second public service announcement for this week
I was digging weeds in the back yard this afternoon on a picture perfect day. That is until I heard a loud thump followed by the howls of pain coming from a dog. My dog joined in the howling until I comforted him and took him inside the house. The yelping came to a sudden stop and I could see up the street over the fence - Max, a German Shepherd about 6 months old or so, was being carried limp off the street by his owner. I don't know whether the driver of the vehicle stopped or not.
This was the 6th or 7th dog I have seen off leash or loose from their yard in two days of dog walks. This town has laws against loose dogs but it seems to be de rigueur this year especially to let your animals experience the free range life.
These creatures have the right to the expectation of a safe life when they have been brought into a home. The rewards they can offer when treated well are tremendous. Science has shown that they do indeed feel many of the same emotions we like to think of as distinctly human. It takes so little to keep them safe from traffic, I can't imagine being careless with a family member in not doing so.
Max could have grown into an old gent with white whiskers and been a best friend of the young boy in the family. Not now.
= new reply since forum marked as read
He had an invisable fence that worked "just fine." We spent the $. He moved out. The next family had the yard aerated. It took out the fence.
Our fence keeps other dogs and animals out of our yard, which an invisible fence can't do.
Our dogs love their private exercise area in our back yard.
OS
Sweetie wants to play with the deer on the other side of the fence.
Things can happen in an instant.
Thanks for posting your helpful reminders.
And sorry you had to witness that. 
I will add to your thread, two more announcements, not from current events.
I had a friend in Colorado who lost her beautiful, young black lab (hit by a car) on 4th of July, because he was in a dog run in their back yard, but the fireworks drove him crazy and he managed to dig his way out that night, when nobody was home, and went running down the road until he was hit and killed.
Please keep your dogs inside on the 4th...many of them really can't handle the noise.
My second announcement was about my next door neighbor in Colorado, who had a friend staying with him with a German Shepherd. He kept the dog chained outside. I was in my house one day when my dog let me know something was up...I followed her out to her dog run and around the garage, where I found the german shepherd hanging on my side of a tall privacy fence, his back feet inches off the ground, strangling. I picked him up and somehow, managed to get the chain off while holding him up, and then he could breath and he recovered. He was pretty scared. So was I. Please don't tie your dogs out if you can help it. Chaining is not good for dogs. It often makes them aggressive. But, if you have to, please check the length of the tether and make sure they can not jump or climb over anything that they can get hung up on like this. I never want to go through anything like that again. I was lucky. I found a live dog, not a dead one.
Thank you IDemo for the OP!
Not memories of a dog, but a cat. My ex-wife drove too fast everywhere she went, & nearly lost her license because of it (a lot of speeding tickets).
One night we were coming home in the dark (she was driving) doing 45 in a 25 (on a residential street, & I looked at the speedometer because I knew she was going way too fast) when a cat ran out in front of us & *thump thump* she ran over it with both front & rear wheels.
She stopped & I ran back to see the cat. The sight was horrific, there's no way I'll ever forget it. All I could do was tell her to stay away (I wanted to spare her the sight, I just told her to stay where she was, "You don't want to see this"
while I held that poor cat in my arms & petted it & told it that it was loved & I was so sorry & it was ok to go now ... while it died in my hands.
That was more than 10 years ago & writing this now still brings me to tears.
That didn't have to happen. PLEASE ... don't be THAT PERSON. Just ... don't. Ever.
Even people who don't necessarily care all that much about animals like dogs & cats need to realize that a toddler or child could run in front of their car, or just be in a place where they don't expect them to be. For example, I had a neighbor who backed over her 2-year-old daughter in the driveway. The toddler crawled behind the car. Thankfully she was driving a small/light car & her daughter survived, after months in the hospital, but I doubt her guilt as a mother will ever be gone. Imagine if her daughter had died, how could any parent live with that?
Bottom line? Automobiles can kill, & they do, every day. If you drive one, take that seriously & watch out for all the life (human & otherwise) around you.
My public service announcement is: Don't EVER drink & drive.
It's not worth it. Have a designated driver, take a cab, whatever.
Enjoy your refreshing beverages (lord knows I do 
but don't get behind the wheel.
Thanks for listening ...