DIY of sorts: roadside animal euthanasia

[Jimk]

Care to join him?

[Jimk]

It'll be in a freezer by now.

[bill.shitner]

Encountered a badly injured deer (Muntjack, or perhaps a young regular one) by the side of the road this evening. There was a car already pulled up by it and the critter looked in a bad way (lots of blood around hindquarters, including via back passage, bone visible, skin loss etc.). I was on the opposite side of the road, but did a U turn, to head back to appraise and if necessary, offer to finish it off. I cant bear to see a badly injured animal suffer a prolonged death.

By the time I got back to the scene, a couple of 20-odd year old lads had stopped, with one cradling/stroking the twitching critter. The chap whose car had hit it was also there, at a bit of a distance.

I offered my view that the animal was surely done for and suffering badly, so the best thing would be to finish it off with a wrench or tyre iron. Young fellas did not like that idea and implied that I would be subject to some aggro if I attempted such. I'm not shy to get stuck in when circumstances require it, but I didn't think that hastening the inevitable demise of a deer warranted it (wife in car, also, being an additional incentive to not start aggro).

In the end, after explaining that the animal was clearly done for and that it should be put out of its misery (to which the reply was (broad Yorkshire) "'ow would you know?",I drove off.

Feeling a little guilty, now, leaving a dying critter twitching in pain. What would others here have done?

The bloke who hit the thing was in agreement that it should be finished off.

Bill.

[polygonum_on_google]

Many, many years ago I hit a deer - despite going slowly enough to have missed others. I stopped, got out and amazingly enough the local "gamekeeper" chap responsible for them was yards away. He came, checked, decided it was hopeless, and very gently cut an artery its neck. In very little time it just stopped living. He had the sharp knife, knew where to cut, and wanted to avoid suffering.

[T i m]

If you (one) have sufficient knowledge to accurately ascertain the likelihood of such an animal either surviving if left (highly unlikely in this case from the sound of it) or not suffering more by being treated, even if it survived ... and if you have sufficient skills to dispatch the animal humanely ... and you are allowed to make such a decision (protected species / livestock / pet etc) then you probably should.

The fact that many couldn't, even though the chances are they are meat eaters is part of the disconnection I would like to see re-connected.

The same people cradling a dying injured animal are then happily having perfectly healthy (if you are lucky) young animals slaughtered by the million every year and not batting an eyelid over it.

It's the same disconnection people apply when they 'throw something away' when they neither know nor care where that place is or drink that lactate of a different species, long after they have themselves weaned?

Cheers, T i m

[tony sayer]

In article [e-mail], [e-mail] scribeth thus

FWIW I was once told by a serving RSPCA inspector that its very rarely a wild animal such as that will survive, they it seems don't run them to the vets mind you this was a while ago now.

Told me that they kept a humane killer in a locked box in the van for such occasions. Sounds like this one was too far gone from what you described, poor thing!

[Brian Gaff (Sofa)]

Its a difficult one as its not so much a problem with you or anyone else finishing it off its a problem of other members of the public. While they were all doing the sympathy thing they could have rung rspca or something like that and asked for guidance. Brian

[newshound]

Many, many years ago my wife was in charge of a riding stables when a horse was hit by a car and more or less had one leg ripped off. In those days they kept a captive bolt pistol and she was able to dispatch it quickly. She was also once flown to Dublin nailed inside a crate with a race-horse, also with a gun for company.

[Andrew]

As tends to happen here in southern england. Waste not, want not.

[Andrew]

Simply dialling 999 and telling plod what had happened was all that was needed. All forces now have Armed response units permanently available, and in London and other places they are on the road at all times.

[Jethro_uk]

Just having a gun doesn't seem enough.

Are police officers trained in humane despatch ?

[Brian Reay]

Oh dear.

The OP showed far more compassion for the welfare of the injured animal than those who use leads which administer electric shocks to dogs.

BTW, are you still eating plants and fruit etc? You do know that kills a living thing, don?t you?

[Brian Reay]

Calling the police / RSPCA is probably the most sensible solution, unless you have the expertise etc. The worst outcome would be inflicting more suffering on the poor thing- even by well meant actions.

[Andrew]

They are quick on the draw when frisky bullocks and heifers escape onto the highways.

[T i m]

<snip>

Why don't you go back to goading people on the ukra group Brian, you might get better results with your trolling there?

Cheers, T i m

[Jethro_uk]

Hmmm

unless there is a very real and present danger (to sound USian about it) to life and limb, a lethal shot seems (literally) overkill.

And that still doesn't answer my original question as to whether the police are *trained* in animal despatch. A task which I am going to hazard a guess (from seeing an elephants skull) might be trickier than it sounds. Unless you are using an RPG and don't care about it raining beef.

[Dave Liquorice]

Or contact the local vet.

Yeah, I don't mind dispatching rabbits but a deer is a much bigger animal, even a muntjac. I doubt that a normal wheel brace is big or heavy enough for the purpose. A bolt gun makes a big hole and mess, instantly...

[Jake56]

That?s bullshit with the jack and a sharp knife.

You don?t need a decent knife to bleed a deer, just a sharp one.

[Jake56]

Its going to be a lot better than a member of the general public bashing its head with the jack.

[Jake56]

But is a lot easier to do than trying to round one of those up.

Don?t need to be when they are *trained* to kill people.

A task which I am going to

There arent a lot of elephants roaming the UK tho.

Its much easier to kill a deer that is lying on the ground.

The weapons that the armed response units have will kill a deer that is lying on the ground fine, with a head shot.