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While visiting the island of Gotland in 2011, we came across a hedgehog lying by the side of the road outside our hotel. One of its back legs had been crushed. We asked at the reception if they knew of any vets who could help it, and they were very unhelpful, telling us no one was open and that we should just leave the hedgehog alone. We went back out to the hedgehog where we had moved it to a safer place and could see it was not doing well. I just couldn't bear to leave it there like that.
I went back in to the hotel reception and asked the person again if we could take the hedgehog with us on the boat back to the mainland where we could take it to an animal hospital we knew was open 24/7. The person at reception then told us it was illegal to take wild animals from Gotland to the mainland, but finally relented and told us of a vet who worked independantly who might be willing to help us.
I gladly took the phone number from the annoyed receptionist and called. It was a huge surprise then when the person who answered was none other than the vet who worked at the local cat shelter in our town; she had a summer house in Gotland! She told us to bring the hedgehog to her and she would help it. We drove out to her place and she had a look at the poor little guy who was obviously in a lot of pain. She said she would have to amputate the ruined leg, but she believed he would be ok. We paid her and had to leave since our ferry was soon going to leave, but she was in contact with us soon after to say the operation had been successful and the hedgehog had moved into her country garden and where he was a new resident. She was feeding him and keeping an eye on him, but he was managing well enough on three legs.
It was so fortunate we found our veterinary friend in Gotland who was willing to work on a Sunday to save this little guy. When we found him, people were just walking past him, looking at him and shrugging their shoulders as if to say what could they do anyway. The attitude of the person on reception was similarly apathetic - the main vet offices were closed, the hedgehog just had to be left unhelped, presumably to die.
But he didn't die. He got a second chance. No creature should have to suffer, not when there are so many of us around who can intervene to help. I just wish more people would make that choice.
