Tommy was found as a kitten in a bag in a church parking lot. Anton Caputo’s daughter brought him home, and the family raised him alongside their dog.
He was popular with the neighbors. He was, in his owner’s words, “a badass cat.”
On September 6, a Waymo robotaxi hit him on Brackenridge Street in Travis Heights. He was euthanized that night.
What Witnesses Saw
William Lehner and Abbey Simpson were driving directly behind the Waymo when it happened. Tommy darted into the road and was struck immediately.
Lehner said the vehicle probably could not have stopped in time. That part is not disputed.
What happened next is.
The Waymo pulled over briefly. Its two passengers got out. Then the vehicle drove away, with the whole sequence lasting less than a minute.
“It knew it hit something because it stopped,” Lehner told the Austin American-Statesman, “and then the guys got out, and then the Waymo just drove away.”
Simpson found Tommy in nearby bushes. His back was broken and a limb had suffered severe trauma. The neighbors drove him to an emergency veterinary clinic, where he was euthanized.
What the Family Is Asking For
The Caputo family wants two things: reimbursement for a $1,000 veterinary bill and a donation to an animal rescue in Tommy’s name.
Lehner backed the reimbursement directly. “Waymo should absolutely be accountable for that. That’s just the right thing to do. Waymo is a well-funded company that should have more than enough reserves on hand to pay for these types of things.”
Waymo spokesperson Bonelli confirmed to the Statesman that the vehicle braked but could not avoid the collision, and said the company is processing an insurance claim with the family.
This Has Happened Before
Tommy is not the first cat killed by a Waymo.
In October 2025, KitKat, a nine year old bodega cat in San Francisco’s Mission District, was struck by a Waymo late at night. He was found underneath the vehicle. A store employee rushed him to an animal hospital but he could not be saved.
Waymo sent a statement expressing sympathy and said it made a donation to a local animal rights organization. The company did not disclose how much it donated or to which organization.
A neighborhood memorial went up outside the store. A sign read “Kill a Waymo! Save a Cat!” Locals demanded a review of how autonomous vehicles detect small animals, particularly in low light.
Community cats carry a weight that numbers cannot capture. When a Park Slope bodega cat went missing earlier this month, the whole neighborhood mobilized. KitKat in San Francisco and Tommy in Austin drew the same kind of response, because these animals belong to streets, not just to owners.
What the Law Actually Covers
In Texas, pets are classified as personal property. That means a vet bill is recoverable, in the same way a damaged car bumper is. Emotional damages for the loss of a companion animal are generally not available under Texas law.
The Caputo family’s ask is deliberately modest. It is also entirely reasonable.
Animal cruelty and liability law still has enormous gaps when it comes to companion animals. In Kentucky last week, a dog that killed a community cat while its owner watched resulted in a maximum $500 fine. In Texas, a pet hit by a vehicle with no human driver leaves the family navigating an insurance claim with no clear legal framework behind them.
Why This Matters
Waymo operates across Austin, Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco, with its fleet continuing to expand.
The question of what autonomous vehicles owe when they injure or kill an animal is not covered by any clear federal or state framework. Liability for animal deaths has always been handled under property damage law, written for a world where a human driver was present and could be held to a standard of care.
An autonomous vehicle operated by a company that processes claims through insurance leaves pet owners in a gap nobody has formally addressed yet.
Zoe, a community cat shot near a West Palm Beach flea market, lost a leg this month. Her case raised the same question from a different angle: who is accountable, and what does accountability actually look like in practice. Two cats in two cities. Neither case resulted in any policy change.
What should robotaxi companies be required to do when they hit an animal? Tell us in the comments.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Details of the insurance claim are ongoing and may change. Contact a licensed attorney for guidance on a specific situation.