Dog follows student onto South Carolina school bus — and ends up dead, officials say
.JPG "A dog died after it was dropped off a South Carolina school bus, sparking outrage on social media.")
A 6-year-old girl was boarding a school bus in South Carolina when her Chihuahua-dachshund mix decided to ride along.
Dodger, the cherished family pet, followed the young girl onto the bus on Friday, WPDE reports. The dog often trailed her.
But when the school bus driver found out Dodger was on board, the dog was let off, Florence One Schools said in an emailed statement.
The dog was left on a “busy highway” and was later found dead in a road, the girl’s father, Robert Hutchinson, told WPDE.
The death has riled up some social media users. Several said the blame lies with the school bus driver.
“HORRIBLE BUS DRIVER,” someone wrote on the WMBF Facebook page. “How do you not pay attention to who and WHAT is getting on your bus in the morning?! Whoever the driver was should be fired!”
But other Facebook users argued the driver was only responsible for the children’s well-being.
“The owners should have been watching the dog,” one person wrote on the WBTW page. “I feel terrible about the dog being killed, but, bus drivers shouldn’t have to worry about animals boarding their bus.”
For their part, the dog owners told WPDE the girl’s grandfather didn’t see the animal get on the bus.
Now, Florence One Schools is investigating, and the driver is on administrative leave, officials say. The driver, who has worked for the district since 2006, had “no previous incidents,” according to the statement.
Florence is roughly 70 miles northwest of Myrtle Beach.
This story was originally published December 19, 2019 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Dog follows student onto South Carolina school bus — and ends up dead, officials say."
