Need roadkill advice

Sorry for bringing it up again. I've just seen Becky Bunnies thread and am reminded again of my ongoing worry about roadkill. And since I found that dying pigeon the other day and was rushing it from vet to vet (the first one was closed,) I just need to know how to deal with these scenarios better.

I want first and foremost to put animals out of their suffering, if they are suffering beyond repair, then I'm prepared to put their suffering before my feelings and help them to the bridge so that they don't suffer too much pain.

Has anyone actually been able to do this for a rabbit?

But what am I supposed to do if this happens? What, for example, should I have done with a dying bird who I was trying to get to the vet? Should I have put it out of its suffering?

Didnt want to read and run.
I saw a dead fox (newly dead) and a dead hedgehog yesterday.
It broke my heart as on the main roads all other drivers will just go over the poor creature.
As I saw the hedgepig in a lane, I moved him....

I think a vets for a dying creature.At least to be humane.
Sad topic.xxx

I've never had to deal with a road accident rabbit but I did find at rabbit with myxi in my garden at uni. I had no money and wasn't aware of any vet surgeries in the village I lived in (Wheatley).

This is really hard to wite and I sobbed all the way through it at the time. The RSPCA didn't want to know about it. The rabbit was lying on its side with its eyes more or less dissolved and breathing very noisily and heavily.

To put the poor thing out of its misery I found a large rock and threw it down onto the rabbits head which killed it instantly by destroying the brain (and yes I did check and make sure which was horrible). You would need to make sure you found as heavy an object as you could lift though but if you thought you might muck it up I'd just go to a vet. It sadly wasn't an option for me at the time as I had no car and even then I doubt the rabbit would have survived the journey.

I dont think I would be able to run it over but have many a time stopped to check animals or moved live ones (sher-pei puppys, hedgehogs, geese, chickens, kittens......:roll I once rescued a kitten that was by the side of the road next to its run-over mum and sibling I think he got hit too.... he had a broken tooth and a bit of blood but he lived and went to the cats protection sad about the mum and other baby though...

God what a heartbreaking topic

Crunchie you were very very brave indeed. I couldn't have done it.

I had a rabbit run into the side of my car when I was just a teenager driving, it was over 15yrs ago, and we lived in the middle of nowhere. I was all dressed up for a Ball! I got to my friend's in the next village and was in such a state she had to drive my car back down the road to find it. I wrapped it up and took it home where my dad pts as it had broken it's back. An advantage of having a doctor for a dad.

These days with the wildlife Act requiring vets to euthanase a wild rabbit humanely and not living somewhere so remote I would take any suffering animal directly to the nearest vet. I think this is your best option.

no i couldnt end an animal im ashamed to say.. my brother had to end a bird my moms cat had got once.. i would of got it to a vets but couldnt do the kindest act myself im a weed

My husband once ran over a squirrel but was only going 20miles and hour so on impact wasn't enough to kill it. It lay twitching in the middle of the lane. I panicked and couldnt stand the thought of it suffering so I got out the car standing on the street corner like a mental person covering my ears and made him run over it again. Was it the right thing to do? I have no idea as it ment the poor animals remains were squashed on the road I just couldnt let it be in pain any longer. I felt so bad but the relief of knowing it was out of pain made it slightly more bearable RIP little one

ETA: It was a sunday and I would have stuggled to find a vet!

I hate to even put a snail out of its misery half the time when you have half stepped on one by accident. I am a total wimp.

I know this sounds incredibly selfish but I would worry about contamination - getting diseases and stuff. This is my OCD bit.

I dont know what I would do in that situation. I see loads of dead animals on the way to work as I have to drive down some roads through the countryside but they are such busy and fast roads it would be impossible to stop and as I say they are already dead when I see them, except for one time when there was this little baby wild rabbit caught frightened to death next to the curb but it was on a blind bend and nothing I could do. I saw it run in to the middle of the road and it didnt get hit so I hope it managed to run off and be ok. Probably died of shock after. I dont get why the wild rabbits eat the grass so perilously close to the road.

As a wildlife rescue centre we are faced with this issue all the time and it is awful. We have to help animals to the bridge and it never gets any easier for me. I hate it so much and get upset by it. I never thought I would be strong enough to 'kill' an animal but often it is the kindest thing to do. My partner has been taught how to humanely kill birds and I can only tell you that it is a very quick twist and pull action on the neck that eases the suffering almost instantly. I still can't do it tho It is far, far quicker than injecting an animal. For mammals though the only real option is injecting or gassing down but if a vet is miles away then I think you have to do what feels appropriate and what you fell you are upto doing emotionally. I know in Sweden hedgehog rehabilitators have to be able to euthanase hedgehogs with an axe but I guess although gruesome it is instant and eases suffering.

If you can't help an animal to the bridge then I would suggest keeping it in the dark which will destress it and getting it to Vets Now (or emergency vet). They should euthanase an animal for free if it is wildlife.

It is a decision that we never, ever take lightly tho and if there is any chance of returning an animal to the wild or having a life then we will give it a go. Sometimes with tlc animals have a way of coming through horrific injuries. Their resilience never fails to amaze me sometimes.

Thank you for all your replies.

After my situation with the pigeon last week and watching the life drain out of it while it was suffering was awful. I was driving fast trying to get it to a vet, but we just didn't get there in time.

I want to be able to put animals out of their suffering because I see a lot of roadkill and half dead roadkill where I live.

Where would be the best place to learn about this without having to "kill" something in the process?

Would you suggest I carry a brick or something in my car? I HATE thinking about it, but I hate the idea of animals suffering more.

Where would be the best place to learn about this without having to "kill" something in the process?

Would you suggest I carry a brick or something in my car? I HATE thinking about it, but I hate the idea of animals suffering more.[/QUOTE]

Sadly, we used to be drivers for a local charity and we used to take birds to an old guy who was amazing in telling us what to do with birds. When they needed euthanazing he taught Jon how to do it quickly. There are too few of these people left in the world nowadays and we are sadly loosing their wisdom. We learnt so many old fashioned things from such people that really work.

A brick would probably be useful but you must make sure you are able to do it quickly and in one attempt.

Candiflare said:

Would you suggest I carry a brick or something in my car? I HATE thinking about it, but I hate the idea of animals suffering more.

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The rock I used was bigger than a brick. Maybe about the size of two so though a brick might be handy for small animals I'd prefer to use something larger than that for a rabbit.

I hit a baby bunny once. It just seemed to appear in the middle of the road and I had my window open so heard it crunch under my wheel. I kept driving, I couldn't face the thought of stopping and finding it half crushed but still alive.

Logically though, it would have been dead - I was doing over the national speed limit oops so even if I'd just clipped it, it would have died instantly. I still feel bad about it now and that must have been five years ago.

I've also faced a myxi bunny. I was playing with a frisbee with a friend in my old garden and the frisbee landed near a sick bunny hidden in the grass. My friend was a falconer so he came over and ended it's life very quickly - it's something he'd learnt to do through his work. He didn't actually give me any warning, he just grabbed right in front of my face! :shock: I still haven't quite forgiven him for it and I'll never forget the squeal... but at the same time I'm grateful to him.

I just don't think I could do something like that though. It'd haunt me forever. I'd either have to go to a vet or put it somewhere dark to pass by itself.

techniques for swift despatch of rabbits are available online, though obviously i have no idea how effective they are.

We always carry a shovel in the back of the car and if it's possible we will remove road kill off the road to the grass verge.

Wild rabbits that have been hit by cars and are still alive we will bring home and give them pain relief and put them in an outdoor run and cover with a tarpaulin but it's very rare they survive Bless them

May I just say we don't use the shovel to kill them only to remove them off the road when dead.

happybun said:

techniques for swift despatch of rabbits are available online, though obviously i have no idea how effective they are.

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I wouldn't recommend this to anyone. Real life and online are two different things, until you have the animal in your hands you have no idea.

Done properly, necking is supposedly instantaneous and therefore pretty painless. It takes some strength and you have to learn to do it correctly though so probably not one for the purpose of this thread.

i like the shovel idea, i think its practical. except for me, as i don't have a car, and i think people would wonder, on the bus...

Try pm - ing flying solo for advice. He/She knows how to lop properly & can probably tell you where to learn.
You must be taught properly.

TBH I had big problems killing one of my sticklebacks when he was dying from a mouth infection from a fight. I know I should put a wild animal out of it's suffering. I can't do it.

we saw a bun once whilst walking my mums dog...it had myxi and was running round in circles i hate guns but if i would have had one i would have used it. we couldnt catch it and had to assume that a fox or something would get it we try to help anyone we ve seen alive but mostly its too late. both me and the oh couldnt pts ourselves..
we have all our pets cremated when they go and we have a nice relationship with the man who owns it.we were talking to him about horses and he said he has to pts them occasionally.he said that the kindest way for them is shooting as they know nothing about it and its very quick if you have been trained.he said that some people like horses to be pts like smaller animals with an over dose of anaesthetic but this is cruel to horses as you have to put in a line , wait ,sedate them, then administer the drugs..
what a sad subject

I am lucky that a vets near to us will take wildlife. I once saw a paralysed bunny in the road as it has been hit. I stopped the traffic and took it to the vets to be put to sleep.

I also know where the 24 hr vet is locally. When driving through the country lanes at night I drive at 20 miles per hour. A few weeks ago I was overtaken by a cyclist!!

Sad subject.