Conference misery::feline_v1

    I'm glad to know someone else gets emotional when he/she sees an
    animal in the road.  I usually see them on the highway so I don't
    stop, but I do try to avoid running over them again.  When I was
    driving down an exit ramp once I swerved to miss a dead animal on
    the road but my depth perception was off and I proceeded to feel
    the bump when I ran over it.  I was choked up for days and still
    cringe when I remember it.

    Why don't people go back and put them on the side of the road? 
    I would assume because they were going fast in the first place and
    didn't even realize it.  Or if they did realize it, they don't want
    to go back and see the gore they have caused.
    
    

      I had the unfortunate experience of seeing a squirrel get hit
    by a car coming in the opposite direction. I stopped and it was
    alive but in shock. I moved him to the side of the road, rushed
    to work ( < 3 mins away) and called the local animal officer. They
    said there was nothing they could do. However, they said that if
    I brought the injured animal to an animal emergency room, they would
    prbably help. So I found out where the local one was and went back.
    Unhappily, the squirrel had died but I did learn a lesson about
    what each of us CAN do.
      Learn where the animal hospitals are near where you work and where
    you live. Call them and ask whether they would help if someone brought
    an injured animal in (and what they might charge). And lastly, carry
    an old blanket in your car. If an animal is injured, it may be in
    shock and what it needs immediately is warmth. Also, you shouldn't
    get in too much contact with unfamiliar, possibly diseased animals.
      Now next time you CAN make a difference. You'll be prepared and
    there's nothing like saving a life.

    I hate depressing cat stories.  Especially when I have one too.
    You're not crazy, you just care.  I actually saw a cat get run over.
    The cat ran across the road right into the back wheels of the car
    ahead of me.  I can't blame the person in the car.  They probably
    didn't even know what they hit.  Well, I stopped to see how the
    cat was.  I didn't have anything to pick him up with.  Luckily a
    guy stopped to help me.  He had a box to put him in.  I brought
    the cat an animal hospital I knew was up the street.  Unfortunately,
    it was to late.  When I told the receptionist were the cat was hit
    she said she thought it might belong to a lady that worked there
    that lived across the street from where it happened.  
    
    I'm glad I did take the cat to the hospital.  If it were my cat
    I would have died seeing it lying on the side of the road across
    from my house.
    
    Everytime I see a dead animal on the side of the road now I remember
    that day.
    
    I'm glad to now that there are other people out there that care.
    
    All choked up,
    Kathy
    
    

    It bothers the hell out of me, too.  But here's a story that might
    make you both feel better:
    
    My fiance and I were driving to work one day, and happened to see
    a cat get hit by a truck.  It must have been a glancing blow;  she
    literally flew into the grassy shoulder of the road, and then rolled
    to a stop by a fence.  Knowing what a softie I am on cats, he pulled
    over.  When we got to the cat, she was sitting up and looking pretty
    dazed.  She had some small surface cuts and scratches, but nothing
    serious.  I carefully felt down her back and legs and underneath
    to see if there were bones broken, but she seemed ok.  Obviously
    she was in shock, tho.  So we got a blanket from the back of the
    car, and I wrapped her up in it, and we took her to the police station
    (stupid, I know, but fairly close by).  As I held her on my lap,
    she was breathing shallowly, but otherwise seemed fine.  Of course,
    the police wanted nothing to do with it, but did recommend a nearby
    vet who took "charity cases".  When we got there, the office was
    closed.
    
    Around about this time, the cat was "coming to", and began getting
    up on my lap, and looking around with a "Wha' happened?" look on
    her face.  As we drove back home from the vet's, she suddenly burst
    out of the blanket, and dove right under my fiance's feet as he
    drove.  When I grabbed her to get her back in my lap, she felt like
    "Rambo Cat", and completely healthy!
    
    We took her to a safe side street near where she originally came out
    of (think she belonged to someone--she had a collar on, but no ID),
    told her to look both ways next time.  She trotted off like nothing
    at all had happened!  Guess she had only been stunned.
    
    Three weeks later, I watched the same cat happily chasing squirrels
    a few houses down.  This cat was lucky;  but I've always been so
    glad that we stopped for her.
    
    Jane 

    Our first cat (Hobie), got out one night and sadly, was hit and
    killed.  A woman jogging the next morning found him, moved him to
    the side of the road under a tree, removed his collar and called
    us.  I will be forever grateful to her for her kindness.
    
    Lynne

         I knew down deep I wasn't alone but now I know for sure.
    I guess I just feel helpless now because unlike the luck of having
    a collar on this one didn't.  That was one of my main reasons for
    going to move here.  I didn't relish the thought of calling someone
    to tell them about their pet but I figured if they were like me
    they'd have peace of mind knowing and most importantly would want
    to take their pet to bury themselves. Now I guess it's just feeling
    helpless that no one knows what happened to her and the longer she
    stays where we put her I don't know what condition she'll be in
    if I ever get in touch with the owners somehow......  But thanks
    for all the advice and tonight we'll be finding an old blanket for
    any other dilemma that I find necessary to get involved in.  Hopefully
    not too soon, just can't take too much of that stuff.  All I know
    is I went home and I gave my two "little girls" PLENTY of love,
    and Malcolm and Angus gave it right back knowing that their Mama
    was very upset and shaken up.  And I wouldn't be surprised if they
    somehow knew what the problem was........   

    Please don't flame me for this, I really felt I had done the right
    thing...
    
    When I was younger, I took up hunting for one season. One day whilst
    in the woods my partner and I came across a dog that had apparently
    been the victim of some sick minds using it for target practice.
    Though still alive, it was obviuos the pooch was in rough shape.
    I debated. Then I put it out of it's misery. Then I vomited...
    
    I also had the unfortunate experience of hitting a dog with my car.
    (Yes, I know this is FELINE::, but I'm sure you all see the
    connection.) Anyway, rather than leave the dog on the side of the
    road (Some little girl saw the whole thing and was crying her eyes
    out. Not that a witness made any difference to me...) I picked
    the dog up and brought it to the closest vet I could find. Later
    I went back to the area, located the owners, and told them where
    I brought the little beagle....
    
    They asked me for the money!!!!
    
    Edd

    Edd--
    
    I always wondered what I would do if I ever found myself in a similar
    position.  I don't think you really can predict what you'll do until
    you have to go thru it.  I hope I would have the courage to do the
    right thing.  It sounds like you did.
    
    I don't think you deserve flames for this.  It's a tough situation.
    
    ..just out of curiosity, what did the "beagle family" what money
    FOR?  The dog?  The vet??
    
    Jane

    The vet's bill!!!!
    
    ... makes you wonder if doing the right thing is worth it. (It is.)
    
    I refused. Compassion only goes so far....
    
    Edd

    The only time I've found an animal who had been hit by a car and
    was alive, it was a raccoon.  It seemed like it might have dislocated
    its hips, as it was sitting upright in the middle of the highway
    but seemed unable to move the lower part of its body.  I went and
    picked it up (I know you can get bitten this way, but it only snapped
    once in my general direction as I picked it up;  I talked to it
    and it seemed to understand that I didn't mean to hurt it).  Apparently
    as I was carrying it back to my car, the hips snapped back into
    place.  I was holding it by the upper part of its body (raccoons
    weigh a ton) and I guess the weight helped things get back together.
    I put it down so that I could open the car door, and it scooted
    under the car, thru a ditch and off into the woods.  So, I think
    it was probably okay.
    
    Where I live now, the local town animal services will pick up animals
    that have been injured, whether they are alive or not.  They keep
    a list and description of the dead animals found, for people who
    have lost their pets to look thru.
    

    reply to 10
    
    BINGO!!!!! That would be the best thing I could do if this town
    has that type of service.  What town are you in?  This is Salem
    N.H. right near the NIO plant.  If anyone from that area can help
    me out with a phone number to call or even if someone lives in this
    general vicinity and knows of someone that lost a pet.....  I'll
    see on my own if I can find any phone numbers to call.  I would
    love to resolve this somehow as we take the same route back and
    forth from work and it's quite unsettling to pass that spot where
    I know she/he still is......  
    
    P.S.  And Edd-  NO FLAMES FOR YOU....  As they say "You done good"

    Sometimes it's apparent that an animal is dead, sometimes it isn't
    apparent.  I once saw an animal control officer with an (o?)possum
    that had been hit by a car.  I was certain that the animal was dead
    -- it was completely still, not blinking its eyelids, etc.  The
    aco said no -- it was in deep shock.
    

        Just for everyone's info I called the Animal Officer's # and
    gave her the street name.  She told me that he does go around and
    pick up the animals and that people do call to see if he has their
    animal.....  She was laughing while I was giving her the info but
    it must have been a good joke in the office (hhhhmmmmpppphhh!)
    Oh well that's done .  Thanks to everyone for all the excellent
    advice and support.  

I like the idea of a town service to locate pets/animals that have been
killed and found on the road.  I can't help but wonder if that is what 
happened to one of my cats 1 year and 3 months ago ( I still get teary eyed ).

I have also had an experience simular to reply .4.  When I was in Maynard one
day at DEC, (I work in Hudson NH, but get there from time to time) and was
going back to NH via Stow Mass.  From out of nowhere a black and white object
was suddenly in front of my tires!  I had always wondered, being a cat mommy
myself, what how I would REALLY react if I DID (god forbid) hit an animal.
I found out.  It was a cat, a beautifull long hair (in need of brushing though)
black and white, big cat.   And quite scared!  I had pulled over, though not
much room on the road, and went to her.  There was a little blood from her 
nose and she was panting.  She didn't move.  I wrapped her gently in my coat
(the cat to me was more important that the coat, washable too.) then proceeded
to see if any owner or help was readily available.  I didn't know the area!
The first house where I saw people, there were some men building an addition
to a house.  The woman I met there was very helpful, another cat lover.
She knew the owners of the cat.  The owners apparently have several "barn"
cats, that were left unkept and let roam.  
She drove us to a vet in Stow.  By this time the cat was becoming more active,
but for my own peace of mind I wanted to checked over anyway.  They gave her
a shot of an antibiotic and a clean bill of health.  It cost me $26.
When we returned to the street, the three of us went over to the neighbors
home.  A fairly young woman answered the door.  She couldn't say 100% that
the cat was one of theirs.  I told her that the vet asked that the cat be
watched and kept quiet over night, by itself.  She took the cat and "sort of"
agreed.  The whole time she seemed to be saying to herself, "who is this
crazy woman?" "You mean you actually STOPPED when you hit a cat?" " and took it
to a VET?".  The woman who had helped me with the cat didn't seem to think
too much of these people either.  I will always appreciate her help! (both
her and her husband used to work for DEC also)
Though I never found out what happened to the cat, and never got my $26 back
(my name # and address were on the receipt I gave them), I WOULD do it again.
Its a shame that some people really don't care about their pets, I didn't do
it for them.  I did it for the cat and the owners who DO care about their pets.

-kathi

    I stopped one day last summer, because a dog I had seen sitting
    on someones porch the day before was laying with her head in traffic.
    Her body was on the side of the road, but just the way she was laying
    I knew she had been hit.  I stopped the car a few feet away, and
    went up to the door.  When the woman of the house answered the door,
    I told her I had some unpleasant news, that he dog was lying in
    the road and it looked like she was dead.
    
    With that the woman started to laugh.  I figured it was a nervous
    reaction, until I turned to walk away and the dog picked her head
    up and looked at me.  It seems this is where the dog likes to sleep,
    and they have never been able to break her of the habit.
    
    It made me feel better to know she was OK, but at the same time,
    I felt it wouldn't be too long before she really was dead.  This
    is a year and a half later, and she is still sleeping with her head
    in the road.