Have you ever been driving down the road and seen a little critter limping across that you knew was going to be squashed by the next vehicle if you didn’t lend a hand? This has happened several times, and Mr. Handsome always gets a kick out of it, but I just can’t help myself.
The most recent occurrences have been the toad that I helped across with a stick (in the middle of a rain storm, I might add) and the turtle (see photo)that I grabbed, with plastic bags over my hands to prevent the spread of disease, and safely relocated to the side of the road.Now I’m not talking about busy roads, or roads with high speed limits. The only roads I will do this on are either low-speed residential roads or country roads with no traffic, and I always make sure to safely pull off the road before getting out to help the critter.
I have to ask, am I the only one who does this, or have you been know to pull off the road to help little critters, as well?
Anonymous
My father did this all of the time! I clearly remember him moving a snapping turtle across the road. Even though the turtle was being helped, the turtle kept snapping at my dads hands. Go figure!
Alicia Mae
I do the same thing Ellie! Or if I see I dog wandering about that’s clearly escaped/lost, I have to go out and help.
Alexandra
My dad has done this for a turtle too. Another time I was driving by myself and, sadly, saw a raccoon rolling around that had been hit. I called a friend to help and we brought him to an animal hospital where the vet put him down kindly (even though he really wasn’t supposed to do anything for non domestic animals).
Candi
Yes, I do! It just gets me every time when I see a little turtle inching itself across our country dirt road. I HAVE to stop and quickly run it across to put it down on the side of the road it was traveling too or tell one of my children to do it! I just can’t stand it to be hit by the next vehicle coming…we have a lot of curves in our road and one couldn’t stop in time to escape hitting a small animal 🙁
Regina Shea
That’s never happened to us but my husband has slowed down on our country roads if a bunny is trying to make it’s way across the road.
Dani
I never see animals in the street that I can help since they are mostly fast and furry. On walking/bike paths I always get the frogs to the other side though.
Anonymous
I’ve crossed paths with snakes in the road, but I’ve driven around them instead of getting out and asking if they need my help crossing the road.
Ellie
LOL, I would do the same thing for snakes.
Peyton
My mom does this all the time! One time she noticed a “dead” hawk on the side of the road by our house so she picked it up so she could show us. When she got in the car, she laid it on her lap and drove to our house. While she was driving, the hawk woke up! She was afraid it would scratch her with it’s talons but it didn’t. She then came home and got a cardboard box and took it to a local wild life refuge because it had been hurt from getting hit by a car.
Ellie
Wow! That’s frightening. That’s great that it didn’t scratch her. Glad she was able to rescue it.
Ellie
Anonymous
A few times my husband and I have seen a turtle in the middle of the road on our way to visit our daughter who lives in the country. My husband will pick the turtle up, put it in a box and let it go when we get to our daughter’s house…Jane