For the second week in a row, I had a chance to perform yet another meaningful act of kindness. For those of you that read the two previous posts (about the shoes), you know how much that made my day. I am choosing to start calling both that and what I'm about to share, meaningful acts of kindness, rather than random acts of kindness, because as I was typing this, using the word random (even though technically they are in that they are situations I come upon randomly) didn't seem to fit. I think it didn't feel right because there is nothing random about how I chose to deal with the shoes or what happened yesterday. But while the shoes were more 'fun' and 'happy', yesterday was pretty emotional for me.
So I go out to my car to go to work and I see, on the passenger side, a very little baby bunny just sitting there under my car just to the inside of the tire. There have been many this spring and summer. I myself, being the nature and outdoor lover that I am, really love watching them. I have occasionally seen them underneath the car before but they usually run when the car beeps when I remotely unlock it as I'm approaching the car. But this little one didn't. So I put my stuff in the back seat and shut the door but it still didn't move. That's when I definitely knew something was wrong. I slowly walked up to it and knelt down. It didn't move and it didn't move when I touched it's ear. Without hesitating, I just instinctively and carefully picked it up. It was still small enough to fit in my hand.
It didn't take long at all for me to start feeling sad that it was hurting and also wanting to help it however I could. I knew I had to do something, I just wasn't sure what. I had a little soul, a little life in my hand that needed someone to help it. It was under my car, it needed me to help it. I called my mom but she wasn't sure what to do either. Even though I was supposed to be at work in ten minutes, I couldn't just leave it. I know what it's like to be small, scared and alone feeling like there's no one there to help you. I wasn't about to do that to this little one. I didn't know of any mammal rescue or wild animal rescue groups, so I went to my vet (the same vet I take my cat to and my mom takes her dog to). I think part of me knew there may not be anything they could do, but it was a start. If they couldn't do anything, surely they would know who could.
Luckily it wasn't a far drive. I had gotten an old t-shirt to wrap her (I don't know it's gender, I have just been calling it a 'her') in so she would be warm and had her in my lap the whole way. I have to say the two ladies that helped me were so nice, I can't thank them enough. But it turns out there really wasn't anything they could do. The lady at the desk, it was only her third day, was the first person I talked to. I of course explained the situation and she was very, very nice and compassionate. She went to get one of the nurses. She came out and looked at the little one just quickly. From the beginning, I wondered if it was something internal because there was no physical, outward signs of scrapes, cuts, blood, etc. She said the same thing and also that it's heart rate was pretty slow and it was not very warm.
I am not ashamed to admit that I got teary from time to time as the three of us tried to figure out what to do. The nurse explained that the only vet licensed to treat wild animals was on vacation. Because no one there was licensed to deal with those situations, they couldn't even euthanize her. They both suggested the Wild Bird Sanctuary. The lady at the desk looked up the address and phone number for me while the nurse went to get a small box and a saline-IV type of bag with warm water. She and I carefully placed the little one, still on my shirt, in the box. Keeping her wrapped in the shirt so it would be soft and cushioned next to the warm water, she fit into the box. I asked if they thought I was doing the right thing, because I cried almost the whole way over there, wondering if it was better to just leave her under a tree or bush and let nature run it's course. My heart and soul said I was doing the right thing, from the time I saw her under my car and picked her up, I became her protector. Some part of me told me I couldn't just leave her. But another part doubted myself. Sure, I was trying to help, but what if I was making it worse? Would she suffer less if let her be? They both said definitely not; the nurse said if it was something internal, and she got into pesticides or poison, she could have internal bleeding, etc. and was likely in pain. The nurse seemed to think she had a chance if I went to the Wild Bird Sanctuary right away. So I didn't even call, I just went.
This was a longer drive, but someone or something was watching over us because traffic on the highway, I-25, during morning rush hour wasn't too bad. It still took longer, but when I peeked in the box when we got there, she was still breathing. I could see the rise and fall of breath in her little body. She was a fighter. There times I cried on this drive too, but not as much. Not unlike the shoes, now I was on a mission, a rescue mission. I got there only to find out they cannot treat mammals because they are only licensed to treat birds. The young lady doing the intake was really nice when I explained the situation of how I found the little bunny, went to my vet and then they sent me here. She offered to keep her there, keeping her warm until they contacted a mammal rescue group called Squirrel Creek. By then I was scared, sad, and protective. I know they would do the best they could, but like the shoes, this little one was my responsibility now. She needed me.
The lady mentioned they would try and see if someone from Squirrel Creek could come get her, keeping her warm in the meantime (but they couldn't do anything to diagnose or treat her). I'm not sure why I asked, because even though I didn't want to give her up, I also needed to get to work, I was already more than a few minutes late, but I asked where Squirrel Creek was. I had gone from home, in west Littleton, to Highlands Ranch (where my vet is), all the way to Iliff and Quebec in Denver to the Wild Bird Sanctuary. I was afraid she would say it's way up north in Longmont or was south in Colorado Springs or something like that and I would have to leave her there. But when she said it's in Littleton, I'm thinking, I work in Littleton and have to go that way anyway. So I told her I could take her on my way to work. She had started putting her in a little basket to have them take her back and keep her warm, so we gently placed her back in her box with my t-shirt and warm bag of water. She gave me their number and approximate location, C-470 and Santa Fe, and luckily I am much more familiar with the south end of the metro area than anywhere else. So back we went, she and I, to Squirrel Creek.
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