Save the worms

Any kind of animal suffering means huge emotional turmoil for me, more so than any suffering of humans.

I don't want to sound offensive but this is the kind of attitude I find incomprehensibly irrational. I find it hard to walk past beggers in the street. But animals, I take no pleasure in their suffering but to me that's usually just a good argument for ending their lives humanly.

I remember years ago I had a good idea for a hoax to set up a fake charity that asked for unwanted pets as donations so they could be turned into meat and sent to poor countries experiencing famine. I was thinking of calling it pet food. The entire point of the hoax being to make fun of the kind of animal lover who'll lavish vets and luxury food on a cat or dog but is happy for humans to starve.

Personally I feel like banning animal charity adverts on TV. At least till human hunger and disease is eradicated.

I once got so concerned with the fate of a cockchafer beetle walking in the oily bit by where I was filling up my car with LPG, that I ended up forgetting to disconnect the hose before relocating the poor little thing. (Actually they are huge and scary looking, but it still was suffering, and in a bad place).

I can now attest that LPG pumping systems are designed to not explode when you drive off still connected firmly to the pump... 

I also know that the hose will stretch to about 20 or so feet before the connection fails, but the noise it makes when it does is so unlike anything you've heard before it's possible to not actually realise what has occurred, turn around and see nothing that seems to require your attention, and thus drive the remaining 30 or so miles to your destination with morrissons fuel hose trailing on the floor underneath your trailer sparking away with the friction, but thankfully not spewing LPG out... (the first person who flashed me to a halt told me "your trailer is sparking mate", and I was puzzled when my electrical inspection revealed no issues..)  

Despite the near death experience I still look out for the little creatures. Except the midges that come and bite me in the garage at sunset during certain periods. Gonna get industrial on those little buggers if they don't prove "deal capable" this year!  

I did give a very burned out looking bee some sugary water to drink two summers ago. Which is remarkable for me, as I have a massive fear of buzzy flying things. This one was outside on the concrete so I knew I could flee once I'd helped it. It did seem to get strength back from it and then flew off. While I'm quite extremely phobic of most insectiod home invaders - certainly the larger ones that sound like B52 bombers and ricochet around, I don't like killing them, so try to find ways to get them out rather than resort to lethal force. I have a spider catcher as well, that allows them to be gently lifted at arm's length and put outside to fight another day.

Good for you. Not enough people take the time out to do this.

I do the same.. If I see anyone... Anything, man or animal suffering I will stop and help if I can.

I pick up litter as well. I see it and think if I left it what if an animal gets injured or a person falls and hurts themselves.

Apparently the farmers shoot them and throw them in the road so it looks like road kill. 

Disgusting behaviour.

No where near enough of them exist though, that gov. Article was 2014, many roads have been built since then with no bridges. I think it should be automatically built when a new A Road etc is made. Or even better, go and put bridges on all fast roads that don’t have one. I’ve never seen one myself before. There are a lot of national speed limit roads through country lanes where I live, no bridges at all. 

You must have felt awful with the fox :( We have a road near me where you constantly see dead badgers. Apparently the farmers shoot them and throw them in the road so it looks like road kill. 

I wish when building roads we could take wildlife into consideration, maybe build tunnels or small bridges so they could get across roads safely.

I agree although we do get road signs nowadays warning us of smaller creatures like frogs etc.

We ran over a fox once on our our way home from buying a fire.

I can't look at that fire without remembering that a fox lost its life because of the fire's purchase.

Wildlife bridges/crossings do exist:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/green-bridges-safer-travel-for-wildlife

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/09/wildlife-bridge-california-highway-mountain-lions

I should have also added I get really angry and upset seeing wildlife killed in the roads too. I’ve managed to only kill one pigeon (was on a 60 and it literally flew out of a bush straight into my car :( ), and successfully avoided squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes etc. This is their land, so many people have no respect for nature. I wish when building roads we could take wildlife into consideration, maybe build tunnels or small bridges so they could get across roads safely. But we’re far too selfish for that. I’ve even turned around and deliberately ran over a squirrel in the past that was half flat and rolling around in pain - the road was too fast to stop but I could cope knowing it was suffering. The least I could do was put it out if it’s misery, really made me cry. 

Yes I do too. I was thinking today there’s such a high chance they’ll get eaten by a bird, but at least it then provided food rather than suffering for no reason. 

Debbie said:

I no longer watch TV but when I did, I was never able to watch animal cruelty programmes, even though they usually have a happy ending.

Same here, this includes films etc with sad endings with animals too. I’ve never watched Marley and Me and never will! 

Yes, me too! If I'm out walking my dog and there are worms on the pavement I have to put them back on the dirt because I worry they'll get stuck and dry out if I don't. And I feel terrible if I accidentally stand on a snail.

Yes, I do.

I am always moving little creatures to a place of safety.

If I see an ailing bee I give it water and sugar.

Sometimes they need that to recover.

I take spiders out of the bath so they don't drown.

Those little tiny snails with coloured shells are really cute when you pick them up as they have little tiny faces that poke out and wiggle 

I am the same with adverts etc.

I no longer watch TV but when I did, I was never able to watch animal cruelty programmes, even though they usually have a happy ending.

I used to collect money for an anti animal cruelty charity but I never actually read the leaflets that were available to educate people.

I remember Chris Packham saying in his autobiography that as a child he was horrified that sometimes when walking he would tread on insects.

I remember this too (me, not him).  

Any kind of animal suffering means huge emotional turmoil for me, more so than any suffering of humans.

True for me too ...

I've taken several birds to the vet or a rescue place and not too long ago took a hedgehog to a rescue person.

It was out in the daytime and clearly not well.

Sadly it had too much wrong with it to be able to be treated and had to be put to sleep.