On the way to work I saw a squirrel on the side of the road. It clearly had been hit by a car. I stopped the car and went outside to grab it with some clothes I had in the back. As I approached it it gathered enough strength to climb up a side of a hill that parallels the road. However, it's head was twisted down and to one side so I am prettys sure it's neck was broken and it was really struggling to move. I got back in my car and tried to remember the number of the wildlife rescue place. The squirrel rolled back down the hill onto the road again. As I was using my phone a car ran over it. It stopped moving so I thought it was dead but I looked and could see moving it's head. At this point I decided (with much sadness) that I should put it out of it's misery. So I drove over the squirrel a couple times and made sure it was dead.

Was this the right thing? I was shaking and in tears but I didn't know what else to do. I even called my wife who is a nurse and she said to say a prayer and put it out of its misery.

What would you have done?

I would have done the same.
That must have been a really hard decision for you to make, but I think that it was the right one. Imagine for a moment that you were the squirrel. Wouldn't you want somebody to do the same for you? I know that I would.

OMgosh, I'm so sorry. That must have been very painful for you. You did the right/brave thing.

oh your post brought tears to my eyes. yes i think you did the right thing, i would have been so upset too.
years ago i was walking my dog and i came across a squirrel that had either been hit or fallen out of a tree, he was still alive but couldnt move, i had hubby go home get a box and collect him........i called an all night vet emergency clinic who first scolded me and said i should have just left him there! then they said bring him in and they would euthanize him.......so we put him in the box, i put blanket over him, but he died before we got there, so my hubby buried him in our backard :(

definately did the right thing.... 100%

it's always really hard when you find an animal like this.. so many things to sum in your head...trying to assess how sick it is, if picking it up is going to cause it further physical and mental trauma, and balancing all this up with the likelyhood of its recovery or not if you do pick it up, or how long it'll suffer if you don't, and trying to deal with the reality of all of this, and do our best, when we aren't trained vets, just people who care.

i'm sorry you had to deal with this.

I believe you did the right thing, it's just that the right thing can make you want to bawl your eyes out too. When you originally found it ti was probably too late for the poor thing anyway..

You did the right thing. Even when you first found him there were very low chances that animal wildlife rescue could have done anything different than you had. I'm sorry you had to make such a tough decision.

i am so sorry..i really do think you made the most compassionate decision though..

Oh ... I am so sorry! You made the tough, but right decision. The right thing is not always easy....

Oh, how sad! I agree, you did the best you could.

There's nothing more you could have done; the squirrel was going to die anyway after being hit the 2nd time so you lessened the pain and misery of the poor little animal. I think you did the right thing.

I know you must be devastated, but you minimised the suffering of the squirrel...

I don't think driving over an animal with your car is euthanization. I'd have probably had the squirrel euthanized properly or simply moved them to the side of the road.

I bet that was tough to do. But if you would have left it, it may have had a long, slow and painful death.

:(

I think it was the right thing to do, but I couldn't have done it. I can't even drop a rock on a dying praying mantis. I feel really sorry for you, you're a lot braver than me.

At this point I decided (with much sadness) that I should put it out of it's misery. So I drove over the squirrel a couple times and made sure it was dead.

Was this the right thing? I was shaking and in tears but I didn't know what else to do. I even called my wife who is a nurse and she said to say a prayer and put it out of its misery.

What would you have done?

That's a sad story. Personally, I could not run it over. Just not something that would personally sit well with me. I would have prayed for it to be free from pain and that seems about all that could be done for it. Knowing me I would sit with it as it passed then bury it.

wow that must have been heart breaking to watch- i really sympathise with you. i'm not sure what i'd have done in that situation but at least the creature's not suffering any longer :angel:

You did okay, in my opinion. I once saw a coyote that had been run over and was literally gone from the waist down. It was attempting to drag itself by its front legs. I begged (maybe screamed) for my stepdad to turn around and run over it, to put it down. He wouldn't. Awful. You did okay.

You did okay, in my opinion. I once saw a coyote that had been run over and was literally gone from the waist down. It was attempting to drag itself by its front legs. I begged (maybe screamed) for my stepdad to turn around and run over it, to put it down. He wouldn't. Awful. You did okay.


Only the top half was intact, and the rest mangled or something? Or GONE gone?

I was driving with my mom on a country road, nobody had been in sight for quite awhile, and we saw a cat that we thought was dead. but then it lifted it's head a little and was trying to look around, but the body was quite flat from being run over and obviously suffering. My mom debated on whether to leave it or put it out of its misery. She drove over it, and I still remember the crunching as she drove over it's skull a couple times. We both cried, but I think it was better than leaving it there to die in a longer state of pain.

Maaannn, you people and your stories- you're killin ' me here!


.... sorry, bad choice of word....:worried:

Only the top half was intact, and the rest mangled or something? Or GONE gone?

I was driving with my mom on a country road, nobody had been in sight for quite awhile, and we saw a cat that we thought was dead. but then it lifted it's head a little and was trying to look around, but the body was quite flat from being run over and obviously suffering. My mom debated on whether to leave it or put it out of its misery. She drove over it, and I still remember the crunching as she drove over it's skull a couple times. We both cried, but I think it was better than leaving it there to die in a longer state of pain.


Oh. That must've been difficult. But thats the best you could've done for the cat.

You put the comfort of the squirrel above your personal emotions and did the right thing.

I hope you didn't let the earlier "proper euthanization" comment bother you. An immediate end to the squirrel's agony was a far better choice than prolonging and probably increasing its pain simply so that you could put the unpleasant task on someone else.

I learned over the course of the week that the reason we are always seeing squirrels, birds and other animals in the road or near the road is because they are cleaning up our trash by eating it. People throw out food scraps thinking probably that it will rot and not be a big deal. They fale to realize that animals scour the sides of the road looking for food. Then they get hit by cars.

I learned this at a bird sanctuary (for mainly car injured birds)

B

Given my screenname, I must comment on this post. I would have such a terrible time in your situation. It must be so terrible to deal directly with death in that way. I don't know what I would have done since I would probably just panic and freak out in general. I'm sure you did the right thing though.

For all those out there though, be sure to always brake for squirrels!! And chipmunks and ducks and geese and turtles and frogs too of course.