Why?

Cold and blustery this morning with big gusts of wind shaking the barn. Great day to stay in bed but no deal. After feeding, watering and checking on everybody I headed out to work. I didn't get a mile down the road when I spied a round disk on the road. I thought it was a rock but in a quick check of the rear view mirror I realized it was a turtle. My "code" will not let me pass a turtle in the road. Nope, just can't do it. The little darlings love to soak up the heat of the asphalt to their peril. This time of year the snappers are returning to their place of birth to lay eggs, often in plowed fields. The roads are not a good place to take a nap. I backed up in a hurry, as I am always in a rush to get to work on time, then got out to take the little one to the safety of the trees, when I shrunk back in horror. This turtle had been run over already. A chunk of shell was crushed and there were nicks all over his back. I decided to move him off the road anyway - getting run over once is bad enough, when he stuck his head out to look at me. He's alive! What to do? This turtle needs help! I made a split second decision to take him to school with me and consult with the knowledgeable science teachers, two of whom are conveniently located next to my own classroom. Rosanna examined the poor little turtle and told me, Maggie, I think this turtle was shot! Sure enough, most of his wounds were round holes. I turned him over and was horrified to see four of the bullets had gone straight through him. What kind of misguided low-life would shoot a defenseless turtle? All day he stayed in my classroom art sink, while my students and I flushed maggots out of his wounds with hydrogen peroxide. It was a good teachable moment in turns of compassion, the blessings of wildlife, the evil of guns and why animal abuse is wrong, wrong, wrong. I brought him to the local "Pet Station" vet hospital, where they are rehabilitating the turtle in preparation for release into the wild - free of charge. I missed the little guy/girl after I dropped him off, but came away with the satisfaction that perhaps, one day, my students will think twice about engaging in a similar horrific act, or prevent someone else from doing it.