A Mississauga man is urging e-scooter riders to stay off sidewalks after his dog, Leia, was seriously injured in a collision this week. Matt, who requested his last name be withheld, was walking his dog near J.C. Saddington Park in Port Credit on Monday when the incident occurred around noon. Leia, a small Italian Greyhound mix, was briefly distracted by another dog and had just shifted from Matt’s right side to his left when a young girl on an e-scooter sped through and ran over her.
Matt described hearing Leia’s agonizing yelp as the e-scooter rider hit her, and although the girl appeared mortified and apologized, Matt was upset by the situation.
Leia was rushed to the Credit Landing Animal Hospital, where vets treated her for several lacerations on her paws, including damage to the padding of her left paw. Fortunately, X-rays showed no broken bones, but Leia is on pain medication and antibiotics. Matt now faces a vet bill of $2,500, with no repercussions for the e-scooter riders involved.
E-scooters are not allowed on sidewalks in Mississauga, but there have been increasing complaints since a city rental program began last year. Riders are permitted on roads with speed limits up to 50 km/h, bike lanes, and multi-use trails, but not on sidewalks or city park trails. The issue of sidewalk riding is expected to be discussed at the next city council meeting in September.