Roadkill - can you use it?

Bonkers question really, but Sutty's thread about the deer got me thinking. If you saw a dead rabbit by the side of the road that was very fresh, could you feed it to the dogs?

Was wondering because I read a book recently about someone who lived in Alaska, and aparently it's the done thing up there to waste nothing that you find.

Dont see why not but rabbits should be frozen for about 2 weeks before you feed them to kill parasites im led to believe.

Tun would want to keep it as a pet so not something I would do but wheres the harm? Id probably makes sure the eyes and bottom were clear (when they are sick rabbits can be subject to maggoty bottoms) also not sure whether a mixy rabbit could pass anything onto dogs?

Hi Gill there was a man on the radio who obtained his entire meat supply (for his personal consumption ) from roadkill. He knew which roads had the best supply and went out every morning at dawn.

It should be fine, beware of the game laws though, there is some odd law if you knock game birds down with your car you can't pick them up but you can if someone else knocked them down .

I couldn't do it myself, I don't have the stomach for it. It was bad enough dealing with whole cows paunches and sheep's heads when I was in kennels.

I couldnt pick them up to be honest and take them home to feed the dogs (weird i know as they are on a raw diet)
The only time i have ever picked up deads animals on the side of the road is on the way to the wildlife hospital i trained at, i would pick them up and put them in the freezers with the ones PTS or DOA ect and then they would be picked up with the others, i just hate to see them on the side of the road.
Yes the law is if you hit something you can not pick it up but the cars behind you can.

I always pick roadkill up if I know it's fresh and it's not in a bad way. I pick everything up from rabbit to pheasant and woodpigeon.

I have fed my dogs mixy rabbits before (but I tend to remove the head) and no harm has come to them. I make sure I freeze the rabbits for a while anyway but I figure (to my knowledge) if hares cant get mixy, I very much doubt dogs can.

The only thing I worry about is looking like a weirdo by passing cars!

You tend to get more roadkill in spring and summer as animals have their minds on mating and not the roads plus they may venture a bit further than normal.

I don't personally see anything wrong with it as long as it's fresh and you freeze it for a while first...

But don't pick up roadkill badgers! (Not that you would... ) You need a special licence for that cos they're protected and their numbers are monitored. Just a random piece of information I thought I'd share!

Sarah
xoxox

In my little home town village we have a bye law that if you are responsible for a big road kill (deer, boar) have to be reported to the police station and the meat is donated to the old people's home most of the time.