I hit a raccoon coming home one night late. It was in town and I felt the thud as it scurried across the road almost looking for my car in one sense. I backed up and saw it near the curb on the grass. I was frozen not knowing whether to take it to the vet at the late hour or if it was too far gone. The raccoon was large and in the prime of life with a really beautiful coat of fur. Perhaps it had a mate and a family.
We just simply stared at each other. It did not seem to want to be touched or disturbed. The street was a major one and there was no parking, but I just stared not knowing what was appropriate other than to witness. After ten or fifteen minutes I witnessed it passing away. It was quite an experience as the raccoon went from a living creature with an animal soul that I was connected with, and then suddenly in a tiny instant, there was only me and a completely rigid material body with vacated eyes. I said a prayer but I knew my verbal prayer was puny compared to the kedjiwaan experience for the raccoon which I witnessed. I still haven't come to realize my responsibility as a human to help the other creatures and what that really means, except it is suppose to be one of my duties as my spiritual path continues. It was a holy and wondrous experience.