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Posted by Charla Dawson Jun 18, 2006 |
When animals are injured they become scared and might lash out at anyone, even an owner. If you don't know the animal, or if it is wildlife, then you don't have rabies vaccination history so it becomes even more important that it not bite you.
If you want to be a good Samaritan and get the animal the help it needs first call a veterinarian, if you have the number handy, they can help alert animal control of the situation. From that point animal control should be able to help get the animal to a veterinarian.
If you are not able to call for help or if animal control is not available then it is up to you to load the animal and get to a veterinary hospital. First thing to do is check your surroundings, make sure you are in a safe place (not the middle of the street), if necessary, move to safety then check the animals vitals - heart rate, respiratory rate, mucous membrane color, and capillary refill time. If the animal seems to be breathing okay you can carefully apply a muzzle, if a standard muzzle is unavailable you can tie a necktie or leash around the muzzle of the dog to prevent it from biting. If nothing is available to make a muzzle or if the animal seems to be struggling to breathe then carefully cradle the dogs head against your shoulder with one arm under its neck the other arm either under the abdomen or behind the rump of the dog, depending where the obvious injuries are. If a blanket is available you can use this as a stretcher to help carry the dog to a vehicle.
If you feel you are in danger of getting bit then wait for an animal control officer or find a muzzle to apply to the animal. Once loaded head for the nearest veterinarian. Some veterinarians will work with animal control, if not they may ask for you to be financially responsible. If you are not prepared for this the animal may get put down but its suffering will at least be over. The best thing is for animal control to be involved, this is the best chance for an owner to be reunited with their pet.