My dog caught a squirrel

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

After all these years of chasing, waiting, barking, trying to climb trees, Gracie finally did it. Guess they teased her one too many times.

When I went inside last night, she was waiting at the bottom of the tree, watching. About a half hour later, I went out to check on her and she was poking something on the ground. UH OH! I called her off and looked for blood and found none (WHEW, Momma doesn't want A KILLER and absolutely do not want her to get a taste for blood).

Squirrel was alive, trying to get away. Gracie was just batting it, wanting to play.

Took her inside, went back out to check on the squirrel. Looks like her back legs are not functioning, but she's a mother, we could see the teets as she was desperately trying to climb the tree. Thought, ok, let's see if some rest will do it, maybe she's just exhausted.

Went back in to check my dog thoroughly and found blood on her front leg. Wiped it off and it kept coming. Squirrel musta gotten a piece of her. Took her to the emergency vet and they cleaned the wound, which was very deep, almost to bone! and stitched her up.

This morning, find the squirrel has switched trees for more ground cover, but she still can't climb. I don't know quite what to do, but I think we're gonna have to bap her on the head with a shovel and put her out of her misery. Had she not been a momma, we mighta done that last night. I was hoping she just needed rest and her back legs would cooperate again. I guess Gracie hit her hard enuf, enuf times, that she broke her legs. Gracie isn't big, but she's strong and the squirrel is very much smaller. Bones would be more fragile.

Mixed emotions. I'm proud that my girl managed to finally catch a squirrel since they have tormented her so much! But, I feel really bad for the injured squirrel and for her babies that she can't get back to.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Squirrel Soup anyone?

I would let nature handle it. The Squirrel might still make it's way to feed it's babies.

[mshatty Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close mshatty]

I used to have a minature Daschound that would bark and chase squirrels in our yard. Finally, one day he caught one and killed it. I always thought that that had to be the most stupid squirrel that ever lived to allow him to catch him. With my dog, there was no hunting, no lying in wait. Just barking and running around.

The squirrel population's intelligence quotient went up with that squirrel's demise.

[tonyg Goomba & Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close tonyg]

Squirrel tastes OK- a little sweet for my meat taste.

[Kay H Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Kay H]

That must be the same squirrel I saw in my driveway last week. On my way to the mailbox I heard a terrible screeching in the grass between my house and my next door neighbor's. Looked and didn't see anything. Got mail out of mailbox. On my way back up my driveway there was a squirrel crossing my blacktop, dragging its hind legs, Front legs worked fine but hind legs were dragging lifelessly and the squirrel was screeching as if in pain. I felt terrible and knew it couldn't climb a tree but I stayed away because I didn't want to get bitten.

Next day saw no signs of squirrel. I assumed it had been hit or run over by a car but I'll never know for sure.

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

She musta crawled a long way!!!

The injured momma here didn't make it. She apparently made an attempt to reach the woods, altho we had kept our girl on a leash after the incident so she wouldn't 'play' with the squirrel more.

Hubby was gonna take her to a wildlife place to get her fixed up so she could get back to her babies (he's a major softie), but by the time they got back to him with instructions, she was dead. He said when was disposing of her, it sounded to him like the entire squirrel community was screeching at him.

Don't know how it works in squirrelville, but I hope another momma finds and feeds the orphans.

[Glitter Brunello Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close Glitter Brunello]

She musta crawled a long way!!!

The injured momma here didn't make it. She apparently made an attempt to reach the woods, altho we had kept our girl on a leash after the incident so she wouldn't 'play' with the squirrel more.

Hubby was gonna take her to a wildlife place to get her fixed up so she could get back to her babies (he's a major softie), but by the time they got back to him with instructions, she was dead. He said when was disposing of her, it sounded to him like the entire squirrel community was screeching at him.

Don't know how it works in squirrelville, but I hope another momma finds and feeds the orphans.

I really dislike squirrels (and there are very few furry things I dislike), but this story is killing me. I would be most distressed if it happened in my yard. I hope you don't know where the babies are, or that if you do, you can get to them and find your local 'crazy animal lover,' to bottle feed them. Ugh. Maybe they are just about weaned, and will be fine on their own. That's it, I'm sure that's it!

Btw, hats off to your dog. Mine is awfully fast, but has never succeeded in catching one.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

oh I don't know if I could take any animal, even a squirrel injured....

I'm sorry mama squirel didn't make it. Probably the little ones didn't either.

I'm not a huge fan but it would weigh on my concience a bit.

FWIW This is the woman who shares her tomatos with groundhogs each year <which means they get a bite of each and I get hardly any> as I never can get myself to do anything to them.



Here is a story of a dog adopting a baby squirrel into her brood.
Urban Legends Reference Pages: Finnegan the Squirrel

If anyone knows of someone who would like a Papillon puppy I know one in NYC for adoption now.

[samsarmy Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close samsarmy]

Well then, perhaps I'll leave out the details of the day my dog proudly brought one newly-expired mole from the back yard to the front door. In three separate round-trips.

Mike

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

ewwww, yeah, spare us that!!

We were dog sitting Mom's standard poodles one time and one brought a leg to the door with her. From that time on, I was very worried that 'the cousins' would give my kid a taste for blood. Happily, doesn't seem to have happened. She just wanted to play.

No idea where the babies are. If we did, we'd probably take them to the wildlife rescue place. We're not thrilled with this episode, but are trying to keep in mind that our dog was doing what comes natural. Prob'ly good she isn't a breed with a strong prey drive. This could have been worse.

Hard to weigh the "I'm so proud she caught one!" with the prospect of little orphans.

I can only hope that the other squirrels quit taunting her so much. ha, fat chance.