Driver refuses to pay for treatment after hitting dog

A dog owner in Hunan province is suing a car driver for knocking down her golden retriever and refusing to pay for its treatment.

The woman, surnamed Zhu, said local police determined that the driver was at fault for the incident, which occurred in October.

"I have spent 16,000 yuan ($2,330) on veterinary bills. But the car driver passed the buck to the insurance company, saying they could only pay 2,000 yuan at most," she said.

"So far, neither the driver nor the insurance company have contacted me and offered any compensation."

Local media quoted an unnamed manager from the insurance company as saying the pet is the owner’s possession.

"We can only give compensation for possessions at market value. And the market value of the dog is 2,000 yuan at most," said the manager.

Guo Jishi, who runs a pet shop in Beijing, said the price of golden retriever could range from 1,500 yuan to tens of thousand yuan in China.

"The price is basically determined by market demand. There is no third-party organization to say how much should it cost, like other products," he said.

"When golden retrievers are popular among pet owners, we can sell them for a very high price. When pet owners' interests change, then the price goes down."

Wan Xiong, a lawyer at Hunan Hongyi Law Firm, said the insurance company should compensate the dog owner for its treatment to the fullest extent possible.

"If that’s not enough, the driver at fault should cover the rest," he said.