The other day I was coming home from running errands and I noticed when I opened my car door that there was a dying squirrel in the street. I could see he was still breathing but was unable to get up. I didn’t know what to do. I felt so bad for the little guy. Should I pick him up and take him inside? Can I nurse him back to health?
As I was looking at the little fellow, two elderly couples who were walking by in the middle of the street streamed out, “Oh my God!”
“Don’t touch him,” the man said to me, “he may have rabies!”
I didn’t even think about that. I guess it was a good thing that he came by. I went into the house and called Nassau County Animal Control to tell them what happened. When I got someone on the phone, the guy asked me if the squirrel was on my property. I told him no. He hung up on me.
I asked my husband to call. He did but the guy said he had the wrong number. When he called back, there was an answering machine. I guess they don’t like to work or they don’t work on Sundays.
I ran some more errands as the day got underway and when I came back, there must have been several cars that squished the poor critter into the ground. Now, he was really dead.
I felt emotional. No one was thinking about this little squirrel, except me and perhaps some of the people who saw him in the street. No one’s lives were impacted by this little guy and yet, I felt bad that he left us.
So, here on my blog, I just want to pay tribute to this little squirrel who once climbed trees in the neighborhood and once looked for food wherever he could. Although he may not have made an impact on anyone’s life in the neighborhood, he touched my life and for that, he get’s a tribute.
🙁