Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
An orphaned river otter bounces back at PAWS.
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In the middle of my Sunday run in the pouring rain, a soaked opossum squirted out from under a parked car and into the path of my dog, Renzo, who was leading me like the retired sled dog he is. I screeched. And happily, my very strong dog with an even stronger prey drive looked at me and not the intriguing interloper. The soggy marsupial took that brief opportunity to return post-haste from whence he came.
The "from whence he came" is really my point here. We trot along merrily in our city lives mostly oblivious to the wild creatures in our midst, until they trip us on a sidewalk, track us in the park, or take up residence in our home.
The latter is a springtime, breeding-season ritual. We've moved into their backyards, and front yards, and side yards, so wild animals improvise, converting basements, attics and crawl spaces into cozy maternity wards. Unfortunately, all too often, when homeowners evict a raccoon or squirrel, they don't realize babies have been left behind. These dehydrated and starving orphans often end up at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Lynnwood, which in addition to sheltering homeless companion animals, rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife.
Based on hundreds of phone calls every year and first-hand intervention, PAWS Naturalist Kevin Mack, says don't wait. "It's more humane and more effective for homeowners to take proactive steps to exclude wildlife from their houses before animals move in," Mack says.
PAWS recommends simple measures such as checking under the eaves, along the roofline, and in the attic for openings; replacing loose shingles on the roof, and pruning branches that hang over your house. Read PAWS' complete recommendations and critter-proof your home.
For tips on wildlife interactions out in the world, review these simple do's and don'ts.
The "from whence he came" is really my point here. We trot along merrily in our city lives mostly oblivious to the wild creatures in our midst, until they trip us on a sidewalk, track us in the park, or take up residence in our home.
The latter is a springtime, breeding-season ritual. We've moved into their backyards, and front yards, and side yards, so wild animals improvise, converting basements, attics and crawl spaces into cozy maternity wards. Unfortunately, all too often, when homeowners evict a raccoon or squirrel, they don't realize babies have been left behind. These dehydrated and starving orphans often end up at the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Lynnwood, which in addition to sheltering homeless companion animals, rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife.
Based on hundreds of phone calls every year and first-hand intervention, PAWS Naturalist Kevin Mack, says don't wait. "It's more humane and more effective for homeowners to take proactive steps to exclude wildlife from their houses before animals move in," Mack says.
PAWS recommends simple measures such as checking under the eaves, along the roofline, and in the attic for openings; replacing loose shingles on the roof, and pruning branches that hang over your house. Read PAWS' complete recommendations and critter-proof your home.
For tips on wildlife interactions out in the world, review these simple do's and don'ts.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Comments
Post a commentI once came upon an injured pigeon. Though I was sure that the bird would not last for long, due to the cat population in my neighborhood, it made it through the day. I couldn't stand to watch it suffer any longer. I managed to get the bird into a carrier for the night and provide it with some food and water until I could try to find a wildlife rescue the next day. However, after calling around in the morning, I learned many places do not accept pigeons since they are not a native species of the PNW.
Through the PAWS website, I found Second Chance Wildlife Center in Snohomish. It's a small non-profit, run out of the back of a house, which accepts many types of wildlife. For any animal she cannot return to the wild, she has built comfortable, humane habitats for them to live out their days. It was amazing to hear the stories of her owl and hawk rescues, as well as see the beautiful birds who have been with her for 15 + years. Very inspiring.
They were happy to take Pidge in, operate on her wing, and either rehabilitate her to release back into the wild, or if that was not possible, keep her with a plethora of other rescued pigeons to live a long comfortable life.
So , if you find yourself with an animal that PAWS cannot accept, call Second Chance (or any of these other rehabilitators)
http://www.paws.org/wildlife/rehabilitators/
PAWS Wildlife Center, like all wildlife rehabilitation organizations, does have limits as to the number of animals we can responsibly admit for care. Each of the 240+ species of wildlife with which we work has their own distinct housing, nutritional, medical and behavioral requirements. The goal of the PAWS Wildlife Center is to provide Washington's wildlife with the highest quality of care possible, and our focus is on native species and species of concern (e.g. threatened, endangered and sensitive species). Since 1981, we have provided care for more than 97,000 wild animals at our Lynnwood facility. In addition, as the link to our web site in the previous comment indicates, we work closely with other rehabilitators in our area to maximize the chances that any individual animal will receive care even if our cages are full.
If you find a wild animal in need, or have any wildlife-related questions, please do not hesitate to call PAWS at 425-787-2500 ext. 817. We are here to help.
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