A 5-year-old Jack Russell terrier named Snoopy is dead after police said a car allegedly ran him over on purpose Monday.
According to St. Petersburg Police, at about 7:51 a.m. Jan. 14, a witness observed a blue four-door sedan heading west in the alley behind 5149 3rd Ave. N.
A moment later the same vehicle was seen heading back east in the alley, now driving at a high rate of speed.
The witness saw a small dog running ahead of it and then struck by the car, which continued to leave the area without stopping.
Police said based on the witnesses' account, it appeared that the driver intentionally ran over the dog.
Snoopy's owner, Paul Alves, told the Tampa Bay Times that Snoopy was a good dog that sometimes got out of the back yard but would always come back.
When Snoopy did not come back Monday, Alves went to look for him, according to the Times.
He found his 25-year-old neighbor and her children there, visibly upset. Then he saw his dog lying nearby on the ground, dead.
"It was just horrible," Alves said. "You could see his neck was broken."
The witness could not see who was driving the car at the time, but it is likely that the person may reside or know someone somewhere in the immediate area, police said.
Responding officers and the owner found the dog dead on the scene
Snoopy, police said, had slipped out from his fenced in backyard not far from where he was struck.
Investigating officers located a neighbor who had a home security camera, which provided an alley view of the area.
In the surveillance video, the suspect's vehicle can be seen heading east in the alley. Although barely seen, Snoopy is visible on the north side of the alley immediately after being struck.
Detectives have released the alley surveillance video in the hopes of identifying the driver of the suspect vehicle. Police said at this point they would just like to interview the driver in order to determine his or her intent.
The make and model of the car has not yet been determined but it does appear to be a newer model blue four-door sedan, police said.
Anyone with information should call the non-emergency number at 727-893-7780, Text-A-Tip to 727-420-8911 or leave a confidential tip at 727-892-5000.
Anyway.
In your reply here...you say this article refers to ''the neighbors'' (plural) and a ''reward fund''. Huh??? What are you reading? Seriously, man...just where are you reading all that in the article? If ''does not'' say that. There is ZERO mention of a reward and the article clearly and ''repeatedly'' states there is ''one'' witness. At the suggestion of others, I have read more ''s-l-o-w-l-y''. Now it appears you need to follow your own advice. The comments on ''this blog'' are on the article that precedes. That's all I am doing. There has not been any description or mention of follow-up info. If you are a fair person, you will review the article and then let me know if I am incorrect. I mean ''really'', Mike....''who'' is going to run over a puppy on purpose? Think about it. That just does not sound right, does it? Of course it doesn't. That is why I am reserving judgement until more info is out on it. If they do discover this was done on purpose, then I have no pity for the driver...but I want to be sure, or at least ''more'' sure....before I jump on the bandwagon to send the driver to jail over it. This is a ''human'' life we are talking about. Why is it so bad to reserve judgment?
You wrote about your pets: ''...One cat use to be a feral and another was abandoned by a dear neighbor that moved away and left it....'' (your words) We clearly have a different perspective on how we view things. You call this person a ''dear neighbor''...and as someone who simply '''abandoned '' a cat? Do you even stop to think about some of the things you write? Frankly, my opinion is that someone who would abandon a cat as you described does not sound like a very nice person. I can't imagine ''ever'' doing that to a pet. I would shoot it and bury it myself first, but not abandon a pet I had bonded with. You probably can't understand that. How could any decent person or family do that to a cat that was a pet. And that is coming from a person who as a kid, has raised animals as a 4-H project, named them, and then butcher it, pack the meat from it in a freezer, and then eat it for much of the following months. My own mother on many a day went out and killed a chicken to eat that evening. This world is made of many different types of people... all as good as you...but different. As I said, we have some simularities, but also some differences that you can't accept both ways.
I enjoyed what you wrote about your pets. You're clearly an animal lover and commend you. Our family loves Jack Russel Terriors, and are huge ''Snoopy'' fans. In fact, my elderly sister has to move to a retirement home and we are soon going to have her 2 Jack Russell's. It's a sad story. The only peace she has in giving them up is that it is me who will be caring for them. We love them. We also have an alley. In ''our'' alley...it is ''crazy''. No place to not watch out for yourself, kids, or pets from cars. I don't think anyone ''ever'' drives by who is not on a cell phone. We have a current animal drama. We moved here in April from Kansas. That's north of here...lol. Our house was vacant for 2 years. There is a feral male cat that has made our home ''it's'' home all that time. Our neighbors told us it slept at our door since it was a kitten that grew up and then was on it's own. We have fed it everyday since we have lived here and call it ''Ourkitty''. We love this cat. To date, it still has ''never'' let ''anyone'' touch it. Not even one time yet. ''But''...it may finally be getting ready to. 4 days ago another very hungry male cat showed up out of the blue at the same door. It strangely adopted us, and let us pet it from day one. It was starving and crying. My son fed it, but not again for 3 days now. It stubbornly won't leave our door, hungry again, and is keeping ''Ourcat'' away. We're loyal to ''Ourcat''. We don't know what to do. The end. Relavant?
You wrote: ''Given my experience in viewing a dog of the same size being hit at a much slower speed and hearing the impact..." Call people before you ever drive by them so they can be sure to make sure their pets are out of your way. If nothing else, you sound like a very unlucky person to spend time with. Have you kept count and do you keep 8x10 glossy photos of those memories? Tasteless comments should not be first made by others if they don't want the same in return. Bleeding hearts like you don't need to be on a period to be offensive in a room. Besides, there is no such thing as ''period'' in a blog or forum. People can say what they want until the thread is pulled or they are victim of the all mighty censor. I am sure you are just the type to delete what you feel are bad for the ears of others. I know your type. Funny how you are fine with somebody making comments about my family in the context of this thread, but you have a poop-fizzy over a silly twist on someone trying to end the discussion by saying period. What, are you the ''church lady''? Sorry, but you come off as a solid explanation why the rate of divorce in marriages over 20 years is increasing. I have been married ''well over'' 30...and my wife would hand you your posterior on a platter for saying things about her like that. I bet you have been told to shut up in every known language.