By Bob Katzen

The House gave initial approval to, without a roll call vote, legislation that would require any State Department of Transportation (DOT) highway employees who find deceased dogs or cats on roads with identification, to either attempt to directly contact the owner or to notify local animal control officers or the police department.

“Losing a pet is hard enough,” said sponsor Rep. Richard Haggerty (D-Woburn). “Not knowing what happened to them makes it even harder. Right now, if a DOT employee finds a dog or cat, with an ID tag or microchip, that has been hit and killed on a state highway, there is no requirement for them to let the owner know. Families are left waiting and wondering, sometimes never getting answers. It is a straightforward, compassionate step that asks very little of the state but gives grieving families the one thing they need most — closure.”