Austin family says Waymo robotaxi killed pet cat Tommy
Waymo said the vehicle braked before the collision, an account a witness corroborated, but it left after its passengers got out
An Austin family said a Waymo robotaxi struck and killed their cat, Tommy, on Sept. 6, 2025, in the Travis Heights neighborhood. The collision occurred on Brackenridge Street near East Monroe Street, just east of South Congress Avenue, while the Caputo family was away from home.
Neighbors William Lehner and Abbey Simpson, who were driving behind the robotaxi, saw Tommy run into the road and be hit. According to the Austin American-Statesman, the vehicle braked but could not avoid the cat, an account that Lehner corroborated. He said the vehicle stopped briefly, its two passengers got out, and it then drove away.
Tommy ran into nearby shrubbery after the collision, where Simpson found him. She and Lehner took him to an emergency veterinary clinic, but he was euthanized after suffering a broken back and severe trauma to a limb. The Caputos had owned Tommy for about five years.
Anton Caputo contacted Waymo customer support on the day of the collision but did not receive a response for more than a week. Waymo spokesman Chris Bonelli said the company’s trust-and-safety mission includes domestic pets and wildlife, and that it was in contact with the family. The company was working through an insurance claim with the Caputos.
The family asked Waymo to donate to an animal rescue in Tommy’s name. Lehner said the company should cover the $1,000 veterinary bill, while Simpson argued that the vehicle should not have left the scene and that a company representative should have attended.
The incident has raised broader questions about how robotaxi operators should protect animals and respond when autonomous vehicles injure them. Five animal collisions involving robotaxis were reported to federal regulators in Austin and Del Valle during the year covered by the report, although the City of Austin said such events were likely underreported. Companies are not required to report incidents to the city, which instead gathers information from 311 callers and first responders.
Michael Brooks said the available data cannot establish whether Waymo is safer or less safe around animals than human drivers. He also said federal safety authorities provide little or no guidance on autonomous vehicles’ treatment of animals because the U.S. Department of Transportation’s authority focuses on protecting people on the roads. Robotaxis in Texas are regulated at the state level, with municipalities generally lacking authority to set their own rules.