Day 281 - Coyote Accident

I just got back from some errands in town.  On my way back I had to suddenly stop, as the cars in front of me were braking abruptly.  The cars were pulling to the side of the road to get by what I eventually noticed as an accident from the plastic pieces of debris on the road.  I then saw the casualty.  A full grown adult coyote was lying in the middle of the road.  No one was stopping.  I got out to check the animal to see if it was okay, and in fact it was still alive.   As I walked up to it, the animal noticed me, got up and cantered across to the other side of the road, over the ditch and lay in some grass beside a fence.  I followed it once I was able to cross the road, and began talking to it, saying (cant remember exactly) 'hey bud, are you okay there?' things like that.  

I saw that the animal was breathing heavily, I considered how the animal must have been in pain, although likely still in a considerable amount of shock.  A feeling of sadness came over me at this point.  The animal then lowered it's head into the grass leaving it's paw up on the horizontal post laying beside it.    

I tried to think of what I could do at this point.  I decided to head to the nearest veterinary clinic to see if I could perhaps somehow get a tranquilizer to help the animal.  I drove about 10 minutes away and found the clinic and explained the situation to the two women at the desk, who then asked the doctor if there was anything we could do in this situation.  They explained that there are laws governing what can and can't be done in these types of situations, and that there is nothing they could do.  I even asked if I could buy a tranquilizer and administer it myself, but that was not possible either, and I was directed to call the city's by law enforcement to take care of the situation.

I went back to where the animal was to check on it. The lady who had hit the animal was there, and because she stood back away from the animal, she asked me about its condition, to which I informed her that it had died.

What was astonishing to me was that there were many people who saw the accident before myself, yet just sped on past as if nothing had happened.  The point is that on some level, everyone cares yet we are unaware, compartmentalized, and out of touch with physical reality.  Self interest is so alluring that we do not see what is right here.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to get emotionally caught up in this event, because I was able to see with my eyes and experience it first hand... meanwhile millions of animals are tortured and slaughtered daily, yet I express no emotion for those animals, therefore I am blinded to the actual state of tremendous fear, suffering, and abuse which is constantly here, just out of sight.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to feel bad within myself for seeking help from those who are bound by laws within the system, rather than simply staying with the animal.  I realize that the injuries were to extensive and there was nothing that I could have done to rescue the animal.   I am grateful for the support of seeing the reality of what is here.

Free Course