Skagit County woman has heartwarming message for man who ran over her dog

SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. -- A woman is trying to get an important message to the man who hit her Walker Hound puppy with his truck Tuesday morning in Sedro-Woolley.

He's OK. It was the puppy's fault. And thank-you so much.

"Sir, thank you so much for stopping," Eva Coward wrote in a Facebook message on Breaking Skagit. "We are very sorry you had to go through that. McGee is fine."

Coward told Q13 News that her home near Grip Road in Skagit County is double-fenced with hotwire and a chain-link. Recently however, the crafty McGee learned how to escape the yard and get onto the road.

On Tuesday, McGee escaped.

"My son and I heard the fence rattle and only saw two of our three dogs," Coward said.

Coward and her son went to collect McGee when they spotted him running across the street. Then they saw a truck.

"We both yelled 'NO' as if that would stop the inevitable," Coward said.

The pup was hit and rolled under the truck. Coward and her son ran to him.

"I thought I was running to scoop up my dead puppy," Coward said.

McGee was clearly injured. The man driving the truck got out, and Coward said he was shaking. But with Coward's other dogs barking and with Coward trying to evaluate the dog, there wasn't much time to talk. Coward rushed to take her dog to the vet.

McGee was taken to the North Cascade Veterinary Hospital. He was treated for road rash, given antibiotics and pain medicine. Luckily, he was OK. A little sore still, but OK.

Coward said she never had a proper chance to talk to the man. She hopes the man gets the message that he was not in the wrong.

"There was NOTHING you could have done different," Coward said in her Facebook post. "We apologize that he ran in front of you... God bless and take care sir."

Coward also said she hopes the man has no damage to his truck.