Animal Rescue

[3278]

While it's clear that I don't have much care for people, I do have an intense desire to protect and help out animals. This week at work I've rescued a couple of goslings, a turtle, and a mouse. The impetus for this post is the frustration I feel over the fact that there's a mouse nest with 5 or 6 baby mice in our office lawn, and they're going to get mowed over and likely killed. I can't move them because I don't have a way to tell momma where I've put them, and because mice are common disease carriers, and while I don't mind giving myself typhoid or whatever, I'm not going to take it home to my children. So I'm kind of frustrated.

Anyway, do you do this? If there's a turtle [slowly, natch] crossing the road, do you stop to get it across so it doesn't get hit? Do you even try to dodge squirrels in the road?

If it can reasonably be done, I do it. I'll stop to get mice, squirrels, turtles, whatever, out of roads, I'll relocate nests, nurse babies, rescue sick foxes, whatever. It's ironic, because I'm very much of the "you're on your own" for humans, but I don't mind bucking "natural" selection to save the life of anything larger than a bug.

[3278]

Looks like the mice are big enough to survive on their own; I think they relocated from a piece of forest they've recently chopped down, so when the mower comes on, they'll scatter and just rebuild again. And people wonder why I advocate lower human populations.

[Instant Cash]

I always avoid animals while driving, I will drive in a ditch before hitting one.

I do not come across sick or mislocated animals since there is not much wildlife in the areas I am at, however, I would have no problems doing so.

[Daki]

My feelings mirror yours 32. I'll go out of my way to help an animal much (MUCH) more often than I will for a human. We had a mouse that one of the cats caught in the apartment during winter. They cats didn't harm it so I grabbed an empty cardboard box, put two old socks in there along with some un-salted, un-buttered popcorn and bread pieces. We put him in there and hit the small box near the stream nearby so any wandering kids wouldn't find it.

Deep down, I think animals deserve the extra attention considering how much the humans have done to screw with their lives.

[jo_alex]

It's ironic, because I'm very much of the "you're on your own" for humans, but I don't mind bucking "natural" selection to save the life of anything larger than a bug.

I was raised to believe that. Back in Poland my home serves as a "pet adoption" place. It's definitely not my mom's job, but she spends almost all her free time trying to find new homes for stray cats and dogs. There are lots of them in Poland and unfortunately the state doesn't do much for them. The shelters are seriously underfinanced and the homeless animals which find themselves there are often mistreated simply due to the lack of financing (keeping a few dogs in the same, small cage, almost never walking them out, etc.). This is why my mom tries to find new homes for strays instead of just reporting them to the authorities. She cooperates with local newspapers, catchers and police. Since she got involved with local politics she managed for example to introduce a program to sterilize every animal that gets into a shelter. I'm quite proud of her for that, though it takes its toll on her and I'd rather she slowed down a bit.

[Serious Paul]

I do nothing to save animals, and feel no obligation to do anything particular, one way or the other. I do not go out of my way to be cruel or kill, nor do I go out of my way to avoid killing animals.

Animals are pretty much resources to me, to be managed properly.

[Iantha]

I go out of my way to try and help them, although living with Mr. Animals Are Resources does hamper that a bit. ;P

[3278]

Paul: Cook it.
Iantha: Paul, it's a stray cat.
Paul: I don't give a fuck! I'm hungry. Fry that bitch up!

[Brasky]

I do nothing to save animals, and feel no obligation to do anything particular, one way or the other. I do not go out of my way to be cruel or kill, nor do I go out of my way to avoid killing animals.

Animals are pretty much resources to me, to be managed properly.

Hear hear! Completely agree with you Paul. I do stop if a squirrel or critter is running in front of my car-- but only if there is no one behind me because I wouldn't do it if I thought I was going to get rear-ended (I save that for Paul). But otherwise I will, not out of compassion for the animal but because I don't want to get shit on my car. I know a guy that hit a rabbit once and it was fucking messy.

[Instant Cash]

I have jsut been an animal lover my whole life.

Might have something to do with along better with them than people.

[Serious Paul]

If I find an animal that doesn't taste good with BBQ sauce on it, can play C&C with me, and who role plays I may change my opinions on animals. Give me a dog with nuclear aspirations and I'll give animals equal rights.

[Daki]

Ah hell, Paul wants the pets from We3.

[Kitt]

I'll swerve to avoid anything that isn't a squirrel. I help turtles cross the road. I've been known to find the worst looking fish in the bunch and ask for that one, which I then take home and nurse back to health. If I can't fix it, I at least make it comfortable for its last hours. I start work at Petco next week.
Squirrels, on the other hand, I will not help. In fact, there are times when I will aim for them. Reasoning: My dog has had a tendency to find, catch, and play with squirrels. This isn't so big a deal, except that he tosses them into the air, snaps their necks, and then brings their flea-ridden carcasses to the deck to show off. There was one time that the lil bastard didn't die right off and the dog wound up scratched. This caused a state of panic. Because the dog is merely playing/protecting his territory, we can't really get mad at him for his actions, nor can we curb them. But if we can keep the ratfuck bastards out of the yard, the dog can't get hurt. See a squirrel on the road? Splat. One less disease carrier to worry about.

[Serious Paul]

Ah hell, Paul wants the pets from We3.

Yup. Rover good dog. Rover decimate.

[Serious Paul]

I'll swerve to avoid anything that isn't a squirrel.

I've been known to swerve and hit anything larger than a squirrel. Squirrels just don't make any sort of satisfying crunchiness when hit.

[JohnnyRico]

I'll swerve to avoid anything that isn't a squirrel.

I've been known to swerve and hit anything larger than a squirrel. Squirrels just don't make any sort of satisfying crunchiness when hit.

Kitty in road: "Mow?"
Paul: *Accelerator to floor*
Kitty in road: *defecate*
Kitty in road: *splunch* (combination of splat and crunch)

[Serious Paul]

I've never nailed a deer, yet, but I've come close twice. Both times they juked at the last second and I missed them. I clipped a fawn once, and thought I'd killed it. Bastard got up and ran away.

[Kitt]

Wouldn't that be "bitch"?

[Van Der Litreb]

It's funny how it goes, sometimes. One day a few summers back, a big bumblebee flew up to me and landed on the floor. I guess it got stuck in the fibres of the carpet or something, 'cause it couldn't fly away again. After it had been walking around for a while I presented it with a piece of paper, and after a fair bit of goading the bumblebee I managed to get it to walk unto the paper and take it outside, whereupon it happily took off and buzzed away. And then in the evening I absolutely stuffed myself with great big chunks of assorted meats at our barbecue.

The only animal I will actively attempt to hurt and kill are mosquitoes. Fucking bastards.