Although I was working this morning, I planned to have my first afternoon off this year!
I was driving to my last appointment when I spied a baby rabbit sitting hunched up in the middle of the road. I tried blasting my horn, but after a few minutes I realised that this was a very sick little bunny.
I put my hazard lights on, stopped the traffic and put bunny into the cat box I carry in my car. It’s eyes looked particularly swollen, an obvious sign of myxomatosis.
I immediately called the local vets surgery, who unconcerned, informed me to put it back into the wild. Should I take it in to the surgery, it would be immediately put to sleep!
I then contacted St Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital, who were horrified with this advice and stated that under NO circumstances should I put the poor creature back into the wild. This course of action would see it die a long and painful death, and added that this was a typical reaction from a vet!
An hour later, the rabbit was safety in the capable hands of the wild life hospital, who are hopeful that with treatment, she will pull through.
To say that I was angry is an understatement, since it was nothing but callousness to suggest I return the rabbit anywhere near that busy road. Not to mention it being pecked alive by the crows!
I am losing all faith in our veterinary system and hope to God, that this is not a typical reaction from our vets. It is easy to drive around a road casualty, or worse still, run it over. It only takes a little while to see that it gets the treatment which could potentially save its life.