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Hit-and-run raises speed concerns for South Surrey owners of injured dog

Max, Boxer, suffered multiple fractures to his right rear leg when he was hit Thursday.
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Rachel Redfern comforts Max

The South Surrey owners of a dog injured by a hit-and-run driver last week say the incident should raise concerns about the threat speeding cars pose to children and seniors living on 27 Avenue near 160 Street.

Max, a three-year-old purebred Boxer, suffered multiple fractures to his right rear leg when he was hit Thursday (Feb. 16) around 7 p.m. in front of a nearly-completed new playground for small children, a few doors away from a seniors’ residence.

Oliver Grossert said it happened seconds after he parked his truck in front of the townhouse where he and spouse Rachel Redfern live with their young son and daughter.

Grossert said he opened the door of his parked Ford F350 and Max jumped out, just in time to be hit by an oncoming car.

Grossert said he heard a vehicle approaching from behind, but didn’t realize how fast until Max got hit.

It appeared to be a white Mercedes with a black top, driven by a middle-aged woman with glasses.

“I looked right at her,” Grossert said.

“She nailed him and kept going.”

The impact sent Max flying about five metres in front of the car, which Grossert said kept on coming.

Max was able to scramble out of the way on three legs.

He required emergency surgery that installed eight pins and two titanium plates.

His owners have been told it will be a year before Max could be back to normal, and only after intensive physiotherapy.

They have to ice his bruised and swollen leg and massage it several times a day.

He is on three kinds of medication.

Max’s surgery cost $4,000 and Grossert and Redfern have been told the bill will likely go up another $2,000 for physio.

Redfern says speeding is a daily, sometimes hourly, occurrence on 27 Avenue, with drivers going well over the residential speed limit of 50 km/h.

“This road is just ridiculous,” Redfern said. “I’ve never seen so many speeders.”

A few months ago, residents of the townhouse complex the family lives in sent a petition to city hall asking for speed bumps on the road to slow traffic.

Under Canadian law, a hit and run involving  a dog is not considered a criminal offence unless there is evidence the person responsible did it deliberately.

Since dogs are considered property similar to farm livestock, the owners of an injured animal can sue for compensation.

Grossert and Redfern are trying to track down the person responsible for injuring their family pet.

Anyone with information that could assist them is asked to email the family at: senorita_rachel@hotmail.com

 



Dan Ferguson

About the Author: Dan Ferguson

Best recognized for my resemblance to St. Nick, I’m the guy you’ll often see out at community events and happenings around town.
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