On World Animal Day (4th October), I'd like to ask whether you've ever done anything to directly help an animal in need.
When I was 17, my family took in an abandoned starving cat. My dad had been teaching me to drive in the countryside, when I stalled the car at a juntion by a wood. As I tried to start the engine, a pitiful starving kitten stumbled out of the wood onto the road. It's ribs were showing, it was starving so badly, there was a blood encrusted cut by it's mouth and it was covered with dried mud and poo. We took it in and cleaned it up and fed it and when no-one claimed it, we adopted it. He lived a good three years that he'd not have had if I hadn't stalled that car, before being run over and killed.
What's your story about helping an animal in need?
P.S. Please click on my name and check my other polls and opinions for today for other animal-related ones.
Yes, several baby wild birds over the years, but all sadly died of shock before the RSPCA arrived. Then a year ago, late evening, my husband and I were walking to the local shop (which is opposite woodland) when we heard this awful pitiful crying and saw a group of people stood around looking. There was an animal lying in the gutter, which at first we thought was a dog. It turned out to be a Muntjac deer. While it is not advisable to move injured animals we thought it best on this occasion, to prevent her getting run over again. We called the RSPCA who patched us through to a local rescue centre, and we covered the doe with our coats and tried to shield her from headlights. She was obviously a mother as she was lactating and we were so sad to think of her little fawns somewhere. Anyway, just as the animal hospital guy arrived up she got, shook her head and ran off into the woods. Apparently this happens a lot, they don't understand roads, stick their head out and get clipped on the nose and stunned. It was so great to know that these volunteers come out at all hours. What was terrible though was the guy telling us how often he sees this and how often people fail to stop their cars afterwards. He even told of a driver deliberately bearing down on him at speed when he was trying to rescue an animal from a road – there are some evil characters out there.
We found our dog at an RSPCA and she was running out of time. We knew she was on last chance hotel when she came to stay with us. She doesn't like little children, bicycles, other animals and policeman with helmets on. None of this is her fault and she shouldn't be blamed for her previous mistreatment. Yes she is a handful, yes she does have issues, and yes she can be hard work. Would I have made a different decision? No, I believe the right decision was made and that all problems can be worked around. I wouldn't change her for the world and I hope she feels the same, because at the end of the day I am lucky that I've got a fantastic friend.
We've helped several animals over the years, even a hermit crab which we rescued from a pet shop that had no idea how to look after it. At the minute I have 2 rescued rats, I rescue dog and 6 rescued ferrets. Our dog was in a home where she was being attacked by the other dog she lived with and abused by the people in the home. My ferrets all have different stories of woe as do the ratties but they all have a loving home here.
three years ago I was in the countryside and a small dog was there, she was abandoned by her owners we thougth one month ago aprox, she was dirty, starving and very nervous, it was really difficult to calm her, I come back home with her obviously and we live together till that day. I was very lucky to met her. When I met her she was 5 month old and only 4 kgs, at the moment she is 4 years old and 8 kgs (and she is not over weigth)
2 years ago, I found a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest into my horses stable. To stop it from being trampled on, I tried to find its nest but couldn't so I took it in, syringe fed it EMP and when it was old enough I let it go.
Yes, about twenty years ago my friend and I found a small bird (cannot remember what type it was) in our local park. It had obviously broken its wing or something and couldnt fly. We were worried that a cat was going to get it so we carried it to our local vets service and they gladly took it in. They kept it for a few days to try and nurse it back to health, but a few days later the vet called in the local pharmacy (my Mum worked there) to tell her that the bird had died. O well, we tried. I once took a hedgehog in but I think that was more for the novelty factor as it wasnt in any danger.
Several years ago when my son was only 10 we went for a walk in our local woods with my Dad. OF course my son wanted to go deeper into the woods so me and Dad followed. WE heard a soft yelping and it took us a while to find where it was comming from. A labrador had fallen down a small storm drain and couldnt get out. I'll never forget the terrified look in its wide eyes. We all grappled and struggled to get it out (it was full grown). Luckily it had a collar on and we managed to get it out. We were exhausted and drenched but the look on that dog's face when he wandered off home, and he kept looking back at us. We were in tears. We could hear its owner calling so we knew it would be OK.
Hi Dawes1, How lovely of you to save the poor little cat. I’ve helped two little animals the first was a little cat that I found after it had been attacked by a dog, we took it in .the poor little creature was in shock, the vet said that it would be ok but to keep it somewhere quiet until it recovered, sadly the poor thing didn’t recover and sadly died. It was heartbreaking when I had to tell its owners that it had died, they had responded to an advert we had put in a shop window, they arrived a little too late. The next was a baby hedgehog. While away camping someone in a nearby caravan stepped on it while leaving their caravan. I took it to the campsite manager’s office where it was tucked warmly up in a box and a vet was sent for. The next day I went back and enquired about it and was told everything was well and it would be released back in to the wild when better. It was great holding the little creature in my hand. It uncurled so I could look straight into its face it was lovely so so cute. So there you go two stories one with a happy ending and one with a sad ending xx lulu
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