I was in the park this afternoon when one of my dogs came up to me with a dead rabbit in her mouth.
I took it from her and then realised it wasn't dead at all! It obviously had myxomatosis as it's eyes and genitals were all swollen and it could not walk (my dog had help it very gently and not injured it in any way).
I screamed when I realised it was alive and then panic set in. What was I going to do with it? If I left it it would have suffer pain and fear for god knows how long. If I took it the surgery to be put to sleep it would be terrified - the walk back to the car alone would have taken an hour.
My fella was with me. He grew up on a farm and obviously knows how to kill things. He is now well and truely a towny and this sort of thing has no place in his life - but I asked him to put the poor little thing out of it's misery. Which he did. I didn't watch but it was dead in a second. I am so grateful to him for doing this as the alternatives were unbearable for the rabbit.
I'm ashamed to say that I wouldn't have been able to do it myself (even though I assist with euthanasia every day at work) this was too personal, too physical and my cowardice would have resulted in further suffering.
I took it from her and then realised it wasn't dead at all! It obviously had myxomatosis as it's eyes and genitals were all swollen and it could not walk (my dog had help it very gently and not injured it in any way).
I screamed when I realised it was alive and then panic set in. What was I going to do with it? If I left it it would have suffer pain and fear for god knows how long. If I took it the surgery to be put to sleep it would be terrified - the walk back to the car alone would have taken an hour.
My fella was with me. He grew up on a farm and obviously knows how to kill things. He is now well and truely a towny and this sort of thing has no place in his life - but I asked him to put the poor little thing out of it's misery. Which he did. I didn't watch but it was dead in a second. I am so grateful to him for doing this as the alternatives were unbearable for the rabbit.
I'm ashamed to say that I wouldn't have been able to do it myself (even though I assist with euthanasia every day at work) this was too personal, too physical and my cowardice would have resulted in further suffering.
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