Viral Video Sparks Debate Over Dog Walking App After Pet Is Hit By Car

A terrified dog walker was caught on camera telling the pet owner that their canine had just been hit by a car while out for a walk. The clip was shared by pet parent @raleighann has since gone viral on TikTok, with many debating the use of the app.

The ring camera footage shows the walker running to the dog owner’s door and knocking continuously. When the woman opens the door, the dog walker tells her that her special needs dog was hit by a car. They then rush to the canine’s aid and carry it back to the apartment. The video then shows the pooch with injuries, Daily Dot reported.

"When your dog walker on Rover accidentally lets one of your dogs get hit by a car," the text overlaying the video reads.

The injured dog named Kevin is a special needs pet who is visually impaired and deaf; he was being walked with another dog at the time.

In a follow-up video, @raleighann says her pet has fully recovered. However, the dog had sustained broken ribs in the incident.

"Thankfully he is OK, as I said in the video, the only issues he had were fractured ribs, the cuts and bruises that you saw under his nose and on his face and on his leg. He did get a few staples. The only ongoing issue is that he does have some acute lameness that flares up from time to time on the side that he was hit. Other than that he’s very healthy and happy," the dog’s owner says in the video.

The pet owner added that she understands it was an accident and doesn’t blame the dog walker for it.

"I think it was just a freak accident and I hold no animosity or ill feelings towards the girl. She was obviously very young. I do think she handled the situation pretty well, all things considered," she says, adding that the walker had stayed on the sidewalk and both dogs were on leash.

In the comments section, she wrote that Rover had covered around half of the dog’s medical expenses.

The video has since gone viral, garnering over 1.8 million views. While some people debated the use of the Rover app, others criticized the dog owner for not walking her dog.

"Wait… you’re home and you hired someone to take your dog for a walk?" one commenter wrote.

However, there were also a few viewers who came to the owner's rescue in the comments section. One person wrote, "I commend you for actually hiring a dog walker instead of letting your dogs suffer like others who don’t take the time."