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I don't think society makes people have compassion for all life..an admirable quality in my mind.
It's not compassion we are talking about here. It is an imbalance thought driven by norms in this overboard society against what must be done. People now keep animals locked in cages for months because they don't want to put them down...as if the little cage is humane, when it isn't. To have compassion for wildlife is not the same as feeling like a "bad" person when one has to protect their family or land.
One can still have compassion for destructive wildlife and humanely kill it when one knows it must be killed. Killing in this type of situation should not make anyone "feel" like a "bad" person.
Actually I feel like a bad person for having to drown the animal. I have several pretty humane methods of dealing with these problems, but when I actually needed to do an unpleasant task I didn't have the right tools for the job at hand. I was left in a situation where I had to perform what I view as the most inhumane method of dispatch that there is. I understand the need to protect hearth and home, and I certainly was not going to allow a so obviously sick animal run around my yard, but I wish I didn't have to drown it. And I really wish I didn't have to do it in front of my daughter.
When I was a kid my grandparents had a farm and lived in a farming community. I remember hearing some of their neighbors gleefully talking about rounding up all the new kittens that the barn cats had each spring, stuffing them in a burlap sack and tossing them in the pond to drown them. When I heard this I was horrified that someone would do something so cruel. I thought these neighbors were the worst people in the world. My opinions and values have shifted a bit over the years, but I still think that drowning is a rotten way to dispatch an animal. It may be necessary in a city neighborhood where guns are not feasible or accessible, but I still don't like it and don't choose to do it if given a choice.
My daughter learned an important lesson that is going to stay with her for a long time. She reacted exactly as she should have, and I am so proud of her for being so tough at such a young age. She completely understood the need for dealing with the squirrel the way we did. I am going to continue the discussion tonight when she gets home from school.
As far as the squirrel goes- this was a young animal with a very healthy appearance. No missing hair, sleek and fat, clear eyes, no obvious wounds. Just staggering and reeling around in circles. Fish and Game thought it may have acquired a head injury because of the spinning around in circles thing it was doing- hit by a car or fell out of a tree and landed on its head. I am going to talk to my neighbors tonight to find out if anyone is using any poisons. I recall hearing some neighbors complaining about squirrels being in their attic, so I will be talking to them first.
Thanks for the support everyone. I know it had to be done, but I just wish it could have been done better.
