What would you do

[Keith Oates]

if you had been me. This morning I was having an early morning ride, with not much traffic or people about, when up ahead I saw something laying in the road. It turned out to be a dog that had been hit by a car or truck and it was badly damaged at the rear end, with blood spreading over the road. It was still alive and trying to drag itself off the road (probably towards home) but as you can imagine progress was slow. Would you have stopped to try and help a (possibly) dangerous dog who may bite and rabbies can be a problem out here, or try to put it out of it's misery and if so how. The sight upset me but I admit I just cycled past feeling totally inadequate and some what guilty. When I came back for the second lap of the 16Km loop that I use about 30+ mins later the dog was gone. I was relieved to see that at least someone had done something but being China the dog may now be in some cooking pot or other.

 

[graham56]

Tough call Keith, with a smaller animal it wouldn`t be to hard but how would you "dispatch" a dog?

 

[dantheman]

never tried dog, but hey, would give it a go... not big on animals, but i dont like to see them suffering!- probably would have left it also..

 

[Aperitif]

Sometimes, sparing a thought is the only help Keith. Usually it is a bird suffering like this - you can't get near, there's minimal chance of surviving, your 'resources' are limited - in respect of carrying or tending etc...
As you say, some people enjoy 'roadkill' and will do the 'cleaning up' - human or animal 'gourmets' will feast.In France about three years ago I spotted a hare at the side of the road - looked 'alive' but had received a fatal blow from a passing car. I mentioned to my Father in Law and...well!
I never saw the anchors dropped so quickly...immediate u-turn and backtrack to investigate! The hare was fresh - if that's the right way to describe it, and F-I-L scuttled around like a dog with a bone looking to cache it somewhere in the field behind the tree lined road.
There was a lot of pacing about and 'measuring' coupled with the construction of a roadside 'monument' to distinguish one tree from another, followed by a fast 16km home, collection of white Peugeot and a swift return.
It was ceremonially skinned, jointed and eaten/frozen that afternoon. Interested neighbours offered opinions on size, luck, others that they had shot / eaten etc etc...I even have graphic photos of the whole thing
So misfortune on one side is perhaps a pleasure on the other? An unfortunate dilemma Keith.

 

[yello]

Keith, I doubt there was anything you could do. Don't beat yourself up.

5 minutes earlier, or later, and you probably would not have seen it.

 

[beanzontoast]

It's not always possible to do anything, but the fact you are reflecting on it speaks volumes about your good intentions. Sometimes, there's just nothing you can do but feel.

 

[Brock]

The best thing for the dog would probably have been if you had stopped and knocked it on the head with something. You have to weigh this up against your own distress and disgust though and the possibility that you might mess it up and cause more distress for the animal. I certainly wouldn't have had the stomach to look into its eyes and aim an effective blow.
I would've ridden on too.

 

[Keith Oates]

Thanks for the replies and support, it helps!!

 

[Bigtallfatbloke]

Do police over there have guns? Get one to shoot it.

 

[hubgearfreak]

i once ran over the rear of a cat, in a car. i dispatched him with a solid clunk on the head with a handy brick, but it took much greater velocity than you would expect and it took three times. a gruesome task indeed.

with a large dog your best bet is to ride on, it could have been irrational and bit you, and i doubt that you'll kill it quickly unless you had a gun or metal pipe

as for the dog (or hare in france) what's wrong with eating them? it wouldn't appeal to me as i don't like meat. but if someone does, what's the problem?

 

[Aperitif]

as for the dog (or hare in france) what's wrong with eating them? it wouldn't appeal to me as i don't like meat. but if someone does, what's the problem?

Nothing. I haven't eaten meat etc since 1982 and, although I find it - that's my view - not someone else's "Chacun a son gloop" as 'they' don't say

 

[col]

if you had been me. This morning I was having an early morning ride, with not much traffic or people about, when up ahead I saw something laying in the road. It turned out to be a dog that had been hit by a car or truck and it was badly damaged at the rear end, with blood spreading over the road. It was still alive and trying to drag itself off the road (probably towards home) but as you can imagine progress was slow. Would you have stopped to try and help a (possibly) dangerous dog who may bite and rabbies can be a problem out here, or try to put it out of it's misery and if so how. The sight upset me but I admit I just cycled past feeling totally inadequate and some what guilty. When I came back for the second lap of the 16Km loop that I use about 30+ mins later the dog was gone. I was relieved to see that at least someone had done something but being China the dog may now be in some cooking pot or other.

Very tough call Keith,you did the right thing i think,because of where you were,but here i would have stopped,and called 999 to ask for advice on it,and if the dog would allow,i would have tried to make it feel like it wasnt alone until a decision either way was made,im not a soppy animal lover,but feel that they have feelings too,and it would have been scared and in pain,also very unlikely to have rabies here too.

 

[Dave5N]

I've killed a few things in my time - a pigeon last week - unintentionally, by car.

When I was 18 I spent a short time in an abbatoir - before that I had worked on a chicken farm. Killed lots there.


I don't like it though. I eat meat, but I am uncormfortable with the production.

I think I'd have left the dog, as you did , Keith. I don't know for sure. I might have stopped to kill it.

I wouldn't have eaten it though.

 

[Plax]

I'd have stopped. I wouldn't have been able to cycle past as I know I have a guilty conscience, and it would have bothered me for months afterwards. I'd probably be in tears being the sensitive soul I am. I'd have checked for a collar and tag if it was safe to do so (I've done this for a dead cat at the side of the road and told the owners the bad news and where to find it). Failing that I'd have probably phoned the local vet or RSPCA.

 

[Baggy]

Plax, am sure Keith would have called a vet etc if it had happened here, but China is a different ball game unfortunately.

Nasty thing to happen Keith, on balance think there was little you could have done...but at least you cared enough to think about it, plenty of other people had probably gone past already without sparing a thought.