Dear Madison Park Blogger,
I have a story I was hoping you might consider putting in the blog to help me pass the word around and get support from our local neighbors. I've been a resident here in Madison Park for almost a year and a half now. I love my neighborhood and all the people who live here. It's a GREAT community! My story is a sad and terrible one, but I’m hoping to bring light to an unfortunate accident. Last Tuesday, April 19, around 2:30-2:45 p.m., I eye-witnessed a dog by the name of Harry get hit and run over by the #11 Metro Bus on 42nd Avenue. It's the worst thing I've ever seen. Being an animal lover, this REALLY hit me deep in the heart. It was a blessing that Harry didn't suffer...he died instantly. It happened so quickly. I was the only one who saw it happen. Gloria the owner was parking her car, and when she opened the door Harry ran into the street and was hit by the bus. The bus driver did stop and seemed a little sorrowful, but he was more concerned about getting on his way on his route. We exchanged information and he was off. He didn't even offer to help "clean" up the situation or give condolence to the owner of the dog. I know we're all on a busy schedule but you just killed someone's beloved pet, and getting on your way seemed more important. I don't understand our world sometimes.
Harry may have run into the street too quickly, but I wonder if the bus driver had been driving slower and been more cautious when driving down our residential streets, maybe Harry's life could of been spared. He was running to go home, and instead his life was taken all too quickly. After this happened, I was pretty stunned for the rest of the day, and quite honestly crying with sorrow because I just couldn't get the image out of my head. Have you ever felt you were somewhere at the wrong time and wrong place? Well, this was one of those days I wished I had walked a different way home. Then, I asked myself, maybe I was meant to walk this way, see what happened, and become the "voice" of Harry. I just felt in my heart I needed to do something about it and make sure Harry's unfortunate and quick death didn't go unheard or unnoticed.
So I started a petition, hoping you could help me spread the word. If I can get enough signers and supporters, I would like to take this to the next level, possibly to Mayor Mike McGinn and Dow Constatine, King County Executive. I want them to realize, understand, take responsibility and action for educating their drivers on being more cautious and slowing down. Those who are walking our streets are just as important as the ones riding the bus. I would like to see if we could get them to change the speed limits within our residential streets on their routes. You can find my petition on the “Care 2 Petition” website under “Metro PLEASE Slow Down.”
I truly give THANKS for your time on this matter. It's not just Harry and all pets who we need to be concerned about when walking our streets, but also children, friends, neighbors and loved ones within our community. I know Harry would give thanks too!
Sincerely and Again Thank You,
Tina Bryan
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Many of us noticed the little memorial to Harry set up in front of Starbucks this weekend, in space to the right of the main entrance. But only a few of us, probably, knew the story. Harry, a five-and-a-half-year-old West Highland Terrier, had been a fixture at that location every day. We asked his owner, Gloria Bjornerud, to give us Harry’s story:
“Harry had been a Christmas puppy and was born in October 2005. I walked Harry to Starbucks every morning, seven days a week, and tied him up to the gas meter outside Starbucks. Because I read newspapers with my coffee, Harry would spend at least an hour tied up. So he made many friends.
Harry was raised in my store, Apogee [in Madison Valley], and when he was a puppy just about everyone who came into the store picked him up and loved him. I believe this made him a very special dog because he loved people so much—particularly little girls, because his first week away from his liter he was just with my granddaughters, who were then nine and ten.”
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| Gloria with memorial at Harry's spot |
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“If you have a dog, you will most likely outlive it; to get a dog is to open yourself to profound joy and, prospectively, to equally profound sadness.” Marjorie Garber
“Unlike some people who have experienced the loss of an animal, I did not believe, even for a moment, that I would never get another. I did know full well that there were just too many animals out there in need of homes for me to take what I have always regarded as the self-indulgent road of saying the heartbreak of the loss of an animal was too much ever to want to go through with it again. To me, such an admission brought up the far more powerful admission that all the wonderful times you had with your animal were not worth the unhappiness at the end.” Cleveland Amory
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Update: We hear that Gloria is getting a new puppy this weekend.
Photos courtesy of Gloria Bjornerud
I am sorry for Harry, I have 2 dogs of my own, but to blame the bus driver? did he swerve and try to hit the dog, no the dog ran in front of the bus! They cannot stop like a car and I have not seen metro speeding on 42nd, i see residents speeding all the time though. Let this be a lesson to all dog owners, you must control your animal at all times. Letting them run free can be dangerous.
ReplyDeleteAmen. Another careless human being causing the needless death of animal that was just doing what animals do. Metro's speed and priorities are irrelevant, if pet owners are doing their jobs. Do your job first and then worry about if/how others are doing theirs.
ReplyDeleteNow, I do not want to sound like a complete jerk so I will say that I understand people wanting to do something to help them feel better about a tragic situation. So, hopefully the painful reminder that the writer has provided here will save someone's pet in the future. Thank you for that.
I HAVE A WHITE BICHON WHO IS NEVER OFF LEASH NO MATTER WHERE WE GO, AND I ALWAYS URGE OTHERS TO LEASH THEIR DOGGIES AS THE CARS COME SO FAST ON THE NARROW STREETS WHERE I WALK. I AM SO VERY SORRY FOR THE LOSS OF THIS LOVELY LITTLE DOG, AND AM GLAD GLORIA IS GETTING A PUPPY. TINA, A NEW LITTLE PET CAN EASE THE PAIN AFTER A BIT OF TIME PASSES. ONE CAN GET A NEW DOG, BUT NOT A NEW CHILD. HOWEVER, LOSS IS HORRIBLE NO MATTER WHO DIES.
ReplyDeleteAGAIN, MY SYMPATHY FOR YOU!
I don't much care for the assumption that the Metro driver was speeding. What speed, exactly, is slow enough for a bus driver to halt the inertia of such a vehicle when an animal darts out in front of it? I doubt that the driver had 50-100ft, or less even, to notice and stop for the dog.
ReplyDeleteAccidents happen. Tragic ones at that. I cannot support this petition though. Again, just how slow do people need to be required to drive in residential areas because dogs may be off leash?
This breaks my heart. Harry was such a sweet, beautiful dog. I always enjoyed seeing him at Starbucks. This was such a hard story to read. It sounds like nothing, but a horrible accident. It is sad that the bus driver did not even wait to speak to Gloria and I do think that the buses need to slow down, as they do go too fast down in the Park. It may have helped in this situation, but mostly it sounds just like a tragic accident. Slowing down the Metro needs to happen for the safety of all pedestrians and animals. On the note of animals on leashes... It is a fact in this neighborhood that people need to be better about keeping their dogs on leashes. I run everyday with my dogs and always have them on a leash. We pass people all the time who do not have their dogs on leashes and it is going to cause nothing but trouble, as you never know how and when dogs will react. I hope we don't have to see another accident like this to make people realize this.
ReplyDeleteYes, dogs should be leashed, but I never complain about anything, and have called to complain about Metro #11 THREE TIMES. They speed through our 25 MPH neighborhood like its a freeway. We are just lucky they haven't hit a child... they go WAY too fast. Down 42nd, 43rd, etc...
ReplyDeleteMy daughter was so upset when she read the sad tale of Harry's fate that she called me from work to tell me the story. Gloria, we'd like to bypass the bus argument and offer you our deepest sympathies for the loss of your friend and devoted companion. We hope you find equal joy with your new adoptee.
ReplyDeleteI have friends who lost their cat just a half block south of this incident, hit by the metro bus racing down the street. This was witnessed by a woman kind enough to pick up the critically injured cat and take it to the neighborhood vet's office where it died a few minutes later. We are all heart broken and need to see those busses slow down.
ReplyDelete