Euthanasia, a humane way...

[PixieTJ]

Originally Posted by Pidgey

For myself, I don't want it to be easy to give up, even when there really isn't a chance. I don't want it as a philosophy, a method or an alternative because I'm afraid that someday, sometime, somewhere, the sheer convenience of it may cost a little soul his or her life at my hand. And I have enough ghosts haunting me as it is.

Pidgey

Thank you, Pidgey.

Recently I was wondering, to myself, why... Why the determination. I didn't understand the guilt for not being able to catch Ally. Though I've continued and will continue to try, yes, I do feel guilty. On walks, I've been finding myself analyzing poops, feet, flight. All simply because one special bird decided to visit my apartment and because of all of you here. In a way this place has made the determination not reckless or crazy but sane. You all give permission for humanity to thrive. Thank you.

[cyro51]

In my very early days as a rescuer I took a sick young pigeon to the vet and told him that I had fed her wholemeal bread soaked in water (this was before Cindy's lifesaving sticky). The vet immediately said "That is the worst thing you could have done"...she had a yeast infection and crop stasis.

I was very grateful to him for being so honest with me and this led to my learning a lot more about how to save a pigeon's life. Because of this I also try to be honest with rescuers so that further down the line more pigeons and doves will hopefully be saved.

Cynthia

[Garye]

I always thought about Maggie and Julius - if I had left them there to let nature take its course. Maggie in particular, was a hard decision for me to try and take her in. I was late for work but I happened to look out the rear window of my car and saw that she was struggling to get herself off her back while a hawk stood beside her ready to finish her off. If I hadn't made that decision to be late for work and get her away from the hawk, I don't know if I could've gotten the image of her struggling to stay alive out of my head. The hawk surely would've finished her off if I hadn't seen her and chased it away. I knew I would have a hard time trying to care for her because of my living situation, but so far I've managed to keep her.

Julius - I felt the same way. I wanted to forget about the bird when I saw that it was injured and let nature take its course, but I just couldn't. I knew I would never be able to forget that image of it struggling to stay alive. Thankfully someone here helped me by trying to give it a loving home. I'll always be thankful to that person even though Julius didn't live long.

We'll always have ghosts of those we couldn't save - those we see who didn't make it through the winter. I guess it makes us want to help the next one better. It gives us that needed strength.