Is a Dodge Journey Worth the Life of a Dog?
What starts out as genuine frustration and fear gets dark really quickly. And all over a Dodge Journey.
Dodge has built enough iconic cars that its place in the American automotive pantheon is set — the Daytona; the Challenger; the Charger; the Viper; the Hellcat; the Demon — but there are some models that are less lusted after. The Dodge Journey is among them.
The crossover launched in 2009, and since then… well, it hasn’t really changed beyond a minor styling update in 2011. It’s based on the Avenger and shares its platform with the now-discontinued short-wheelbase Dodge Caravan.
Motivation comes from an anemic 2.4-liter four or the 3.6-liter V6, making 173 and 283 horses, respectively. But hey, Dodge offers it with all-wheel drive, and they’ve managed to cram a tiny third-row bench in the back. And with Americans scooping up crossovers and SUVs like there’s no tomorrow, the automaker is still finding buyers.
But we’ve never seen anyone willing to kill over a Journey. That’s what makes this owner’s behavior, as reported by Jalopnik, seem bizarre.
On November 9, 2017, police in Dalton, Georgia responded to a call of a dog damaging a Journey. The owner, Jessica Dilallo, called the police after a loose dog began tearing at her crossover, ostensibly to get to some cats that were hiding in the engine bay. But once the police arrived, they didn’t exactly find a stable situation.
In the video, once responding officer Matthew Locke arrives, Dilallo is heard asking what Locke is going to do about the situation. She’s clearly agitated (and rightfully so), but then she goes beyond the pale, saying: “You can’t throw a rock at him, you can’t do anything? You could shoot him!”
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After the officer explains why this would be a terrible idea, she responds: “Maybe we stop talking and we get the dog off of my car!” But despite its frightening behavior, the officer realizes that the dog isn’t an immediate threat. Police are able to use an improvised catch pole and hold the dog until Animal Control arrives. The dog is later released to its owner, who claims that it dug under a fence to escape.
The dog’s owner has offered to pay for the damage done to Dilallo’s Journey. As a Dalton Police spokesperson told Jalopnik: “The woman has either gotten her car fixed or will be getting her car fixed.” Still, that hasn’t stopped her from posting this video on YouTube and getting over 165,000 views.
And it seems like she’s doubled down on her stance regarding the situation. In the video’s description, she writes: “What happens when two cats run under the hood of my car. This dog would have ripped them to shreds had he gotten to them!!! Not all pits are bad, but this one needs to go.” Needless to say, the comment section has been… lively.
We’re of the firm opinion that nothing – man or animal – should mess with someone’s ride. But is calling for the death of an animal, especially in a situation that was handled about as well as it could’ve been, really worth it? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
