The animals need us...

Over the past few weeks I’ve had to contact local police to attend to two severely injured wild animals that were horrifically hit by a car.

Both unfortunately and fortunately I was able to find police immediately to get to the animals. Unfortunate for my heart and my mind as the images haunt me constantly of seeing these beautiful creatures so hurt and in so much pain before the end of their life. Fortunate because if not for passing by always watching out my window, the animal would have laid there suffering until someone else could help.

The first incident happened after dark during the week. We were almost two hours from home going to buy a kayak. Tired and feeling like this road would go on forever, I saw a huge white and grey creature writhing on the floor. Lying on his back. Legs broken. Mouth open wide. I could just hear a faint whimper as we flew by. The next exit was two miles away where we turned off and looped back to this creature. I immediately looked on the map to see what town we were driving by and contacted the local police telling them the estimated area of the hit animal. By the time we passed the animal again the police were getting in their car after taking the animals’ life. Its’ body lay motionless. A blur as we passed by with wet cheeks. I am still unsure, was it a wolf? a coyote? someone’s dog? Whatever it was, its’ final moments of life are forever sketched in my brain.

The second incident happened early one morning on our way to volunteer with rescued animals. Early and excited for the day, our hearts were torn apart as we passed a young deer, covered in blood, one eye destroyed, unable to get up, laying in the road, looking around with blood pouring out of their mouth. We pulled over immediately, did a 360 visual around it, and jumped in the car, searching for the cop car we swore we passed just a minute ago. We found him again, in his hideout. I rolled down my window and told him the situation. He immediately went and we followed, but he got out and told us to leave. He had to shoot the deer. All alone with fear and pain, the deer left this world.

I’ve seen pairs of animals fight for the survival of their partner. When I was little I once was in a car when the driver hit a raccoon. When I turned around a second raccoon was in the middle of the road staring at their now dead partner or child. Whatever the relation I witnessed the animal trying to help them and try to gather what had happened. One second the raccoon was alive and the next it was gone. Just. Like. That. And the raccoon that was alive had mere seconds to be with their now dead mate as traffic continued to follow. It was heartbreaking.

In another situation I watched as a hawk scooped down, caught a squirrel, and when it was flying away with its’ catch another squirrel on the ground chased after it and up the nearby tree. Never slowing down, never stopping until it was up the tree and the hawk was out of site. It too was heartbreaking however “natural” it may have been. I watched as a squirrel acknowledged danger and tried saving its’ mate but couldn’t.

Why am I sharing these stories?

As humans we’ve taken everything from animals. We owe it to them to pay attention when we are behind the wheel and slow down + stop when animals are in the road and crossing. If you see one deer, give the rest a minute to follow, waiting won’t hurt you. If you see an animal hesitant to cross, slow down. And of course, please don’t text and drive. Keep your eyes on the road and perhaps more lives will be saved from being roadkill. Driving by every day I see deer, squirrels, skunks, raccoons, all animals I love to see in the wild...but here they are dead in the road or left on the side like garbage. It sucks man. We can do better.

I’m also sharing this to spread the word that animals feel pain.

If we admit that they feel pain then we can say they also feel comfort, love, protection. They recognize family. They love a good scratch. Food and water. Don’t we all? In many ways, these four legged creatures we share the planet with are just like us.

As humans, the smartest and most advanced of all life here on Earth, we should be taking care of all life on this planet. Not reading about the next species of animals we have sent into extinction. Is that the type of place we want to create for our children? One with no wildlife? No animals? What would be the point? How would we describe Earth?

As individuals, we each have a voice. How will you use it each day?

Spread the word on compassion + kindness and how we can be better.