Waymo vehicles kill bodega cat and dog in San Francisco
A Waymo autonomous vehicle struck and killed Kit Kat, a cat at Randa's Market in San Francisco's Mission District, in late October 2025. Video footage showed the cat ran under the vehicle while a pedestrian was trying to help, and the car drove off as the bystander moved away. A second Waymo reportedly killed a dog in November.
What happened
In late October 2025, a Waymo vehicle struck and killed Kit Kat, a cat kept at Randa's Market on 16th Street in San Francisco's Mission District.
Surveillance video obtained by the New York Times showed that a pedestrian, Meg Brigman, saw the cat crouch under the front tire of the parked Waymo and crouched down to help. The cat, appearing stressed, retreated further under the vehicle. When Brigman stood up and stepped away, the vehicle drove off from the curb and ran over the cat with a rear tire.
In November, a second Waymo reportedly killed a small dog in the Western Addition after the dog ran into the street off-leash.
Reported impact
Residents of San Francisco expressed heightened safety concerns and resentment over autonomous vehicles operating in the city. The sidewalk outside Randa's Market became filled with flowers, candles, memorials and pictures following Kit Kat's death.
The incident prompted a petition by Jackie Fielder, the area's representative to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, calling for autonomous vehicles to have oversight from city authorities rather than just state authorities.
Index analysis
Waymo stated that Kit Kat darted under the car before it drove off and that its vehicles, like normal cars, cannot see underneath them. A witness questioned whether a human driver would have responded differently to her alarm about the cat and paused before driving.
The vehicle had its blinkers on while parked and drove off briskly while a pedestrian was in immediate proximity to it, raising questions about its autonomous decision-making in situations involving human activity at street level.
Governance controls
The California Public Utilities Commission and Department of Motor Vehicles oversee Waymo's operations. A California State Senator stated that Waymo is operating in something of a laissez-faire environment with oversight from state authorities only.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.