Awww, Squirrel

Over the weekend, I had the misfortune to come face to face with a common city occurance - a squirrel that had been hit by a car, not dead yet! (Monty Python style), but still able to crawl around and attempt to climb a tree. Clearly, its back was busted up, but it was still able to "hump" around (literally, that's the movement), its back feet splayed out behind its chubby midsection.

This was on Friday. I called the vet, and they gave me a number to call, a woman who helps hurt wild animals. She called a while later, told me to catch it and take it to animal control and they would either try to save it or put it out of its misery.

After I got her call, I tried to find Squirrel, but it was gone. Casey found it across the street, and we went after it, me with a towel and thick leather gloves, and him with a box and lid. The damn squirrel had enough gumption to get up a spruce where we couldn't get in to grab it. I considered it well enough to stay away on its own and left it for the time being. Throughout they day, I kept an eye out for it, but it never reappeared.

Saturday went by with no Squirrel. Saturday night, I went to walk the dog, and there was Squirrel, hanging out by our house again, near a tree, but not able to run up it. I turned around and went back home. Casey helped me capture him, and I called the woman again about what to do with him. Animal control was closed, and all I got was her answering machine. I gave Squirrel some almonds and pumpkin seeds and water and left him in the box.

Sunday came, and Squirrel was still alive. It'd eaten some of the nuts, and the water was all gone (spilled, no doubt), and it was chucking up a storm at me when I opened the box, so it seemed alright, though not moving much. I left it in the box, in the garage where it would be quiet and not disturbed.

Sunday night, the wildlife lady called. I told her about the squirrel, and she said to take it to animal control in the morning. I said I would, saying it was better off in the box, even if it was going to die, than out on the street where kids and cats and cars might bother it. Still, I worried about it as I fell asleep.

The next morning, it was dead. No chucking. No shifting around in the box. The nuts that were there were still there. The water, untouched. I drove it out to animal control anyway, not able to bear just tossing it in the garbage. Just seemed like it was the better thing to do, even if animal control just tossed it in their garbage. At least I felt like I had done what I could, and should.