MEMORIES: Iznaya Kennedy with beloved Chispa who was killed when it ran in front of a motorist who neglected to stop, further upsetting the family.By SHAUN INGUANZO
A HIT and run incident that killed a dog in Upwey has fuelled a public outcry from the animal’s distraught family.
Fiveyearold Chispa the Pomeranian cross Sheltie, described by his owners as a ‘furry little angel’, was about to have his leash attached when he ran after another dog crossing Glenfern Road, Upwey, on Thursday evening, 26 August.
According to Upwey resident Iznaya Kennedy, whose parents owned the dog, a motorist travelling along the road hit Chispa but continued driving, leaving skidmarks and Chispa dead in the middle of the road.
Ms Kennedy, 29, said she was angry the driver had not pulled over.
“If the driver of the car should read the paper, I would just like to send the message that if he or she had stopped, it would have put a human face to the whole thing, instead of the unshakeable feeling that Chispa was killed by a soulless machine,” she said.
“It gives his death less of a ‘cycle of life and death’ event, and more of a senseless waste of our beautiful, happy little friend.
“Unless the driver was speeding, then it wasn’t his or her fault that Chispa died.
“What’s so hard about stopping to see if the dog has an owner in the close vicinity or ID in order to notify its loved ones? Are we in that much of a hurry these days that we can only think of ourselves?”
Ms Kennedy described Chispa as a ‘furry little angel’ and said the feeling he was gone was like ‘someone turned out our light and siphoned the oxygen out of the room; at least, that’s how I felt when I was told what happened by my poor dad who had to carry him home.’
She said her parents were devastated by Chispa’s loss because he was part of the family.
“He was very well integrated; went everywhere we could get away with taking him to.”
“He loved his people (owners) and he would push his way into the front of the car when the door opened, assuming that he was invited for the drive.
“On the occasions we received bad news from overseas family, he would sit and wait for permission to jump on our laps and make us feel better, resting his chin on our hands until the sadness had run its course.
“He was a furry angel.”
