Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Overgrowngoblin · 06-06-2003, 06:28 AM

Warning Animal Lovers: A squirrel gets hurt in this thread

Yesterday I was a passenger in my neighbor�s car when the car in front of us accidentally hit a squirrel. Unfortunately the squirrel was not killed on impact. Instead its lower half was crushed and its upper half was still trying to run. There was no way this squirrel was going to survive, but I had no idea how long its suffering would go on for. I asked my neighbor to pull over so I could help the squirrel (how I don�t know) but he just looked at me like I was crazy. We were on the way to pick up his daughter at preschool and we were already running late so I was �driver overruled.� (If I were really stubborn in the matter he probably would have stopped.)

Now I can�t get the vision of this poor suffering squirrel out of my head. I keep running it through my mind and thinking what I should have done differently. But quite frankly, I have no idea what I could have done for the squirrel.

My wife and I are big into the animal activist community and try to help animals whenever the situation presents itself (which happens far to often by roads). From rescuing scared dogs on the side of the highway to catching baby feral cats and socializing them so they can be adopted out. We have a good relationship with the vets and shelters in our area, but they all have a standing policy of no squirrels and no other small woodland creatures. Besides, the most a vet could have done is put it down humanely.

So I�d like to get an opinion of what I should have done differently. Should I leave woodland creatures in the hands of Mother Nature? Should I have caught it and brought it to a vet despite there policy? Since it was going to die one way or another should I have put it down myself (which I really couldn�t see myself doing)? What the heck should I have done?

Godless Dave · 06-06-2003, 06:30 AM

In the situation you describe, I would have gotten out of the car and put the squirrel out of its misery.

AquaVita · 06-06-2003, 06:31 AM

I know how it feels.

When I first got my car at 16, I ran over a squirrel. I started crying very hard. (this coming from a guy who doesn't cry often. Almost never)

I don't know really what to say in regards to what you should have done, although I would probably have tried to put the poor thing out of his misery.

Non-praying Mantis · 06-06-2003, 08:19 AM

Unfortunate events like these have happened to me in the past, and I have used euthanasia (usually by grinding my heel into its skull) to end the suffering of the unfortunate animal.

I can't stand suffering

NPM

Annabel Lee · 06-06-2003, 08:41 AM

Sorry you had to see that Overgrowngoblin.
Like you I'm always rescuing animals. Stray dogs instinctively come to my house KNOWING that I'll find their owners for them.

About ten years ago, at the beach near my house, there was a very injured seagull. It was attacked by something and its neck looked almost broken (or was broken).
The other gulls had started poking at it as if they were going to start eating it alive. People were around it saying, "What should we do?". My kids were crying for me to help it. I walked up to it and twisted its neck and it died immediately.
I've never done anything like that in my life and still remember the feel of the seagull in my hands.
There was nothing else that could have been done.

Mageth · 06-06-2003, 09:02 AM

The most humane thing to do is to put the badly injured animal out of its misery as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Huginn · 06-06-2003, 09:12 AM

With an animal like a squirrel it is probably best to put it out of its misery.

With a cat or dog I'd take it to a vet or find it's owner, as injuries can look much worse than they actually are and it would be a shame to kill someone's pet needlessly.

Mageth · 06-06-2003, 09:14 AM

Good point, Huggin.

It's also important to use proper caution. It's not worth risking your life or the lives of others to rescue a squirrel or other small animal, IMO, so be careful if there's traffic.

Overgrowngoblin · 06-06-2003, 09:19 AM

Well I guess the consensus would be to put it out of its misery. Deep down I probably knew this would have been the right thing to do, but the wimp in me is just shuttering at the thought. Stepping on it with my shoe would probably send me to a shrink. I�m going to have to keep a shovel, or something heavy, in the car with me from now on. How vets do this on a regular bases is beyond me. They must develop a really thick skin after awhile.

Evangelion · 06-06-2003, 10:13 AM

My younger brother went through this with a wallaby, once. He had to bludgeon it to death with a tyre iron, and consequently turned up on the doorstep spattered with blood and holding a heavy, blunt instrument... at 2am.

My first thought when I opened the door and saw him was "Well, we don't have enough money for a good lawyer, so this one's gonna be REALLY interesting..."

06-06-2003, 06:28 AM	#1
Overgrowngoblin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Shooting dice in a crater on the Moon Posts: 501	Hit a Squirrel Warning Animal Lovers: A squirrel gets hurt in this thread Yesterday I was a passenger in my neighbor�s car when the car in front of us accidentally hit a squirrel. Unfortunately the squirrel was not killed on impact. Instead its lower half was crushed and its upper half was still trying to run. There was no way this squirrel was going to survive, but I had no idea how long its suffering would go on for. I asked my neighbor to pull over so I could help the squirrel (how I don�t know) but he just looked at me like I was crazy. We were on the way to pick up his daughter at preschool and we were already running late so I was �driver overruled.� (If I were really stubborn in the matter he probably would have stopped.) Now I can�t get the vision of this poor suffering squirrel out of my head. I keep running it through my mind and thinking what I should have done differently. But quite frankly, I have no idea what I could have done for the squirrel. My wife and I are big into the animal activist community and try to help animals whenever the situation presents itself (which happens far to often by roads). From rescuing scared dogs on the side of the highway to catching baby feral cats and socializing them so they can be adopted out. We have a good relationship with the vets and shelters in our area, but they all have a standing policy of no squirrels and no other small woodland creatures. Besides, the most a vet could have done is put it down humanely. So I�d like to get an opinion of what I should have done differently. Should I leave woodland creatures in the hands of Mother Nature? Should I have caught it and brought it to a vet despite there policy? Since it was going to die one way or another should I have put it down myself (which I really couldn�t see myself doing)? What the heck should I have done?

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06-06-2003, 06:30 AM	#2
Godless Dave Contributor Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: With 10,000 lakes who needs a coast? Posts: 10,762	In the situation you describe, I would have gotten out of the car and put the squirrel out of its misery.

06-06-2003, 06:31 AM	#3
AquaVita Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Dallas Posts: 4,351	I know how it feels. When I first got my car at 16, I ran over a squirrel. I started crying very hard. (this coming from a guy who doesn't cry often. Almost never) I don't know really what to say in regards to what you should have done, although I would probably have tried to put the poor thing out of his misery.

06-06-2003, 08:19 AM	#4
Non-praying Mantis Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Roanoke, VA, USA Posts: 2,646	Unfortunate events like these have happened to me in the past, and I have used euthanasia (usually by grinding my heel into its skull) to end the suffering of the unfortunate animal. I can't stand suffering NPM

06-06-2003, 08:41 AM	#5
Annabel Lee Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Let Buzz Stay!! Posts: 5,567	Sorry you had to see that Overgrowngoblin. Like you I'm always rescuing animals. Stray dogs instinctively come to my house KNOWING that I'll find their owners for them. About ten years ago, at the beach near my house, there was a very injured seagull. It was attacked by something and its neck looked almost broken (or was broken). The other gulls had started poking at it as if they were going to start eating it alive. People were around it saying, "What should we do?". My kids were crying for me to help it. I walked up to it and twisted its neck and it died immediately. I've never done anything like that in my life and still remember the feel of the seagull in my hands. There was nothing else that could have been done.

06-06-2003, 09:02 AM	#6
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	The most humane thing to do is to put the badly injured animal out of its misery as quickly and painlessly as possible.

06-06-2003, 09:12 AM	#7
Huginn Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Lincoln, England Posts: 1,499	With an animal like a squirrel it is probably best to put it out of its misery. With a cat or dog I'd take it to a vet or find it's owner, as injuries can look much worse than they actually are and it would be a shame to kill someone's pet needlessly.

06-06-2003, 09:14 AM	#8
Mageth Contributor Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Deep in the heart of mother-lovin' Texas Posts: 29,689	Good point, Huggin. It's also important to use proper caution. It's not worth risking your life or the lives of others to rescue a squirrel or other small animal, IMO, so be careful if there's traffic.

06-06-2003, 09:19 AM	#9
Overgrowngoblin Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Shooting dice in a crater on the Moon Posts: 501	Well I guess the consensus would be to put it out of its misery. Deep down I probably knew this would have been the right thing to do, but the wimp in me is just shuttering at the thought. Stepping on it with my shoe would probably send me to a shrink. I�m going to have to keep a shovel, or something heavy, in the car with me from now on. How vets do this on a regular bases is beyond me. They must develop a really thick skin after awhile.

06-06-2003, 10:13 AM	#10
Evangelion Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Walsall, UK Posts: 1,490	My younger brother went through this with a wallaby, once. He had to bludgeon it to death with a tyre iron, and consequently turned up on the doorstep spattered with blood and holding a heavy, blunt instrument... at 2am. My first thought when I opened the door and saw him was "Well, we don't have enough money for a good lawyer, so this one's gonna be REALLY interesting..."

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