stringify

Last night my family and I had a bit of an unexpected and sad adventure during what was supposed to be a routine trip to the grocery store. Having stopped at an intersection in the parking lot, we noticed something dart underneath the large Hummer H2 across from us. As the vehicle pulled away — apparently oblivious to what had just happened — we could see clearly what had been underneath: a small cottontail rabbit. It had been hit, apparently caught under a rear tire of the Hummer. But it was not dead. As I passed by I could see it writhing in agony.

Cottontail rabbits are abundant in Phoenix even in heavily populated areas, so it was not surprising to see one in a shopping center parking lot. What surprised me was that none of the people nearby who saw the rabbit flailing about in the road bothered to do anything. I admit that for a moment I felt a shrug of “That Happens” and the urge to continue on my way unbothered. But the image of that suffering animal was indelible. My wife an I agreed we had to do something.

By the time I had parked and approached the rabbit, it had made its way to the side of the road. It was slouched up against the curb, eyes wide open and breathing heavily. As I got closer, I could see the extent of its injuries: its back right leg was almost completely severed, dangling by a thread, dripping blood. I managed to scoop the rabbit into a cardboard box and cover it with a blanket.

A few phone calls later, we located a 24-hour emergency animal hospital not far from where we were. The staff at the hospital showed genuine concern, even though they probably get dozens of rabbits brought to them each year, and surely deal with more “significant” animals. To my surprise, they said that the rabbit might not have to be euthanized. I just knew that if it did die, it would do so in the care of the hospital staff, and not after lingering in a gutter for hours or even days.

On the way home, there was much discussion about the profundity of the suffering of animals. We never made it to the grocery store, but the lessons my sons surely learned about compassion for living things outweighed the inconvenience.