Wednesday, July 18, 2012

For the Love of Animals

My son has a heart of gold, and I am not just saying that because I am his mom. 
He makes sure no one is left out, shares his goodies without anyone asking, and has been known to continuously donate the balance of his fun money to Toys for Tots during the Christmas season.
The compassion he feels for the living does not just concentrate on the human population either, it transcends to animal life as well.
Any television show or movie we watch where an animal is hurt, or God forbid DIES, he has been known to shed a tear (the younger he was he bawled his eyes out – but don’t tell him I told you so).  Not just the furry dogs either; he cares for chickens and frogs just the same.
So while driving this morning on our way to an appointment, it came as no surprise when my son jumped out of his seat at the sight of road kill and cried out, “What’s that?! A raccoon?”
I glanced at my rearview mirror and a saw some kind of flat, furry animal on the road.  My specialty is not zoology, so I supposed it could be a raccoon, but I was not sure.
Accepting my answer, my son sat watch to make sure no other car ran over the poor creature’s body, including “drunk drivers.”  As we drove off he turned and said, “I hope it gets medical attention.”
Ah, time for a mom moment.  I could let him go on believing that the blood and guts all over the street were invisible, but since his occupation of choice is currently a veterinarian, I decided it was time for a reality check. 
“Um, buddy, I hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure it’s dead.”
He was quiet for a moment, then looked back wistfully and said, “Well, I hope at least someone picks it up so it can be buried.”
See what I mean?  Heart of gold that kid.

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