Waymo chalks up another four-legged casualty on San Francisco streets
- Reference: 1764683261
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/12/02/waymo_dog_incident/
- Source link:
The passenger inside the car at the time blew the whistle, [1]saying that the incident attracted a crowd and left their kids crying and their partner screaming.
The dog, which the passenger described as being of a similar size to a Corgi, "started yelping and screaming" after being run over by the self-driving ride-hail car.
[2]
A Waymo spokesperson told San Francisco news site [3]Mission Local : "Unfortunately, a Waymo vehicle made contact with a small, unleashed dog in the roadway.
[4]
[5]
"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.
"We have not received a status update on the dog."
[6]
The passenger said that the robotaxi biz contacted them and promised to review the ride data to understand what preventative measures could be taken.
Waymo also said it would be sending a team of people to help find the dog's owner and offer veterinary services.
"While it's going to be a while before my kids will be willing to try it again, I am happy with Waymo's response and personally look forward to trying the service again," the passenger said.
[7]
The incident is the second [8]canine casualty linked to Waymo in as many years, and the second animal to suffer the same fate in two months.
[9]California cops confused after trying to give ticket to self-driving car
[10]New Yorkers will soon be able to yell 'I'm walkin here!' to Waymo robotaxis
[11]Tesla starts sort-of Robotaxi service in San Francisco by invite only
[12]Waymo plots Dallas robotaxi launch, stays ahead of Tesla in Texas turf war
A [13]Waymo car was blamed for [14]the death of Kit Kat , a beloved bar-hopping cat familiar to dwellers of San Francisco's Mission District, who was run over by a robotaxi on October 27.
Affectionately nicknamed the "Mayor of 16th Street," Kit Kat inspired locals to erected a shrine to him after his death, which stoked broader criticism of Waymo's presence in the city.
"We send our deepest sympathies to the cat's owner and the community who knew and loved him," a Waymo spokesperson stated at the time.
Many locals report feeling uneasy about the fleet of white Jaguar I-Paces roaming the city's roads, although the offering has proven popular with tourists, women seeking safer rides, and parents in need of a quick, convenient way to ferry their children to school.
Waymo currently operates in the SF Bay Area, [15]Los Angeles , and Phoenix, and some self-driving rides are available through Uber in Austin and Atlanta.
Next year, the company is gearing up to expand across various [16]major US cities , as well as London, its first foray into international markets.
Tests have already begun in Tokyo, where Waymo has partnered with the city's leading taxi app and a major taxi company to bring autonomous rides to Japan. ®
Get our [17]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.reddit.com/r/waymo/comments/1pb3efx/comment/nrnx3hx/?context=3
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aS8bLGjLUlrXFD3WcIQPNQAAAFE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://missionlocal.org/2025/12/waymo-confirms-its-car-hit-dog-in-western-addition/
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aS8bLGjLUlrXFD3WcIQPNQAAAFE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aS8bLGjLUlrXFD3WcIQPNQAAAFE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aS8bLGjLUlrXFD3WcIQPNQAAAFE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aS8bLGjLUlrXFD3WcIQPNQAAAFE&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/07/waymo_robotaxi_kills_dog/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/29/california_cops_self_driving/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/22/new_york_waymo_ratso_rizzo/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/31/tesla_robotaxi_san_francisco/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/29/waymo_to_expand_dallas/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/29/california_cops_self_driving/
[14] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/us/waymo-san-francisco-kit-kat.html
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/21/waymo_expansion/
[16] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/29/waymo_to_expand_dallas/
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The ghost of Tirebiter?
Cars have been running over dogs since the beginning of road traffic. It might be carelessness on someone's part or just a pure accident but part of the problem is a tendency for small dogs like terriers to chase vehicles. I don't know why they do this because they normally don't catch them (and if they do, like the legendary Tirebiter, they invariably regret it).
Let's face it -- the only newsworthy part of this story is that the car was driven by a computer rather than a person. I don't know why corporations feel they have to replace a bit of low cost wetware with an expensive, finicky, piece of technology that only works in a limited area (especially as SF actually has a quite decent public transport system)(pickpockets aside...), It seems like a waste of resources. (Reg readers might find what Parallel Systems is doing in Fillmore a lot more useful -- they're testing a system of autonomous rail freight cars designed to make local freight service more cost effective.)
Re: The ghost of Tirebiter?
I had a large dog jump out of a parked car side window which I stood no chance of avoiding. Thankfully it bounced off the car and the owners recognised there was little I could have done.
I also had a cat jump through some railings and bounce around under the car before racing into the distance.
Thankfully I have always managed to avoid the children who have stepped into my path.
I think the problem is, while we feel we know what we can expect when an animal or child jumps in front of a human driver, that doesn't translate to autonomous vehicles. Particularly as there's plenty of video evidence which ends in a full-speed collision when most drivers and others believe they would have at least reacted, tried to stop and minimise harm. "No worse than a drunk driver" isn't good enough, and nor should it be.
Being San Francisco...
... of course the passenger lacks a gender. But why does the cat get labelled a "him?"
Was he/she/it consulted? Are you SURE the cat identified as a male? Or even as a cat? It is San Francisco after all.
Re: Being San Francisco...
> Are you SURE the cat identified as a male?
Did anyone ask the cat how it was Feline?
This has happened before and it will happen again. Small animals get killed every day by cars. Dogs should be leashed and cats inside, but I won't miss the squirrels.
And on a proper lead, not those dangerous extendable ones
That was my thought as well. As a city bicyclist on occasion, un-tethered canines are, in my opinion, a blight upon society. The vehicle probably should have a better surveillance program, but the fault here is in the owner of the pet. If you love your animals, please keep positive control of them. For all of our sakes.
I don't know if the US has similar laws, but IIRC the UK laws hold that a dog is under the control of its owner, but that a cat isn't. So an unleashed dog is ipso facto at the risk of its owner, and its owner is responsible for any damage it causes, including to itself.
You rarely see cats in traffic, with out without their butlers.
>You rarely see cats in traffic, with out without their butlers.
With self driving you will see a lot more cats out and about - expect to see a lot of Waymos in trees
Whereas f8cking cats can ruin my seedbeds and I'm not allowed to even net them for return to the owner.
Animali
Over the decades, I have crashed into a horse, a dog, a pheasant and multiple smaller birds. No people, fortunately. So this kind of shit happens.
Animals can't handle cars.
That is just the way it is. No matter which, they jump in front of it without thinking, worse than kids. And some deliberately jump in front of cars with lights at night...
(Exceptions are some birds which drop nuts in front of cars and jump away right on time, so the break the nuts open)
Re: Animals can't handle cars.
The rural roads where I first started driving had a problem with Badgers, who dart from their place of hiding in the hedge at the last moment.
Took the the front wheel and suspension of my Mini off with a cub and the next week ran two wheels of an Escort van over a brock - it must have faced me and put its head down at the last moment as it threw me onto two wheels and there was no bodywork damage. As I reversed back up the road, it just stared as me for a bit and then ran off. They are the size, shape and sturdiness of a medium sized pig!
Deer are the main problem where I live now, but they are good and just stand on the verge watching you pass.
Re: Animals can't handle cars.
Where I live we have to drive MRAPs (Moose-resistant animal protected vehicle)
Isn't this just training data for when they target larger meatbags?