A Waymo vehicle struck a small, unleashed dog near Scott and Eddy streets in San Francisco’s Western Addition on Sunday night around 8 p.m., the company and a passenger in the car said.

The incident was publicized by a passenger who posted about it online and then confirmed by a Waymo spokesperson on Monday, while San Francisco Animal Care and Control acknowledged receipt of a 311 complaint filed about the event at about 8:25 p.m. These reactions reflect not only the immediate distress of those present but also the challenges surrounding the use of autonomous vehicles in high-traffic urban areas, which can often lead to such unfortunate incidents.

A passenger in the vehicle wrote: “Our Waymo just ran over a dog. Trying to call customer support. Called the police. Crowd is gathering not sure what to do.” In a separate post the same passenger added, “I was in a Waymo — next thing I heard was yelping. I didn’t see the dog before the impact, but the kids were screaming about it.”

San Francisco Animal Care and Control confirmed it received a report to the city’s 311 line at roughly 8:25 p.m. and provided a short statement through a spokesperson: “Our captain called the reporting party, but there was nothing to follow up on.” The agency did not provide additional details about the dog’s condition, which remains unclear.

Waymo issued a statement on Monday, saying in part: “Unfortunately, a Waymo vehicle made contact with a small, unleashed dog in the roadway. We are dedicated to learning from this situation and how we show up for our community as we continue improving road safety in the cities we serve.” The company also followed up with the passenger as of Monday afternoon, the facts show.

The animal involved was described as a small, unleashed, 20- to 30-pound dog; the facts available do not state whether the animal survived. A crowd gathered at the scene after the impact, with bystanders reacting and attempting to determine next steps, according to the passenger account.

People listed in connection with the incident include Supervisor Jackie Fielder of the Mission District and a Waymo spokesperson. Local authorities and animal control handled the initial reports and contact with the reporting party.

The sequence of events, as recorded in city and company statements, is straightforward: the collision occurred around 8 p.m. Sunday; a 311 report followed at about 8:25 p.m.; Waymo confirmed the contact on Monday and contacted the passenger by Monday afternoon. Officials have not provided further procedural updates beyond those timestamps.

The Waymo spokesperson’s comment and the passenger’s firsthand descriptions are the primary contemporaneous accounts of what happened at the intersection. The passenger’s posts describe bystanders and audible distress at the moment of impact, writing that a crowd had gathered and that yelping was heard after the incident.

San Francisco Animal Care and Control’s brief reply indicated staff attempted to reach the reporting party by phone but found nothing to follow up on, according to the agency spokesperson’s quoted line. That statement was the agency’s formal acknowledgment of the 311 complaint.

Waymo confirmed the contact and said it is reviewing the situation to learn from what occurred. The company’s statement emphasized a commitment to improving road safety in cities it serves, which is essential as the technology continues to evolve and expand.

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Original reporting: view the original article.