What should we do when an animal is hit?

[scotth_uk]

Hi All,

Horrible experience on the way to the airport at 5am this morning. :-( Excuse the typing and grammar - I just got off a flight to New York and drove the parkways for an hour in a LHD rental!

I was driving down the main street of Holland Park in London towards the Shepherds Bush roundabout, when we saw a white Fiat Punto stopped in the left lane. As we got closer, we noticed that he was stopped short of a what I thought was a small dog, that has just been hit. It's rear legs looked like they couldn't move, but it was trying to get up and moving around with it's front legs frantically - clearly in agony. IMHO the Punto driver looked like he'd just hit it and it had flung the animal forward.

I went around them and stopped a few car lengths ahead. When I looked in my rear view, the Punto was taking off, so I moved the reversed back to block his path - at the time, thinking he was a barbarian for not helping or even making a phone call to the relevant authorities.

I got out of my car and went up to his window, still not realising that it was a fox. He looked *VERY* concerned that a large, angry man was coming at him with some pace. He opened his window and claimed that he hadn't done it (yeah, right) and that it was a dangerous animal.

I was pretty shaky, with this little animal in agony just nearby. I gave him a hard time about his ability to "not care", asking him to call the RSPCA - he basically said he didn't have a phone and stopped talking back to me, so I let him go as a lost cause.

I don't know much about animals, but no animal should suffer like this, so I felt bound to help. Imagine my upset when I was walking back to help the animal when a black cab driver intentionally ran over the animal. Sadly, I saw it all and I can tell you that it was one of the saddest things I have had to endure in recent years.

I have been quite sad about this all day - so I thought I'd ask the group what you may have done in the same situation. Driven on? Called the RSPCA? Would you even notice it? Are there laws about this? Is a fox treated differently to a dog? Reported the cab driver?

[My wife is a real mess, as she's loves all animals dearly. Luckily she didn't see the taxi, and I am not going to tell her. :-( She wil get nightmares about this for some time to come.]

 

[ADY1983]

Hi, Really sorry to hear that mate this is very upsetting... my wife and me both love Animals too, but we kind of live near the country and see alot of foxes and badges on the side of the road. I dont think you have too stop, only for dogs and deer, I stand too be corrected!? Although I have never seen someone intentionally run one over... I suppose atleast the fox didn't suffer anymore.

 

[Dieselman]

Ditto.

You only have to stop for a dog as it's a licenced animal. AFAIK all other small animal deaths are not recordered and you don't have to stop.
Larger animals are different, a cow will write your car off!

 

[219]

Sorry to hear of your unpleasant expereience .

There is a list of certain animals you must report to Police if you hit - from memory - Horse , Cow , Sheep , Dog - there may be others . I seem to remember cats are not included .

I'd most likely have been of the same mind as the Taxi driver and put the animal out of its misery - plenty of people , especially those of us who live in the country , regard foxes as vermin .

Harder to call if it had been a domestic pet ... remember you will have to pick up the , not inconsiderable , vet bills - even if it was not you who struck it . If you are happy to be upwards of £100 out of pocket for an animal you find at the roadside , which may be beyond help anyway , not to mention getting the inside of your car covered in blood or the danger of being bitten by the terrified animal then needing medical treatment yourself - that's your choice . I can understand why a lot of people would finish it off or else just drive on by .

In some other countries , certainly Sweden , you have a legal requirement to kill an animal you seriously injure with your car .

 

[glojo]

Why is it that big blokes make the biggest softies?

What would I have done??

I am EXACTLY like you, I hate seeing any animal suffer, and I am simply trying to put myself in your size shoes.

Any animal in distress will usually attack anyone that tries to touch\examine it. The only way you can attempt to move it is to put a large cloth, jacket, blanket over it in an attempt to stop it from biting, scratching kicking etc. I cannot speak for every area, but vets down here will NOT charge you for taking a wild animal to them (folks sometimes offer to pay), however they tend not to spend to much time treating them. Most towns\cities have wildlife rescue centres which will will usually turn out and they sometimes foot veterinary bills, the Police, vets etc will usually have the relevant number. I am no fan of the RSPCA, but they MIGHT turn out!!

I'm not sure about dogs being 'licensed' animals?? Dog licenses are surely part of our history?

Foxes are vermin, but so what?

The taxi driver put the fox out of its misery, and that may well have been the kindest thing to do?? I simply could not, would not do it.

Actually seeing\hearing this animal being run over will not have been a pleasant experience, but hopefully time will push it to the rear of your memory banks and it will cease to be so traumatic. What you have to tell yourself is the fox would not have suffered any further pain, any option you would have tried would have put it through far more trauma!

Best wishes,
John the softie

 

[scotth_uk]

Thanks all for the comments.

In hindsight, all that I would have been able to do was call an agency in the hope that they would attend. I would have happily paid a little to see it either sorted or perhaps put down appropriately.

I wish I had blinked when the taxi hit it. :-(

 

[Rose Chap]

The taxi driver did the right thing, foxes are vermin (like rats and pigeons) and although no animal should ever be left in pain, there is almost certainly very little a vet could have done, as most road accidents like this break the spine of the beast. Had you taken it to a vets they probably would have put it down.

My better half is a vet so I have experience in this.

Well done for doing your best Scotth, hope you feel better soon.

 

[Shude]

In hindsight, all that I would have been able to do was call an agency in the hope that they would attend. I would have happily paid a little to see it either sorted or perhaps put down appropriately.

I wish I had blinked when the taxi hit it. :-(

Foxes are vermin and as such would likely be put down rather than anything else. I know it's awful but the taxi driver probably did it a favour as you say.
Having it put down by a vet would have cost you up to £100, if the price of putting a cat down is anything to go by.

 

[glojo]

Had you taken it to a vets they probably would have put it down.

My better half is a vet so I have experience in this.

Well done for doing your best Scotth, hope you feel better soon.

Hi Rose Chap,
Without being specific.. In your experience would a vet charge to put this type of animal to sleep? My daughter is doing her work experience at a very large practice and we get daily updates of a hedgehog, a sea gull and other wild birds, plus one very small deer that she looks after, all of which were bought in by members of the public. Not one of them was charged!!! The vets have told her that any very seriously injured wild animals are humanely put down, otherwise they will do what they can.

Vets are a business, it seems terrible to pay to have a pet put out of its misery, but we are simply paying a professional person for their services.

Totally agree about most being 'bumped off' although Janner may well recall the Plymouth vet who was on local TV having treated a very badly injured fox. This animal took so long to recover, it became domesticated!!

John

 

[996jimbo]

Having it put down by a vet would have cost you up to £100, if the price of putting a cat down is anything to go by.

Vets have a duty to treat wild animals foc. I have discussed this several times with the RSPCA having come across a numer of injured animals; I always ring the RSPCA if I find any injured animals.

The vet would probably have just put the fox down though - there's not much point in trying too hard for a badly injured wild animal as it's chances of returning to the wild will be slim. I would guess the reaction could be difficult if a rescue centre were involved though.

By the sound of it the taxi driver did the humane (but unpleasant to witness) thing. Perhaps you should have a visit to a rescue centre in the near future to build your spirits back up?

 

[Rose Chap]

John, I think all vets are under obligation, a bit like a hippocratic oath for vets, to render aid to any animal injured or in distress, and that extends to veterinary surgeries doing a reasonable amount to help wild animals, and like you say they aren't necessarily charged.

I'll check with Rose Chap-ette and get this clarified though to see if its a legal thing or an ethical thing.

 

[Satch]

We have a lot of foxes around and whilst in urban environments they can be vermin I really like them.

If anyone comes across a fox in distress or otherwis ehas a fox problem give these people a call:

http://www.nfws.org.uk/

 

[glojo]

We have a lot of foxes around and whilst in urban environments they can be vermin I really like them.

If anyone comes across a fox in distress or otherwis ehas a fox problem give these people a call:

http://www.nfws.org.uk/

I have some really beautiful video footage of fox cubs playing in my back garden and feel priviledged to have witnessed this. I love my wildlife and feel that sometimes we loose sight of the fact that we are perhaps the vermin!! (boy I hate magpies )

Foxes are vermin, we come from a small village where my father-in-law lost an entire stock of chickens when they were simply killed by a fox, so I realise as much as anyone that these critta's are a pest!!

Who mentioned fox hunting???

Regards,
John the stirrer

 

[Howard]

There is a charity not too far from us here, that covers Surrey and Sussex, in fact most of SE England. .....

They have a programme on early in the morning ( 5.30am CH4 ), and while it is so saccharine sweet it's almost untrue , i believe that they do good work. They will attend more or less any animal in distress and deal with it appropriately, usually taking it back to their facility and nursing it back to health....

I have experience with them with regards to a Canada Goose i found last year that was obviously ill ( the RSPCA wouldn't attend and the Swan Sanctuary wouldn't either ) ..... They were on scene within 1/2 hour , and we caught it and took it away and treated it, they were then kind enough to give me a follow up call to advise me of the outcome !! (It could never fly again, so they released it onto a private lake that they have access to , so it could live in peace) .....

They ask for no fees, but make some of their costs through their emergency line which is an 0906 number , but i believe that the couple of minutes it takes at 50p a minute is well worth it .....

You can get them at www.wildlifeaid.org.uk or 09061 800 132 ....

It's useful to keep this number handy in your car for just such a situation ....

 

[glojo]

( the RSPCA wouldn't attend and the Swan Sanctuary wouldn't either ) .

Hi Howard,
I'm glad it is not just me that has had these experiences with the RSPCA.

If you had said the local TV were filming the goose, plus the radio and press were present, you then might have got a different response!!

Regards,
John

 

[996jimbo]

Just been on to Howards Wildlife Aid website and signed up for a hedgehog!

 

[Howard]

LOL !! Good for you ...

Nothing to do with me i'm afraid ..... we were sent a letter to the lock informing us about the charity , as we have contact with quite a lot of wildlife.....

The 'owner' of the place is called Simon Cowell ..... not the Simon Cowell I hasten to add ...

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Scott - I'm really sorry to hear this story, but well done to you for doing the right thing.

I can imagine how touching it must have been. A few years ago, early one evening I was following a car that passed over a rabbit. It was dead centre so wheels were nowhere near but as the car passed it did bounce between the car and the ground. It was safe for me to do an emergency stop so I did.

It was still alive and had a cut on it's nose but appeared to be in shock. I called the RSPCA and sat with the rabbit on my knee doing my best to comfort it until someone came to pick it up. They finally came at about 02:30 in the morning - they supposedly came out quick as it was involved in an accident. Unfortunately the chap who came for it litterally dropped it in a box, awful treatment.

I called, twice a day for two days to see if he was OK and offerred to restore it to the place it had the accident once recovered. On the third day I was told it had escaped - even now I wonder whether they just put it to sleep as it was a wild animal. I would have preferred to be told the truth.

I don't think there was any more you could do, short of call the RSPCA but even then it would probably have taken to long. As distressing it was for you and the others involved, what the taxi driver did was probably in the foxes best interest. Ultimately which is the best, cut short the pain in a relatively inhumane way, or extend the pain until it can be done with an injection?

Easy to say, difficult to do, but try not to let it stay at the back of your mind, as it seems you did the very best you could.

There is a list of certain animals you must report to Police if you hit - from memory - Horse , Cow , Sheep , Dog - there may be others . I seem to remember cats are not included .

My dad taught me things as a toddler that have stayed with me, and which were pretty much irrelevant to a child have come in handy through the years. Things like which crimes are still punishable by hanging? What is the squence of the traffic lights? And which animals must be reported if involved in a traffic accident...

...horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog - if I remember right. May have changed since though.

 

[Shude]

...horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog - if I remember right. May have changed since though.

According to the highway code you should "stop" if you hit one of those animals, I don't think it specifically states anything additional. You won't have any choice if you hit a big animal as I have seen a 5-series hit a cow at about 70mph and let me tell you the cow looked bad but the car looked worse.

If you hit a farm animal the farmer will have insurance to cover the animal and also your car, always report it.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

According to the highway code you should "stop" if you hit one of those animals

I tried to check the Highway Code website before posting, but couldn't find anything - not even the keyword search it alludes to on the home page!