To the person who knowingly hit a cat with your car, but didn't bother to stop to see what you could do to help the poor creature: You clearly are not a pet owner. (I also question whether or not you are a being with a soul, but that's ultimately not for me to decide, I suppose.) If you were, you would have immediately thought to get out of your car and get the animal out of harm's way, and then you would have thought to check the collar of said animal so that you could call the owners and confess your sins. That way, the owners would at least know what happened to their sweet pet, rather than staying up until all hours tonight, wondering if she will ever come home (which now, thanks to you and another imbecile in this story, she never will). If you had ever owned a pet, you would know that this is the greatest kindness you can give someone after killing their beloved animal.
To the woman who works the front desk at the after-hours vet clinic, who essentially told me she didn't have time to help a cat with massive internal injuries who was bleeding profusely from her mouth and convulsing due to said injuries, because "there are just too many other animals ahead of you:" I understand that there are lots of people here today, and that their pets are just as important to them. I didn't demand that all other animals be turned away for the sake of this cat. But when I come running into your lobby, and tell you that I saw a cat get hit by a car, and that the injuries are profound, and that the cat was so terrified and hurt and hopped up on adrenaline that the poor creature leapt out of my arms as I was carrying her inside, and could I please have some help to get her, I would expect you to show a little compassion. You are, after all, dealing with people's furry family members who are in crisis on a daily basis, and surely you know how important our pets are to us? Have some decency, woman, and for the love of all that is still good in this world, I hope you never have to know the pain of losing a pet because someone at a vet hospital couldn't be bothered to help.
To the man who, after hearing this exchange between me and the front desk woman, spent 20 minutes crawling through underbrush with me, searching for the cat: Thank you. I cannot say that enough. Thank you. You showed that poor, innocent creature--and me--compassion that others, whose profession it is to do so, had not. And when we could not find the cat, and I began crying hysterically because I had failed her and her owners, you kindly put your arm around me, and led me back to my car, telling me, "You did good. You did all you could do, which is more than others would have done. You did good, sweetie." You sir, have a kind heart, and I'm grateful for you.
To the owner(s) of this cat, who will never know what happened, and who may have to explain to their children the harsh truth about this great Circle of Life sooner than they anticipated: I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't do more. I'm sorry I wasn't more careful when carrying her inside. I'm sorry I didn't think to look at her collar as I wrapped her in a blanket and put her in my car, so that I could call you to meet me at the clinic. I know what it's like to lose a pet to a huge machine barreling down the road. I know what it's like to let a pet out the back door, and never see it again--always wondering what happened. I hate that you are now experiencing this feeling, too. She was beautiful, and I hope you do not have too many sleepless nights because of your loss.
To the wonderful creature who will spend its final hours crouched in the woods, in pain and scared because too many humans couldn't be bothered to consider you important: I hope you are able to go peacefully. I hate that your final moments will be tinged with fear, rather than being with your People who love you. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more, or in a better way. I know that I will never forget your blue-gray eyes or your pink tongue, your tiny little mews as you cried in my car as we broke every traffic law known to man driving down Friendly Avenue. Go in peace, little friend.
And to anyone who thinks this post is overly dramatic, overly emotional, or superimposes too much sentience on a creature that is not human: I don't care what you say, the children's movie told the truth--All Dogs (and cats and birds and beloved pets everywhere) Go to Heaven. May we all be as kind-hearted and pure as our pets think we are.
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