Another Chance Sanctuary

05/23/2026

Opossums are immune to most North American snake venom.

And scientists want to know why.

→ A protein in opossum blood called LTNF (Lethal Toxin Neutralizing Factor) neutralizes venom
→ They regularly eat copperheads, rattlesnakes, and cottonmouths
→ They are one of the few predators of venomous snakes
→ Researchers are studying LTNF to develop a universal antivenom for humans
→ Published research (2015, San Jose State University) showed opossum-derived peptides protected mice from cobra, rattlesnake, and scorpion venom

The opossum immunity portfolio:
→ Snake venom: immune
→ Rabies: nearly immune (body temperature too low)
→ Bee and wasp stings: highly resistant
→ Botulinum toxin: resistant
→ Ricin: partially resistant
→ They're basically walking antidote machines

What else they eat:
→ Cockroaches (dozens per night)
→ Ticks (though the 5,000/season claim is debunked — they still eat some)
→ Carrion (sanitation service)
→ Slugs, snails, beetles
→ Mice and rats
→ Overripe fruit (seed dispersal)

The opossum is North America's only marsupial.
It's immune to snake venom.
It's nearly immune to rabies.
And we treat it like garbage.

The animal you killed with a shovel might have been developing the cure for snakebite.

Leave it alone. Science needs it. 🧪
゚viralシ

05/23/2026

04/21/2026

We were asked if we could post these 2 cuties and try to find them some homes. They appear to be 6 wks old. He thought one was a girl and one a boy. Cannot find the mother and they live in an apartment where they are not allowed to have animals. Any questions or if you're interested call this number
419-307-1299.

04/15/2026

This is why your pets need at least two vaccines.

04/11/2026

We Kill Her For Looking Wrong. She is the Safest Animal in Your Yard.
The security light snaps on, trapping a pale, pointed face and a bare tail in its harsh glare. The Virginia Opossum freezes in the spring grass.

We see her scruffy fur and fifty sharp teeth and immediately call animal control, assuming she is a dirty, disease-carrying threat to our families.

In reality, she is an ecological superhero. Because her exceptionally low natural body temperature (94–97°F) suppresses viral replication, she is virtually immune to rabies. Her blood contains a unique peptide that safely neutralizes the venom of native rattlesnakes and copperheads. Right now in April, this native Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana, Status: Secure) is foraging overtime to nourish the tiny, developing joeys hidden safely inside her pouch.

While internet myths claim she eats thousands of ticks, her true interconnected ecological role is far broader. As the ultimate neighborhood cleanup crew, she tirelessly scavenges rotting fruit, venomous snakes, cockroaches, and disease-spreading rodents, preventing decay and pest outbreaks across our suburban food webs.

You can protect this gentle, misunderstood marsupial. Keep your dogs inside at night, drive carefully after dusk, and if you see her on your porch, simply let her pass.

She doesn't carry the diseases we fear; she eats the pests we hate. Leave her the yard.

04/11/2026

The Daylight Bat Isn’t Rabid. She Is Rebooting.
At high noon in April, a tiny bat circles your yard erratically, stumbling clumsily before crash-landing against your wooden fence.

We see a nocturnal animal struggling in broad daylight and instantly panic, assuming it is a rabid threat that must be eradicated.

In reality, this native Little Brown Bat (Status: Endangered) is performing one of the most demanding physiological feats in nature. Right now in April, she is emerging from five months of deep winter hibernation. To survive, her core temperature plummeted to 34°F. To fly safely, she must rewarm her brain and motor pathways to 98°F. This intense, 60-degree neurological reboot takes up to four hours and produces severe tremors and uncoordinated flight that perfectly mimics disease.

As nocturnal apex predators, these bats are essential to our interconnected ecosystems, consuming up to 1,000 mosquitoes and agricultural pests per hour. Without them, our summer nights would be unbearable.

Do not handle her or call animal control for removal. Give her a shaded ledge, keep pets away, and wait.

She isn’t a diseased monster. She is an exhausted marvel of biology, waiting for her brain to come back online so she can own the night sky once again.

04/07/2026

Helping someone to rehome their two dogs. If you are interested in either of these sweet dogs contact this phone number for additional information
567-708-8411

First dog
This is Bingo, a Lab mix. He is about 8 years old but don’t let his age fool you. He still likes to think he is a puppy and loves to run. He loves to give hugs and kisses and likes to play catch. He is house trained and crate trained and he is fixed.

Second dog
This is Bluey, a Pitbull, she is 3 years old and she is fixed, loves kids, loves to cuddle and be under blankets. She is house trained and crate trained. She knows how to sit and sit pretty. Her favorite treat is string cheese. She will sit at the door when she has to potty. She loves to run at the dog park.

02/19/2026

Right now, in garages and garden sheds across North America, opossums are raising the smallest babies you've ever seen.

Virginia opossums breed from late January through March. After just 12-13 days of pregnancy — the shortest gestation of any North American mammal — females give birth to up to 13 joeys, each the size of a honeybee. Blind, hairless, and smaller than a dime, they crawl into the mother's pouch and latch on for the next two months.

That slow, hissing opossum waddling through your yard at night is almost certainly a female with a pouch full of developing babies. She's not aggressive — she's terrified. The famous "playing dead" response is an involuntary stress reaction she can't control. She passes out from fear.

This is the season when homeowners make the call to animal control. They see an opossum in the garage and assume disease, danger, mess. A relocation in February separates a mother from pouch-bound joeys too small to survive alone. They die within hours.

What most people don't realize: a single opossum eats up to 5,000 ticks per season. They're nearly immune to rabies — their body temperature is too low for the virus to survive. They eat venomous snakes, dead animals, and overripe fruit that would otherwise attract rats.

The animal you find disgusting is cleaning your yard every night while carrying babies smaller than your thumbnail.

Leave her alone. She'll move on in spring.