Thursday, July 26, 2012

For as long as I can recall, it breaks my heart to see an animal suffer.  And if that same animal is a baby…well…something deep within me shatters. 

Early this morning, I let my dogs, Sadie and Foster out back.  They immediately went to lie down on either side of something.  At first, I thought it was perhaps a stuffed toy Foster had snuck outside.  Taking a closer look, however, I realized it was a baby possum, about six months old.  Sadie and Foster’s body language was clear—they were protecting the baby, not wanting to hurt it.

I called them in and went to take a closer look.  The baby, a girl, was curled up, her tail wrapped around her, eyes closed, as if in sleep.  I wondered….  I used a pole to gently nudge her tail.  Much to my relief, she straightened her tail in protest to my poking it.

But there she laid, eyes still closed.  I looked carefully and realized her breathing was steady with no difficulty. 

Yay!

Eyes still closed and laying on her right side, the baby possum stretched out her left front paw and covered her darling nose, as if to hide. 

Awww….

Her eyes then opened.  Not all the way, but enough to let me know she was waking up.  Still covering her button nose, the baby stretched out her back left leg.  I was encouraged to see her able to move and still breathing steady and with ease.  But I was concerned, for the outside temperature was quickly rising and the shade she was laying in would soon vanish….

My daughter and granddaughter joined me in scrutinizing the poor baby.  Weren't sure what we should do.  We discussed moving her to a more protected area of the yard, but were afraid of injuring her.  And so we watched her.  My granddaughter, Kai, was utterly thrilled with the tiny baby lying before her.  It resembled nothing she’d ever spied before.

Kai beamed a radiant smile, eyes sparkling, as the baby possum opened both its eyes wide and looked directly at us.  Her enthusiasm overflowing, Kai jumped up and down.  Her feet pounding the concrete scared the baby possum that tried to hiss a warning.  But no sound came from the baby, only the mouth movements of a frightened animal trying to growl and get up, unable to do either. 

My daughter and I told Kai she needed to stop jumping up and down.  That doing so was scaring the baby who had a booboo.  Kai’s hand flew back to her bottom and she said, “Poopoo?”

Laughing, I said, “No, sweetie, the baby isn’t going poopoo.  It’s got an owie.”

Understanding and not wanting to further frighten the baby, Kai immediately stopped jumping and looked at the fallen possum with the greatest concern.  I carefully scanned it and noted that it was able to move its head, three of its four legs, entire spine, mouth, tongue and tail.  The only thing that appeared wrong was that its right front leg wasn’t moving, though it could flex the toes on that foot.

Hmmm….

It was then I decided to call animal control, not wanting the baby to suffer.  I got hold of dispatch that called me back almost immediately.  They arrived at our house less than twenty minutes later.  But it was too late, as the baby possum had taken her last breaths only minutes before their arrival.  The male and female officers were both sad that the baby hadn’t made it, having hoped for a better outcome.  And they’d come with such haste to help it….

With nothing left to do, they gently took the baby’s now limp body and left.  My heart was heavy with sadness.  After the officers had gone, I let Sadie and Foster out back.  I watched with growing sadness as they both ran for the spot where they’d last seen the baby possum.  Sniffing the area and not finding her there, they looked from the spot to me and back again several times, the greatest concern on their faces.  Something deep inside me shattered.  That piece that always does when an animal suffers.  Dies.  And that this time it had been a baby who appeared to be healthy….  Yeah…that made it worse—much worse. 

The positive out of this was how much love and respect was shown to the baby possum by one and all during its final time.  How, though the baby did die, I hope it could sense that we meant it no harm—quite the opposite.