‘Petey’s Promise’ launched after dog hit and killed in Wellesley

WELLESLEY, Mass. — A Wellesley family whose dog was hit and killed is on a mission to make their neighborhood safer in their beloved pup’s memory.

Petey, an English bulldog, slipped out the door on Oct. 26, and, jaunted across Longmeadow Rd., to greet another dog when he was hit by a car.

A neighbor who witnessed the accident said the vehicle had been speeding.

Petey’s owner, Kristen DiBella, heard screams from inside the house and ran out to find her dog dead in the street. DiBella says the driver stopped and got out only for a moment before leaving.

“To watch your dog literally be run over… it’s traumatic for them,” DiBella said of her children witnessing the tragedy. “There’s like a piece of us that’s gone, that we can never get back, because someone decided to go too fast to get nowhere.”

Wellesley police told Boston 25 News their hearts go out to the family but that there is no open case because state law requires a driver who hits a dog to notify the owner or call police if they cannot locate the owner. Because DiBella was present, no law was broken.

As for speeding, that accusation cannot be proven, Wellesley Police Lt. Marie Cleary said.

“Unfortunately, it’s a tragic accident,” Cleary said. “I can understand from the family’s perspective it doesn’t seem like a very empathetic thing to do, to leave. But they didn’t break a law. So, there’s no enforcement action we would be taking.”

But since before Petey’s death, residents have been raising concerns about speeding and a high volume of cars on Longmeadow Rd., which is a cut-through near Rte. 9.

The town has been conducting traffic studies, and police are providing extra traffic enforcement in the area, Cleary said.

Through her grief, DiBella has launched an effort in Petey’s memory. With her friends, she has started “Petey’s Promise,” a pledge for drivers over the age of 18 to drive more cautiously.

“It’s just basically a pledge that says, ‘I promise to slow down,’ and ‘I promise not to use my cell phone while driving,’ and ‘I promise to just be aware and less pressured by other drivers to do something I don’t feel safe about,’” DiBella said.

Although the driver who hit Petey was not a teen, DiBella hopes parents of new drivers talk to their teenagers about the pledge.

The pledge also includes a petition to the town and state to lower the 30-mile-per-hour speed limit on the street.

Dozens have ordered Petey’s Promise lawn signs and hundreds have signed the pledge.

“In 24 hours, we had over 400 people sign Petey’s Promise, which is amazing that people recognize this,” DiBella said through tears. “People here are so supportive because everyone has experienced distracted drivers on their cell phone, people going too fast.”

To learn more or sign the pledge, visit: www.peteyspromise.com

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