My dog was hit by a car and has not died, what should I do?

Question

My dog was hit by a car 3 days ago. He is badly bruised and has lots of open wounds. I am guessing he has broken bones because he does not move. I tried giving him his favorite food but he will not take it. I do not know if I should just bury him or wait for a miracle to happen. My 8 year old says to take him to the pet hospital but I can not afford to take. My wife says to drop him off on the wealthy side of town. What should I do?

I also do not have any money to put him down. I must purchase gifts for my 2 kids. I do not want to let my kids down this year.

Answer 1

Bring him to the humane society, If anything you need to put him out of his misery. You have no clue how bad your dog is suffering if there is internal bleeding or what not. You can also call around to see if there are any no kill shelters in the area a lot of them will assist you in this matter. But for god-sake do not let the dog sit there and suffer and possibly die a slow agonizing death. Certainly do not drop him off in a wealthy section of town, Who is to say anyone would pick him up!!!!

Knowing I wont get best answer for this.. But.. a little advice, If you can not afford proper care for your pet please give him to someone who can. Animals are like children, they require the same things, love, food, shelter, and medical attention.

To the "Professional Vet" below its euthanize... ;)

Answer 2

ACK!
i'm so sorry about your dog... In your position, if I really loved the dog, I'd scrounge up some money and take him to the vet, the pet hospital, whatever. (be careful about moving him- if he does have broken bones, you may injure him worse by moving him.)
If you don't want to take him to a doctor, feed him some Advil (just force it down his throat) and then gently feel around the area you think has a broken bone. It should obviously feel wrong to your touch.
Wash the open wounds, and try to bandage them (to help prevent bacterial infection.) Lots of human medicines work well with dogs (like Advil) but be very careful about the dosage!
Give him lots of love- there are several stories about what a little encouragement, love, and care can do to help the healing process.
You have to also consider the dog's health history and type. If he is very rarely sick, he has a good chance of living. And the type- let's just say a Chihuahua won't even survive being hit by a car, while a Great Dane might.
If you are not willing to put in the effort, just put the poor thing to sleep.
Good luck.

Answer 3

Surely you wouldn't let your child suffer like that if they were hit by a car, why is your dog any different? Given what you have said, you really shouldn't have a dog to begin with. So do the right thing. Either take him to the vet or surrender him to a no-kill facility, but don't let him suffer!

By the way, is it that you 'can't' afford it or are you just not willing to put forth the money for your dog for various, selfish reasons? Or perhaps not willing to make a sacrifice in something else to take care of your dog? Face the facts, most people can afford a lot more than they say they can, it's just a matter how they are choosing to spend their money. For you, it seems your kids Christmas presents would be the sacrifice. Why? Why couldn't you sacrifice something of yours?

Answer 4

Call your local police for a referral to animal care helpers in your area.

There are probably groups that help animals, and/or an animal control organization or dog warden -- the police can get you the contact info. The important thing to realize is that someone CAN help. Even if it is only to have the dog put down. And it is better he be put down than suffer.

Please don't let him suffer. What you are doing is actually illegal and considered cruelty to animals (failure to provide necessary veterinary care). YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

The dog needs to be seen by a professional to tell how badly it is hurt. It could have broken its back or neck and could be paralyzed, or it may have treatable injuries. Only a pro will know. Not even an animal control officer would be able to tell. The dog needs a doctor.

BTW, trying to feed a hurt or injured animal is not the answer. Of course if he hasnt eaten in 3 days he is probably weak, BUT, if he needs meds or something, he may need to have an empty stomach. Think about when you go to the emergency room. They always say don't eat or drink anything until you see the doctor.

A vet may have a payment plan. I think it only cost me $15 to have my dog put down when she was dying from renal failure.

I will help you financially. I dont have a lot, but I can give some. Your dog needs you to take care of him. He can't do it. That is your job. FYI ... depending on where you live, you may be able to have him put down by a gunshot. There is a very specific location and way that the dog should be shot so that it is done in a humane way. BUT FIRST, please find out if he needs to be put down or not.

Please do NOT get another pet if you cannot afford vet care.

Answer 5

I think the best thing you can do is to take him to a shelter. From your description he needed medical care as soon as it happened and i understand you didn't have the money to take him to the Vet but the dog is suffering and the wounds can become infected without treatment. SPCA will take him and so will Humane Society if you say he is a stray. At least he will not suffer any longer. It is important to do something now, too, for your eight year old because he knows the dog needs help and is watching him suffer for days now without medical care and this will effect him (or her) emotionally for a long time to come. Your child may be wondering on some level whether the same thing could happen to him (her).

Answer 6

I am very sorry that your dog was hit by a car.
Please find the money to have him put down. It breaks my heart to think of the pain and suffering he is going through.
A few years ago I had to spend $1300 on my cat at Thanksgiving, money that I could not afford to spend and Christmas that year was difficult financially but our cat survived. We still have him and I'm thankful that I made the decision to try to save him.
A pet is a member of the famiy and must receive medical attention when it is hurt or sick. Please take him to the SPCA or the vet to have him euthanized and do not get any more animals until you are able or willing to accept the responsibility of a pet.

Answer 7

Take him to the a local shelter NOW! They will take the dog, assess his injuries, and then determine what should be done about it. Also ask your kids if they would rather have their dog back or toys this year, if they say the dog go take him to the vet and pay to have him fixed.

You owe the dog at least that much, especially considering you let him suffer for three days. I am sorry but that is considered torture in my book!

Answer 8

OMG!! I cannot believe that your wife would suggest dropping the little thing off ANYWHERE. You get him to the vet NOW and figure out a way to pay the bill later. You email me at [e-mail] and I will take care of the bill myself, I am dead serious about this. God forbid one of you kids get hit by a car!! Are you going to drop them off on the wealthy side of town too!! Sorry to compare animals to people but that is the way I feel.

Answer 9

Take him to the vet and have him put to sleep, it does not cost much, and it is down right crule to allow him to suffer! Do NOT BURRY HIM ALIVE! that is absolutely the worst thing you could do! And the fact that you have let him go on for 3 days like that is terrible, please have him put down, don't torcher your poor dog any more!

The vet will be able to tell weather he is going to heal or not, but broken bones, tend not to heel and unless you have big bucks to dish out, to fix them, the best thing you can do is have him put down, If you want to the burry him in your back yard after he is dead then go ahead and do so.

Answer 10

When I can't afford a bill for a animal i always do it because how nwould you feel if you were the dog it is not nice to let that dog go through that misery so go take that dog to the pet hospitol ASAP