For the last 5 years my youngest daughter (I have an 11 year-old, and
a 14 year-old daughter) was wanted a puppy, either a black lab or a
golden retriever. Because I was in the Air Force and housing was
cramped without adequate space for the animal, I promised her that I
would get her a puppy upon my retirement.

On the 17th of March, 2004, my family moved to our retirement location
near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I gave my 11 year-old daughter her
first puppy, a 2 month old Black Labrador Retriever, she named
"Buddy".

We just bought a house in Mineral Point, PA, and for the last 4 months
have had Buddy as an inside-dog. Soon, the entire family grew to love
Buddy as if he were one of the children. My daughter took very good
care of Buddy, and taught him how to fetch, sit, lie down, and play
dead. We would always feed him morsels while cooking dinner, and
Buddy's antics were always a welcome form of entertainment, for he
learned how to play dead even though he wasn't told, and the minute
we'd say "good boy!" Buddy would leap straight up in the air, landing
on his feet, begging for a treat, his tail wagging hastily in
anticipation! He was a kind and loving puppy, and he was definitely
the best choice for my daughter. Buddy rarely went outside except to
do his business, and he was never outside without supervision. We
used to laugh, saying "Buddy was the Black-Lab who didn't know he was
a dog…"

On Friday, the 9th of July, my wife and two daughters were taking the
trash out to the street. Our driveway is almost 250 feet to the
street, and we live in the country, in a sparsely populated, rural
community. The street in front of us is on a small grade, with 1/4
mile straight, unobstructed view in both directions. There is
normally very little traffic on this road at 730 in the morning,
except maybe a few slow-moving farmers with tractors who are on their
way to cut hay. Buddy was accompanying my daughter as she took the
trash to the head of the driveway.

While my daughters and wife were placing the trash, Buddy was on the
side of the road. Along comes a 70-year old man named Leroy Beyer,
889 Wess Road, Mineral Point, PA 15942 814-495-5480, who drove down
the graded road faster than he should have been, and with the puppy in
clear view, hit and killed the puppy with his Ford Frontier pickup, in
front of my wife and children who stood on the side of the road in
front of our house. Mr. Beyer did not slam on the brakes, but slowed
and eventually stopped the truck, got out and checked his truck for
damage, climbed back into the driver's seat, backed the truck up
(leaving the bleeding and convulsing puppy on the shoulder of the
road) saying "I'll be back", driving away to leave my traumatized wife
and children who witnessed the event, standing there.

I am a recently retired USAF veteran and I had left the house about
30-minutes prior to this event on my way to a VA hospital appointment
in Pittsburgh. My cell phone rang with my hysterical wife telling me
Buddy was hit, and I immediately returned home, to find my sobbing,
traumatized wife and children clutching each other on the side of the
street as the blood pooled under the dead puppy. I embraced my family
and I too was immediately angry and saddened that this man, whoever he
was (at the time we didn't know the man's name), had killed my puppy
and in his haste and callous disregard for the dead animal or my
family, left the scene. My wife told me the story how this man hit
and killed the pup (without throwing-on the brakes or skidding),
checked for dents, backed up to where they were and said "I'll be
back".

Well, after almost 20 minutes, my wife and I were able to gain our
composure, pick the dog up and carry him to a spot on our property
where I began to dig a hole to bury our very-loved, and now deceased
puppy and friend. The man, Mr. Beyer, came back about an hour after
he killed our puppy, stated he was a preacher at a local church and he
was late for a seminar, and to say he was sorry. What I think is that
he realized he had "hit and run" and wanted somehow to avoid
liability.

When I explained to Mr. Beyer that he would have to tell my 11
year-old daughter that he was sorry, and oh, by-the-way, that the
puppy was only 6 months old and I'd have to replace the puppy, and
asked him if he'd be willing to help obtain another black lab, Leroy
refused.

I asked him then, why did he come back, was it only to torture us
further? Did he not think when he saw my wife and children on the
side of the road, putting the trash out, that perhaps there might be
an animal close by with the family? That he should probably slow down
so as not to create a danger to them? And even though the puppy was
on the side of the road, what gave him the right to kill the animal in
front of my family? If he hadn't been speeding in front of my house,
perhaps he would have been able to slow or stop to avoid the puppy,
who had no experience with the roadside. And the fact that he left my
family there, knowing he had just killed their puppy, without offering
help of any kind -- what kind of a heinous human being was he? Do I
now have the right to go to his house, select an animal or several
animals, and kill it for no reason?

And then I asked him, what if he had hit and killed one of my
children? How would he feel then? The Black-Lab puppy was like one
of my children. How was I supposed to feel, and how do you feel now
that you've harmed my daughter and family as a result of the puppy's
death that they witnessed?

Mr. Beyer had little remorse and still, after our brief conversation,
refused to pay or to help obtain another puppy to replace the puppy my
daughter had just lost. It is now two days later, and my wife and I
are still sickened over the callous, heinous disregard for the human
lives Mr. Beyer has harmed. My youngest daughter cried for almost an
hour tonight, saying how much she misses Buddy and wishes he were
here. Mr. Beyer cared not that this puppy was a family pet, or that
it was a very loved part of our family, a puppy that we had enjoyed
and put a lot of time and energy and love into. A puppy that
belonged to an innocent, 11 year-old girl, who waited for 5 years for
her own puppy. An 11 year-old girl who adored her puppy named Buddy,
and loved it with all her heart.

To Mr. Beyer, it was a dog along side the street and therefore,
deserved to die. And the law says that he has the right to kill it
because it happened to be unleashed and was alongside a rural,
sparsely populated, country road. Mr. Beyer is smart enough to escape
liability by claiming it an accident….though there were not skid-marks
on the road where a normal person would have slammed-on the brakes or
swerved after seeing a puppy on the side of the road or in the path of
their vehicle. And even though he had knowlege of killing the animal,
he refused to stop and render aid to the terrorified family.

The puppy had harmed no one, it's only mistake was that it was on the
side of the road when Mr. Beyer drove his truck and hit and killed it
in front of my wife and children. He did it because he could, and he
was unremorseful. Mr. Beyer was preoccupied with the appointment with
his church and his truck, which was more important than the consoling
of my terrified wife and two children who watched Mr. Beyer hit and
kill the 6-month old puppy, get out and check his truck for dents, and
then wave goodbye saying he'd be back, offering little help or
consolation for the animal's death or the harm he had just caused.
His personal business as a preacher was more important than comforting
my family in a time of trauma.

Ladies and gentlemen, I know telling you this story won't bring Buddy
back. Perhaps it is my outlet for expressing my, and the pain that my
family has suffered over the last few days as a result of Buddy's
untimely death. I am a much better man than Mr. Beyer is, for I do
not seek retaliation of any kind, and I know had I been in Mr. Beyer's
shoes….the church congregation would just have to wait -- and they
would understand. Especially as a public official (a community
priest), I would expect Mr. Beyer to be more sympathetic to my family
who were traumatized and terrorized due to his actions, and who today,
are recovering from their shock and trauma.

I had a friend mention to me that I should post just such a message as
I have written, describing the events as clearly as I could tell it,
just as they occurred, as a way to express my pain and begin the
healing process.

Therefore, I have headed his suggestion. I am sure there are others
out there who have gone through similar events and who have dealt with
the same level of pain and suffering as Mr. Beyer has caused my
family. In this message, I hope that it touches all and I welcome
your prayers so that my family and I can begin the healing process.

Sincerely,

THOMAS MURPHY

(609) 502-3723 (cell)

Only an idiot would slam on the brakes or swerve for a dog in the road. This
is a great way to go off the road and possibly kill yourself. The bottom
line is that you have the responsibility to keep your dog out of the road.
This whole incident could have been avoided if you had done the right thing
and trained your dog and your family. Shame on you.

--
Most people are dumb as bricks; some people are dumber than that. -- MFW


"Thomas Murphy" wrote in message
om...
For the last 5 years my youngest daughter (I have an 11 year-old, and
a 14 year-old daughter) was wanted a puppy, either a black lab or a
golden retriever. Because I was in the Air Force and housing was
cramped without adequate space for the animal, I promised her that I
would get her a puppy upon my retirement.

On the 17th of March, 2004, my family moved to our retirement location
near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I gave my 11 year-old daughter her
first puppy, a 2 month old Black Labrador Retriever, she named
"Buddy".

We just bought a house in Mineral Point, PA, and for the last 4 months
have had Buddy as an inside-dog. Soon, the entire family grew to love
Buddy as if he were one of the children. My daughter took very good
care of Buddy, and taught him how to fetch, sit, lie down, and play
dead. We would always feed him morsels while cooking dinner, and
Buddy's antics were always a welcome form of entertainment, for he
learned how to play dead even though he wasn't told, and the minute
we'd say "good boy!" Buddy would leap straight up in the air, landing
on his feet, begging for a treat, his tail wagging hastily in
anticipation! He was a kind and loving puppy, and he was definitely
the best choice for my daughter. Buddy rarely went outside except to
do his business, and he was never outside without supervision. We
used to laugh, saying "Buddy was the Black-Lab who didn't know he was
a dog."

On Friday, the 9th of July, my wife and two daughters were taking the
trash out to the street. Our driveway is almost 250 feet to the
street, and we live in the country, in a sparsely populated, rural
community. The street in front of us is on a small grade, with 1/4
mile straight, unobstructed view in both directions. There is
normally very little traffic on this road at 730 in the morning,
except maybe a few slow-moving farmers with tractors who are on their
way to cut hay. Buddy was accompanying my daughter as she took the
trash to the head of the driveway.

While my daughters and wife were placing the trash, Buddy was on the
side of the road. Along comes a 70-year old man named Leroy Beyer,
889 Wess Road, Mineral Point, PA 15942 814-495-5480, who drove down
the graded road faster than he should have been, and with the puppy in
clear view, hit and killed the puppy with his Ford Frontier pickup, in
front of my wife and children who stood on the side of the road in
front of our house. Mr. Beyer did not slam on the brakes, but slowed
and eventually stopped the truck, got out and checked his truck for
damage, climbed back into the driver's seat, backed the truck up
(leaving the bleeding and convulsing puppy on the shoulder of the
road) saying "I'll be back", driving away to leave my traumatized wife
and children who witnessed the event, standing there.

I am a recently retired USAF veteran and I had left the house about
30-minutes prior to this event on my way to a VA hospital appointment
in Pittsburgh. My cell phone rang with my hysterical wife telling me
Buddy was hit, and I immediately returned home, to find my sobbing,
traumatized wife and children clutching each other on the side of the
street as the blood pooled under the dead puppy. I embraced my family
and I too was immediately angry and saddened that this man, whoever he
was (at the time we didn't know the man's name), had killed my puppy
and in his haste and callous disregard for the dead animal or my
family, left the scene. My wife told me the story how this man hit
and killed the pup (without throwing-on the brakes or skidding),
checked for dents, backed up to where they were and said "I'll be
back".

Well, after almost 20 minutes, my wife and I were able to gain our
composure, pick the dog up and carry him to a spot on our property
where I began to dig a hole to bury our very-loved, and now deceased
puppy and friend. The man, Mr. Beyer, came back about an hour after
he killed our puppy, stated he was a preacher at a local church and he
was late for a seminar, and to say he was sorry. What I think is that
he realized he had "hit and run" and wanted somehow to avoid
liability.

When I explained to Mr. Beyer that he would have to tell my 11
year-old daughter that he was sorry, and oh, by-the-way, that the
puppy was only 6 months old and I'd have to replace the puppy, and
asked him if he'd be willing to help obtain another black lab, Leroy
refused.

I asked him then, why did he come back, was it only to torture us
further? Did he not think when he saw my wife and children on the
side of the road, putting the trash out, that perhaps there might be
an animal close by with the family? That he should probably slow down
so as not to create a danger to them? And even though the puppy was
on the side of the road, what gave him the right to kill the animal in
front of my family? If he hadn't been speeding in front of my house,
perhaps he would have been able to slow or stop to avoid the puppy,
who had no experience with the roadside. And the fact that he left my
family there, knowing he had just killed their puppy, without offering
help of any kind -- what kind of a heinous human being was he? Do I
now have the right to go to his house, select an animal or several
animals, and kill it for no reason?

And then I asked him, what if he had hit and killed one of my
children? How would he feel then? The Black-Lab puppy was like one
of my children. How was I supposed to feel, and how do you feel now
that you've harmed my daughter and family as a result of the puppy's
death that they witnessed?

Mr. Beyer had little remorse and still, after our brief conversation,
refused to pay or to help obtain another puppy to replace the puppy my
daughter had just lost. It is now two days later, and my wife and I
are still sickened over the callous, heinous disregard for the human
lives Mr. Beyer has harmed. My youngest daughter cried for almost an
hour tonight, saying how much she misses Buddy and wishes he were
here. Mr. Beyer cared not that this puppy was a family pet, or that
it was a very loved part of our family, a puppy that we had enjoyed
and put a lot of time and energy and love into. A puppy that
belonged to an innocent, 11 year-old girl, who waited for 5 years for
her own puppy. An 11 year-old girl who adored her puppy named Buddy,
and loved it with all her heart.

To Mr. Beyer, it was a dog along side the street and therefore,
deserved to die. And the law says that he has the right to kill it
because it happened to be unleashed and was alongside a rural,
sparsely populated, country road. Mr. Beyer is smart enough to escape
liability by claiming it an accident..though there were not skid-marks
on the road where a normal person would have slammed-on the brakes or
swerved after seeing a puppy on the side of the road or in the path of
their vehicle. And even though he had knowlege of killing the animal,
he refused to stop and render aid to the terrorified family.

The puppy had harmed no one, it's only mistake was that it was on the
side of the road when Mr. Beyer drove his truck and hit and killed it
in front of my wife and children. He did it because he could, and he
was unremorseful. Mr. Beyer was preoccupied with the appointment with
his church and his truck, which was more important than the consoling
of my terrified wife and two children who watched Mr. Beyer hit and
kill the 6-month old puppy, get out and check his truck for dents, and
then wave goodbye saying he'd be back, offering little help or
consolation for the animal's death or the harm he had just caused.
His personal business as a preacher was more important than comforting
my family in a time of trauma.

Ladies and gentlemen, I know telling you this story won't bring Buddy
back. Perhaps it is my outlet for expressing my, and the pain that my
family has suffered over the last few days as a result of Buddy's
untimely death. I am a much better man than Mr. Beyer is, for I do
not seek retaliation of any kind, and I know had I been in Mr. Beyer's
shoes..the church congregation would just have to wait -- and they
would understand. Especially as a public official (a community
priest), I would expect Mr. Beyer to be more sympathetic to my family
who were traumatized and terrorized due to his actions, and who today,
are recovering from their shock and trauma.

I had a friend mention to me that I should post just such a message as
I have written, describing the events as clearly as I could tell it,
just as they occurred, as a way to express my pain and begin the
healing process.

Therefore, I have headed his suggestion. I am sure there are others
out there who have gone through similar events and who have dealt with
the same level of pain and suffering as Mr. Beyer has caused my
family. In this message, I hope that it touches all and I welcome
your prayers so that my family and I can begin the healing process.

Sincerely,

THOMAS MURPHY

(609) 502-3723 (cell)

Only an idiot would post a message like that when someone is obviosly
mourning a loss.

If you can slam on the brakes or swerve for a child in the road then
you can slam on the brakes or swerve for a dog in the road.

Thomas,

I'm very sorry for your loss. I would be very tempted to seek some
sort of revenge. I probably would do nothing, but I'd surely be tempted.

Sue

In article ,
"JC Der Koenig" wrote:

- Only an idiot would slam on the brakes or swerve for a dog in the road. This
- is a great way to go off the road and possibly kill yourself. The bottom
- line is that you have the responsibility to keep your dog out of the road.
- This whole incident could have been avoided if you had done the right thing
- and trained your dog and your family. Shame on you.
-
- --
- Most people are dumb as bricks; some people are dumber than that. -- MFW
-
-
- "Thomas Murphy" wrote in message
- om...
- For the last 5 years my youngest daughter (I have an 11 year-old, and
- a 14 year-old daughter) was wanted a puppy, either a black lab or a
- golden retriever. Because I was in the Air Force and housing was
- cramped without adequate space for the animal, I promised her that I
- would get her a puppy upon my retirement.
-
- On the 17th of March, 2004, my family moved to our retirement location
- near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I gave my 11 year-old daughter her
- first puppy, a 2 month old Black Labrador Retriever, she named
- "Buddy".
-
- We just bought a house in Mineral Point, PA, and for the last 4 months
- have had Buddy as an inside-dog. Soon, the entire family grew to love
- Buddy as if he were one of the children. My daughter took very good
- care of Buddy, and taught him how to fetch, sit, lie down, and play
- dead. We would always feed him morsels while cooking dinner, and
- Buddy's antics were always a welcome form of entertainment, for he
- learned how to play dead even though he wasn't told, and the minute
- we'd say "good boy!" Buddy would leap straight up in the air, landing
- on his feet, begging for a treat, his tail wagging hastily in
- anticipation! He was a kind and loving puppy, and he was definitely
- the best choice for my daughter. Buddy rarely went outside except to
- do his business, and he was never outside without supervision. We
- used to laugh, saying "Buddy was the Black-Lab who didn't know he was
- a dog."
-
- On Friday, the 9th of July, my wife and two daughters were taking the
- trash out to the street. Our driveway is almost 250 feet to the
- street, and we live in the country, in a sparsely populated, rural
- community. The street in front of us is on a small grade, with 1/4
- mile straight, unobstructed view in both directions. There is
- normally very little traffic on this road at 730 in the morning,
- except maybe a few slow-moving farmers with tractors who are on their
- way to cut hay. Buddy was accompanying my daughter as she took the
- trash to the head of the driveway.
-
- While my daughters and wife were placing the trash, Buddy was on the
- side of the road. Along comes a 70-year old man named Leroy Beyer,
- 889 Wess Road, Mineral Point, PA 15942 814-495-5480, who drove down
- the graded road faster than he should have been, and with the puppy in
- clear view, hit and killed the puppy with his Ford Frontier pickup, in
- front of my wife and children who stood on the side of the road in
- front of our house. Mr. Beyer did not slam on the brakes, but slowed
- and eventually stopped the truck, got out and checked his truck for
- damage, climbed back into the driver's seat, backed the truck up
- (leaving the bleeding and convulsing puppy on the shoulder of the
- road) saying "I'll be back", driving away to leave my traumatized wife
- and children who witnessed the event, standing there.
-
- I am a recently retired USAF veteran and I had left the house about
- 30-minutes prior to this event on my way to a VA hospital appointment
- in Pittsburgh. My cell phone rang with my hysterical wife telling me
- Buddy was hit, and I immediately returned home, to find my sobbing,
- traumatized wife and children clutching each other on the side of the
- street as the blood pooled under the dead puppy. I embraced my family
- and I too was immediately angry and saddened that this man, whoever he
- was (at the time we didn't know the man's name), had killed my puppy
- and in his haste and callous disregard for the dead animal or my
- family, left the scene. My wife told me the story how this man hit
- and killed the pup (without throwing-on the brakes or skidding),
- checked for dents, backed up to where they were and said "I'll be
- back".
-
- Well, after almost 20 minutes, my wife and I were able to gain our
- composure, pick the dog up and carry him to a spot on our property
- where I began to dig a hole to bury our very-loved, and now deceased
- puppy and friend. The man, Mr. Beyer, came back about an hour after
- he killed our puppy, stated he was a preacher at a local church and he
- was late for a seminar, and to say he was sorry. What I think is that
- he realized he had "hit and run" and wanted somehow to avoid
- liability.
-
- When I explained to Mr. Beyer that he would have to tell my 11
- year-old daughter that he was sorry, and oh, by-the-way, that the
- puppy was only 6 months old and I'd have to replace the puppy, and
- asked him if he'd be willing to help obtain another black lab, Leroy
- refused.
-
- I asked him then, why did he come back, was it only to torture us
- further? Did he not think when he saw my wife and children on the
- side of the road, putting the trash out, that perhaps there might be
- an animal close by with the family? That he should probably slow down
- so as not to create a danger to them? And even though the puppy was
- on the side of the road, what gave him the right to kill the animal in
- front of my family? If he hadn't been speeding in front of my house,
- perhaps he would have been able to slow or stop to avoid the puppy,
- who had no experience with the roadside. And the fact that he left my
- family there, knowing he had just killed their puppy, without offering
- help of any kind -- what kind of a heinous human being was he? Do I
- now have the right to go to his house, select an animal or several
- animals, and kill it for no reason?
-
- And then I asked him, what if he had hit and killed one of my
- children? How would he feel then? The Black-Lab puppy was like one
- of my children. How was I supposed to feel, and how do you feel now
- that you've harmed my daughter and family as a result of the puppy's
- death that they witnessed?
-
- Mr. Beyer had little remorse and still, after our brief conversation,
- refused to pay or to help obtain another puppy to replace the puppy my
- daughter had just lost. It is now two days later, and my wife and I
- are still sickened over the callous, heinous disregard for the human
- lives Mr. Beyer has harmed. My youngest daughter cried for almost an
- hour tonight, saying how much she misses Buddy and wishes he were
- here. Mr. Beyer cared not that this puppy was a family pet, or that
- it was a very loved part of our family, a puppy that we had enjoyed
- and put a lot of time and energy and love into. A puppy that
- belonged to an innocent, 11 year-old girl, who waited for 5 years for
- her own puppy. An 11 year-old girl who adored her puppy named Buddy,
- and loved it with all her heart.
-
- To Mr. Beyer, it was a dog along side the street and therefore,
- deserved to die. And the law says that he has the right to kill it
- because it happened to be unleashed and was alongside a rural,
- sparsely populated, country road. Mr. Beyer is smart enough to escape
- liability by claiming it an accident..though there were not skid-marks
- on the road where a normal person would have slammed-on the brakes or
- swerved after seeing a puppy on the side of the road or in the path of
- their vehicle. And even though he had knowlege of killing the animal,
- he refused to stop and render aid to the terrorified family.
-
- The puppy had harmed no one, it's only mistake was that it was on the
- side of the road when Mr. Beyer drove his truck and hit and killed it
- in front of my wife and children. He did it because he could, and he
- was unremorseful. Mr. Beyer was preoccupied with the appointment with
- his church and his truck, which was more important than the consoling
- of my terrified wife and two children who watched Mr. Beyer hit and
- kill the 6-month old puppy, get out and check his truck for dents, and
- then wave goodbye saying he'd be back, offering little help or
- consolation for the animal's death or the harm he had just caused.
- His personal business as a preacher was more important than comforting
- my family in a time of trauma.
-
- Ladies and gentlemen, I know telling you this story won't bring Buddy
- back. Perhaps it is my outlet for expressing my, and the pain that my
- family has suffered over the last few days as a result of Buddy's
- untimely death. I am a much better man than Mr. Beyer is, for I do
- not seek retaliation of any kind, and I know had I been in Mr. Beyer's
- shoes..the church congregation would just have to wait -- and they
- would understand. Especially as a public official (a community
- priest), I would expect Mr. Beyer to be more sympathetic to my family
- who were traumatized and terrorized due to his actions, and who today,
- are recovering from their shock and trauma.
-
- I had a friend mention to me that I should post just such a message as
- I have written, describing the events as clearly as I could tell it,
- just as they occurred, as a way to express my pain and begin the
- healing process.
-
- Therefore, I have headed his suggestion. I am sure there are others
- out there who have gone through similar events and who have dealt with
- the same level of pain and suffering as Mr. Beyer has caused my
- family. In this message, I hope that it touches all and I welcome
- your prayers so that my family and I can begin the healing process.
-
- Sincerely,
-
- THOMAS MURPHY
-
- (609) 502-3723 (cell)
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://home.earthlink.net/~sme617

I bet you're a great driver.

"Obviosly"

--
Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you'd had enough oxygen at
birth?


"Suzie-Q" wrote in message
...
Only an idiot would post a message like that when someone is obviosly
mourning a loss.

If you can slam on the brakes or swerve for a child in the road then
you can slam on the brakes or swerve for a dog in the road.

Thomas,

I'm very sorry for your loss. I would be very tempted to seek some
sort of revenge. I probably would do nothing, but I'd surely be tempted.

Sue

In article ,
"JC Der Koenig" wrote:

- Only an idiot would slam on the brakes or swerve for a dog in the road.
This
- is a great way to go off the road and possibly kill yourself. The
bottom
- line is that you have the responsibility to keep your dog out of the
road.
- This whole incident could have been avoided if you had done the right
thing
- and trained your dog and your family. Shame on you.
-
- --
- Most people are dumb as bricks; some people are dumber than that. --
MFW
-
-
- "Thomas Murphy" wrote in message
- om...
- For the last 5 years my youngest daughter (I have an 11 year-old, and
- a 14 year-old daughter) was wanted a puppy, either a black lab or a
- golden retriever. Because I was in the Air Force and housing was
- cramped without adequate space for the animal, I promised her that I
- would get her a puppy upon my retirement.
-
- On the 17th of March, 2004, my family moved to our retirement
location
- near Johnstown, Pennsylvania. I gave my 11 year-old daughter her
- first puppy, a 2 month old Black Labrador Retriever, she named
- "Buddy".
-
- We just bought a house in Mineral Point, PA, and for the last 4
months
- have had Buddy as an inside-dog. Soon, the entire family grew to
love
- Buddy as if he were one of the children. My daughter took very good
- care of Buddy, and taught him how to fetch, sit, lie down, and play
- dead. We would always feed him morsels while cooking dinner, and
- Buddy's antics were always a welcome form of entertainment, for he
- learned how to play dead even though he wasn't told, and the minute
- we'd say "good boy!" Buddy would leap straight up in the air, landing
- on his feet, begging for a treat, his tail wagging hastily in
- anticipation! He was a kind and loving puppy, and he was definitely
- the best choice for my daughter. Buddy rarely went outside except to
- do his business, and he was never outside without supervision. We
- used to laugh, saying "Buddy was the Black-Lab who didn't know he was
- a dog."
-
- On Friday, the 9th of July, my wife and two daughters were taking the
- trash out to the street. Our driveway is almost 250 feet to the
- street, and we live in the country, in a sparsely populated, rural
- community. The street in front of us is on a small grade, with 1/4
- mile straight, unobstructed view in both directions. There is
- normally very little traffic on this road at 730 in the morning,
- except maybe a few slow-moving farmers with tractors who are on their
- way to cut hay. Buddy was accompanying my daughter as she took the
- trash to the head of the driveway.
-
- While my daughters and wife were placing the trash, Buddy was on the
- side of the road. Along comes a 70-year old man named Leroy Beyer,
- 889 Wess Road, Mineral Point, PA 15942 814-495-5480, who drove down
- the graded road faster than he should have been, and with the puppy
in
- clear view, hit and killed the puppy with his Ford Frontier pickup,
in
- front of my wife and children who stood on the side of the road in
- front of our house. Mr. Beyer did not slam on the brakes, but slowed
- and eventually stopped the truck, got out and checked his truck for
- damage, climbed back into the driver's seat, backed the truck up
- (leaving the bleeding and convulsing puppy on the shoulder of the
- road) saying "I'll be back", driving away to leave my traumatized
wife
- and children who witnessed the event, standing there.
-
- I am a recently retired USAF veteran and I had left the house about
- 30-minutes prior to this event on my way to a VA hospital appointment
- in Pittsburgh. My cell phone rang with my hysterical wife telling me
- Buddy was hit, and I immediately returned home, to find my sobbing,
- traumatized wife and children clutching each other on the side of the
- street as the blood pooled under the dead puppy. I embraced my
family
- and I too was immediately angry and saddened that this man, whoever
he
- was (at the time we didn't know the man's name), had killed my puppy
- and in his haste and callous disregard for the dead animal or my
- family, left the scene. My wife told me the story how this man hit
- and killed the pup (without throwing-on the brakes or skidding),
- checked for dents, backed up to where they were and said "I'll be
- back".
-
- Well, after almost 20 minutes, my wife and I were able to gain our
- composure, pick the dog up and carry him to a spot on our property
- where I began to dig a hole to bury our very-loved, and now deceased
- puppy and friend. The man, Mr. Beyer, came back about an hour after
- he killed our puppy, stated he was a preacher at a local church and
he
- was late for a seminar, and to say he was sorry. What I think is that
- he realized he had "hit and run" and wanted somehow to avoid
- liability.
-
- When I explained to Mr. Beyer that he would have to tell my 11
- year-old daughter that he was sorry, and oh, by-the-way, that the
- puppy was only 6 months old and I'd have to replace the puppy, and
- asked him if he'd be willing to help obtain another black lab, Leroy
- refused.
-
- I asked him then, why did he come back, was it only to torture us
- further? Did he not think when he saw my wife and children on the
- side of the road, putting the trash out, that perhaps there might be
- an animal close by with the family? That he should probably slow
down
- so as not to create a danger to them? And even though the puppy was
- on the side of the road, what gave him the right to kill the animal
in
- front of my family? If he hadn't been speeding in front of my house,
- perhaps he would have been able to slow or stop to avoid the puppy,
- who had no experience with the roadside. And the fact that he left
my
- family there, knowing he had just killed their puppy, without
offering
- help of any kind -- what kind of a heinous human being was he? Do I
- now have the right to go to his house, select an animal or several
- animals, and kill it for no reason?
-
- And then I asked him, what if he had hit and killed one of my
- children? How would he feel then? The Black-Lab puppy was like one
- of my children. How was I supposed to feel, and how do you feel now
- that you've harmed my daughter and family as a result of the puppy's
- death that they witnessed?
-
- Mr. Beyer had little remorse and still, after our brief conversation,
- refused to pay or to help obtain another puppy to replace the puppy
my
- daughter had just lost. It is now two days later, and my wife and I
- are still sickened over the callous, heinous disregard for the human
- lives Mr. Beyer has harmed. My youngest daughter cried for almost an
- hour tonight, saying how much she misses Buddy and wishes he were
- here. Mr. Beyer cared not that this puppy was a family pet, or that
- it was a very loved part of our family, a puppy that we had enjoyed
- and put a lot of time and energy and love into. A puppy that
- belonged to an innocent, 11 year-old girl, who waited for 5 years for
- her own puppy. An 11 year-old girl who adored her puppy named Buddy,
- and loved it with all her heart.
-
- To Mr. Beyer, it was a dog along side the street and therefore,
- deserved to die. And the law says that he has the right to kill it
- because it happened to be unleashed and was alongside a rural,
- sparsely populated, country road. Mr. Beyer is smart enough to
escape
- liability by claiming it an accident..though there were not
skid-marks
- on the road where a normal person would have slammed-on the brakes or
- swerved after seeing a puppy on the side of the road or in the path
of
- their vehicle. And even though he had knowlege of killing the
animal,
- he refused to stop and render aid to the terrorified family.
-
- The puppy had harmed no one, it's only mistake was that it was on the
- side of the road when Mr. Beyer drove his truck and hit and killed it
- in front of my wife and children. He did it because he could, and he
- was unremorseful. Mr. Beyer was preoccupied with the appointment
with
- his church and his truck, which was more important than the consoling
- of my terrified wife and two children who watched Mr. Beyer hit and
- kill the 6-month old puppy, get out and check his truck for dents,
and
- then wave goodbye saying he'd be back, offering little help or
- consolation for the animal's death or the harm he had just caused.
- His personal business as a preacher was more important than
comforting
- my family in a time of trauma.
-
- Ladies and gentlemen, I know telling you this story won't bring Buddy
- back. Perhaps it is my outlet for expressing my, and the pain that
my
- family has suffered over the last few days as a result of Buddy's
- untimely death. I am a much better man than Mr. Beyer is, for I do
- not seek retaliation of any kind, and I know had I been in Mr.
Beyer's
- shoes..the church congregation would just have to wait -- and they
- would understand. Especially as a public official (a community
- priest), I would expect Mr. Beyer to be more sympathetic to my family
- who were traumatized and terrorized due to his actions, and who
today,
- are recovering from their shock and trauma.
-
- I had a friend mention to me that I should post just such a message
as
- I have written, describing the events as clearly as I could tell it,
- just as they occurred, as a way to express my pain and begin the
- healing process.
-
- Therefore, I have headed his suggestion. I am sure there are others
- out there who have gone through similar events and who have dealt
with
- the same level of pain and suffering as Mr. Beyer has caused my
- family. In this message, I hope that it touches all and I welcome
- your prayers so that my family and I can begin the healing process.
-
- Sincerely,
-
- THOMAS MURPHY
-
- (609) 502-3723 (cell)
--
8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail)
~~~~~~
"I reserve the absolute right to be smarter
today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson

http://home.earthlink.net/~sme617