AUBURN — Ron Vye is hoping the driver of a black minivan that struck his 2-year-old pit bull and dragged him 70 feet along South Main Street last week will come forward to take responsibility.
A surveillance video posted on Facebook and viewed 62,657 times as of Monday, captured the moment Bruiser was hit in front of Vye’s home on Wednesday morning.
https://www.facebook.com/ron.vye1/posts/10216585327962554
Vye said Monday that his 4-year-old grandson let the dog out the front door, not the back door that leads to a yard surrounded by a six-foot fence. When his grandson went upstairs to tell him he’d let the dog out, Vye started looking for his pet.
Two minutes later a black minivan hit Bruiser in front of a neighbor’s driveway, dragging the dog 70 feet down South Main Street and leaving the scene, Vye said.
He called police to help him find Bruiser, and after checking five streets in the area the dog was found left for dead in a neighbor’s driveway.
“Bruiser was bleeding all over. He was disoriented, and he didn’t know where he was. He wouldn’t even look at me,” Vye said.
The dog was taken to a veterinarian.
“He had internal bleeding, his spleen was ruptured,” Vye said. “ He’s got 14 staples holding his head together.”
The veterinarian told Vye that some of the injuries could have long-term effects.
“Wednesday night we got him back from the vet . . . he didn’t move,” Vye said. “On Thursday he didn’t get up or move. Thursday night, I couldn’t believe it. He felt better and started eating chicken and rice, then started eating his dog food.”
A video posted Saturday on Facebook showed Bruiser with a fresh scar running from his left ear to the top of his head. He was up sniffing around the backyard.
Vye said he’s wondering how someone could hit his dog and drive off without letting him or anyone else know.
“I know when you’re driving down the road, even if you’re going the speed limit, it’s hard to stop,” he said. “But to hit a dog, know you hit something like that, and keep driving? I don’t care if you stay in your car. Just report it to somebody.”
The video of the incident doesn’t capture a clear image of the license plate so police have little to go on, Vye said.
“I’m just looking for someone to stand up and take responsibility for what they did. I’m just looking for a little bit of closure,” he said.
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