So what do you do if you hit an animal?

[LittleChickenLady]

This got brought up at work a while ago and I'm curious to see what you guys do.

If you're driving and hit an animal and it doesn't die, what do you do?
Do you just keep driving, go back to "finish it off", or try to save it from dying?

 

[Avalon1984]

I'd likely put it down myself. Always have a sharp knife in my cute pink work bag. If I can't handle it, I'd call the cops.

 

[GoldDogsMom]

As I don't carry anything that would "do the job" probably have to call the DH. Along those lines...why do I feel compelled to move dead cats off the road invisioning the owner finding their squashed cat being worse than just finding it dead...haven't done it yet but...have a hard time driving by...

I am editing this to say...these aren't cats I have hit...if I hit an animal I would be devastated!

 

[conny63malies]

the only thing i ever hit was a mouse. After running it over there was no need to put it down.but i would either put it down on the spot or move it to the side if possible and call police.

 

[gritsar]

Cry for a freakin month. I get upset when I hit a butterfly, especially a monarch.

I haven't hit an animal *knock on wood* but if I did I would stop and depending on what type of animal would do my best to determine if a) it could be saved or should be put out of its misery and b) contact its owner; in the case of a domesticated animal.

 

[cupman]

it depends on the animal. sometimes cats will get injured and run off and find a quiet place to die, and it's nearly impossible to find them. with dogs it's another story. If it wasn't my own dog I would not put it out of it's misery even if the outlook was grim, I'd probably take it to the pet emergency hospital.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

I hit a dog once. I cried and cried. He didn't live. I moved him out of the road and cried for days.

 

[Orchid]

It should be kept in mind that some animals will bite when in pain, so you should always approach an injured animal with extreme caution. Rushing in to save Fluffy from down the street might be heroic and all but not if you end up in the ER yourself.

 

[terrilhb]

Quote:
That would be me too. I would be devastated.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

My husband and I were recently driving home when a car in front slammed on its breaks. A cat ran off to the side and all seemed well. Then he said, "oh god, there's a cat dying in the street". I didn't see it (night time), but there was a woman on her bike who had stopped and was desperately trying to wave cars down. Between being a visual person and having a stark image of a cat convulsing pop up, losing two cats to cars due to someone letting them outside (on purpose), and the look on that woman's face...I started bawling. Handed my husband the phone, and he understood what I meant. He ran and helped calm down the biker. From what he said later, the cat appeared unconscious but convulsing. He held it and stroked it until the heartbeat slowed, then stopped. He said it didn't have a collar, and he couldn't get ahold of animal control or anyone similar for the body. I think the biker was honestly just glad someone stopped. She looked absolutely miserable. We both thought about snapping the neck, but having never tried it before, a large animal wasn't a good place to start. Not sure what the police would think if we started carrying around a lethal injection dose in the trunk.