'My 3 children were collected from school to say goodbye': Heartbreaking Perth dachshund hit-and-run sparks community outpouring

Bronte Hancock shared the heartbreaking ordeal in a public post that quickly went viral across local community pages, drawing thousands of reactions and hundreds of supportive comments.

The post reignited fierce community debate about driver responsibility, residential street speeding and the simple decency of stopping when you hit a living creature.

The incident happened on Waldron Boulevard on Wednesday, April 30, at approximately 12.17pm.

Ms Hancock had been cleaning her front yard and stepped out briefly to take her bin out — when her four-year-old dachshund, who normally never strayed, slipped past her unnoticed and made it onto the road.

Moments later, she was hit. The driver did not stop.

"To the person who ran my little dog over on Waldron Bvd this afternoon 30/4 around 12.17pm, I would like to think you didn't know and that's why you didn't stop," Ms Hancock wrote in her post.

"If you did know, I don't know how on earth your conscience could leave a tiny little girl screaming in pain unable to move because you shattered her little pelvis so badly it was inoperable."

The injuries were so severe that veterinary surgery was not an option.

Ms Hancock said her three children were collected from school early so the family could say goodbye to their beloved pet together.

"My 3 children were collected from school early to be able to say goodbye to our beautiful girl," she wrote.

"We are completely heartbroken. She just turned 4 on Sunday."

Despite the devastating circumstances, Ms Hancock was quick to take responsibility for her dog being on the road — making it clear she was not seeking blame.

"I take full accountability for her being on the road."

"I was cleaning the yard and went out the front to get the bin and she must have snuck out."

"She normally wouldn't ever go far from me so it's out of the ordinary, but doesn't mean she deserves to be left for dead."

Her appeal was simple. Closure — for her children, more than herself.

"It's hard not to think the worst in a day and age like we are in, but I personally would want to know the outcome and give closure to children who innocently don't understand how someone didn't stop regardless of who is at fault."

The post triggered a wave of community support, with hundreds of locals leaving messages of love, anger and shared grief.

Many recounted similar experiences with cruel drivers leaving injured animals at the roadside.

Others offered practical kindness — including local pet portrait artist Elan Thomson, who offered to paint a watercolour memorial of the dog free of charge.

One witness, Shayna Wootton, said she had been at the scene and recalled seeing the vehicle.

"I think it was a white Isuzu MUX, but unfortunately that's all I got," she wrote.

Several local residents also raised concerns about ongoing speeding on Waldron Boulevard.

Long-time area local Michael Dobson said he had lost track of the number of drivers who treated the residential street like a "racetrack" and called for speed bumps to be installed end to end.

Lynette Taylor told Ms Hancock a similar incident had occurred last year in Cooloongup, where another small dog had been deliberately hit — raising the unsettling possibility of connected events.

While a small handful of comments unfairly attempted to blame Ms Hancock for her dog being on the road, the overwhelming community response was one of grief, compassion and condemnation of the driver's failure to stop.

Ms Hancock has since turned off comments on the post, saying she had felt comforted by the support but no longer wished to engage with negativity.

"If the person who did do it has seen my post, I don't hold a grudge — just would have been nice to have some clarity and understanding," she wrote.

Anyone with relevant dashcam footage from Waldron Boulevard around 12.17pm on April 30 is urged to come forward.