Teenage Neighbor Driving Recklessly Kills Cat
DEAR HARRIETTE: My neighbor ran over my cat and is lying about it, even though we captured it on our Ring Doorbell camera. Our cat is an indoor and outdoor cat, and during the day he likes to wander around the neighborhood. He is well-known by all our neighbors, and everyone loves to give him treats and pet him. One day, the teenage son of our next-door neighbors was driving recklessly and ended up hitting our cat, killing him. It happened right in front of our house, so the doorbell camera captured it.
When I confronted the family, they denied that their son was driving recklessly and acted like the accident was completely my cat's fault. I am devastated because our cat was part of our family for years, and his death has been incredibly difficult for all of us. I also feel angry that our neighbors are refusing to acknowledge what happened, even though we have video evidence. I don't know whether I should try to have another conversation with the family or take the footage to the police or another authority. I want to hold them accountable, but I also don't want this situation to turn into a huge feud between our families. What should I do? -- Be Accountable
DEAR BE ACCOUNTABLE: Go to your local precinct with the footage, and show it to the police. Ask what the appropriate action is in this case. It seems that the teenage driver should at the very least be reprimanded for his reckless driving. While this will surely upset his family, it could help him -- and them -- take driving more seriously. When people get away with reckless behavior, it can lead to more of the same. Follow the lead of the police in this matter.
As you know, this won't bring back your cat. Take the time you need to grieve your loss.
DEAR HARRIETTE: The other week, I was in my marketing class, and I told my professor that I want to work in a crisis firm that's catered toward handling situations in the beauty and fashion industries. She told me that my goal was extremely interesting and that she has never heard of that before. After hearing my professor say she's never heard of anyone in my desired field, it's making me wonder whether I'm on the right track. I've been researching more about what to do post-college since figuring out what I want to do, and I am thinking about pursuing law school. Do you think going to law school would be a good steppingstone to get to my end goal of becoming a professional fixer for beauty brands? -- Beauty Law
DEAR BEAUTY LAW: Just because your professor wasn't aware of opportunities in your area of interest doesn't mean you should give up on your goals. Instead, reach out to larger beauty companies and ask for an informational interview with their legal department. Investigate so that you can learn what the issues are that these companies face and how you might find a place for yourself in their ecosystem.
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(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)
Copyright 2026, Harriette Cole
COPYRIGHT 2026 Andrews McMeel Syndication. This feature may not be reproduced or distributed electronically, in print or otherwise without the written permission of Andrews McMeel Syndication.
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