Ugh....Fenway Killed a Kit

[elizabethann]

I feel so awful. I was walking Fenway and he was smelling some holes in the woods. Well one of the holes was facing the opposite of me and I didn't see anything. Well Fenway did. He lunged and grabbed a hold of a kit and shook it. I was screaming and telling him to drop it. He did. So I tied him up & went to check on the kit. It was breathing, but bleeding from it's mouth. So I took Fenway home & called a wildlife rehabilitator. She said to pick the kit up with a shovel and put him in a box and bring him to her so she could either put it to sleep or help it. I only had a kitty carrier so I had to try to scoop it up with a shovel and it kept falling off my shovel. I wanted to just pick it up with my bare hands, but it was too dangerous. I was finally able to scoop it up and put it in the carrier. I drove about 80 miles an hour to the wildlife rehabilitator's home. But it was too late. The kit had died. The wildlife rehabilitator said it had a fractured skull.

I fell so awful. I didn't tell Fenway he was bad boy. He is a terrier and that's what he is bred to do. But I kept asking why he did that. He know's I'm upset about it.

We won't be going near those holes ever again.

If you can, please say a prayer for the kit. I'm so sorry kit. I'm so sorry.
:(

[DrKym]

:eek: poor you and nawtee Fenway! Im sorry you had to see that.
RIP little Kit

[Reachoutrescue]

Poor lil' thing. Fenway was probably just acting on instinct. I am sorry you had to witness that. Poor lil' kit. RIP.

[K9soul]

How traumatizing :(. I know Fenway was just doing what his little instincts told him. Please don't feel bad, you did everything you could ((hugs))

[Freedom]

Aw, poor little baby kit. You are right, can't blame Fenway for doing what he was bred to do.

So sorry you had to deal with this! Prayers for you!

[Canis-Lupess]

It's not just terriers either. My Border Collies have killed wild creatures in the past when they've had chance and they aren't bred as hunters, they are bred as herders.

Yes, it's always unpleasant when they do it. I'm sorry you had to go through it. You were right not to tell Fenway off because he'll never understand why he shouldn't kill prey when he has the chance anyway. The only thing you can do is avoid possible opportunities for him to do it like not going near the holes as you said and then just hoping he doesn't come across another creatures to kill.

I just remind myself that the dogs are dogs same as cats are cats and will kill things if they get chance.

[Glacier]

Poor little kit. Nature is brutal sometimes!

Ozzy, Sundin and Antare killed a mink a couple days ago--in their pen!

[elizabethann]

Poor little kit. Nature is brutal sometimes!

Ozzy, Sundin and Antare killed a mink a couple days ago--in their pen!

OMG! :eek:

[Canis-Lupess]

Yeah, Our Jess managed to kill 2 hedgehogs in her time that wandered into her run. She didn't get injured herself by them either. I love hedgehogs so I was gutted.
She tried to kill a toad that went in once but I saw her trying to get at it so I rescued it before she managed to get it.

[Ginger's Mom]

Yes, it really is part of his nature, but I agree with you that I don't want to witness it. My parents had a beagle that killed a baby bunny once. They soon learned that in the springtime, when she showed a sudden interest in a particular spot behind the house that it was time to keep her on lead when she was outside for a few weeks.

[caseysmom]

I am sorry you had to go through that and at the risk of sounding stupin..what is a kit?

[Taz_Zoee]

I am sorry you had to go through that and at the risk of sounding stupin..what is a kit?

That's not a stupid question, because I was wondering myself. Do you mean a kit fox?

[Glacier]

OMG! :eek:

The joys of prey driven dogs. Mink are nasty, aggressive little creatures. Kinda glad I wasn't home for that! Ozzy looked like he'd been in a massacre! I have picked up plenty of corpses in the yard. We have suidical squirrels I think! I was just glad it wasn't a cat. Mine were all inside and accounted for, but my neighbor has a cat that he refuses to keep inside. I do not ever want to find another broken feline body, regardless of who own it!

[Karen]

I am sorry you had to go through that and at the risk of sounding stupin..what is a kit?

I'm guessing it was a rabbit kit. This is the right time of year, and baby bunnies are often concealed and left unattended while momma goes to feed.
Don't feel bad, rabbits are prey animals, that's why they reproduce so quickly.

My first dog, the best and smartest dog in the whole wide world, Sheba, had a prey drive that was unmatched. If it wasn't human or canine, and Sheba spotted it, it had better be quick, or it was dead. My parents explained a prey drive to me, so I understood, and didn't fault her. And, in fact, the neighbors loved her, because they could grow corn without worry of woodchucks eating it on them. In fact, it was almost ten years after Sheba's death before a woodchuck was spotted n our neighborhood again, that's how effectively, and how wide an area, from which she had cleared them.

[caseysmom]

Thanks Karen, I thought maybe a baby squirrel but wasn't sure. Either way it is Fenway's instinct.

[Sophist]

Poor Kit, and poor Fenway-- he has to be confused about the whole situation.

:( Like everyone said, it is a very, very strong instinct for a terrier. He was just doing what comes naturally, but he still listened and dropped it when you said. Just remember how hard he tries to be a good boy.


You did everything you could for the kit. Try not to beat yourself up over it. Accidents happen. It is a very sad accident, but really not anyone's fault.

[jennielynn1970]

Same here, that's what their instinct tells them to do. Just like my mom and dad's farm cats bring rabbits, moles, mice, chipmunks etc.. into their garage. My mom gets upset, but my dad always tells her it's their nature, and survival of the fittest and all that. Can't punish an animal for instinct.

[jennielynn1970]

oh yeah...

What is a kit??? :confused: I'm guessing it's a baby something or other. Just not sure if you mean baby fox or not.

[elizabethann]

Oops...sorry. It was a baby fox. The wildlife rehabilitator said it was probably 3-4 weeks old. It was the cutest thing - about the size of a larger kitten. It was so soft and cuddly.

I am a huge fan of fox so I think that's why it really has bothered me.

It looked like this (you may have to copy & paste the address in your web browser):

http://www.golden-eagle.com/Photos/_picture.php?Picture=p0018&Gallery=Spring&Order=REVERSE (http://)