06/21/2026
I know I'm preaching to the choir because those of you who follow our page are so incredibly wonderful. You support us, encourage us, donate, volunteer, and understand just how busy this time of year gets.
But if you could share this post, I would appreciate it. My hope is that it reaches people who don't follow our page and gives them a little insight into what wildlife rehabilitators are facing right now.
I receive a TON of phone calls every single day. I truly try my best to respond to everyone, but between feeding, cleaning, medicating, transporting, and caring for the many animals currently in our care, it can be incredibly difficult to keep up.
That's one of the reasons I updated my voicemail to provide information about what species we can and cannot take right now, as well as guidance on who to contact regarding fawns.
Yesterday, someone called our fawn line and was upset about how they were "treated or talked to." I want to address that.
First, I do not answer the fawn line. It is answered by one incredible woman who has been taking in fawns since early April. Right now, she is caring for fawns of all ages, with various injuries, and several that are battling serious diarrhea. She is up to her eyeballs in bottles, medications, laundry, cleaning, feedings, and monitoring fragile babies around the clock.
On top of that, because KDFWR has restricted some other rehabilitators from taking in fawns due to their location within a CWD red zone, an even greater number of fawns are being funneled her way. What was already a demanding workload has become an enormous burden placed on already tired shoulders. Cases that would normally be spread among multiple rehabilitators are now falling on fewer people, and the reality is that there simply aren't enough hours in the day to keep up with it all.
I'm going to advocate for her because I know exactly what that weight feels like. I know what it's like to care for more animals than you ever thought possible while the phone never stops ringing. Every call is another plea of, "Just one more." Just one more baby. Just one more injured animal. Just one more emergency.
And eventually, it's enough to break us.
She's tired. She's exhausted. And honestly, she's doing the work of several people.
If she seemed a little short or overwhelmed, please understand that it isn't because she doesn't care. It's because she cares deeply and is carrying an incredible amount of responsibility. Every day she is balancing phone calls, intake requests, feedings, treatments, cleaning, and the constant worry that comes with caring for fragile wildlife.
Wildlife rehabilitation is often not what people imagine. Many facilities are not staffed by large teams sitting behind desks answering phones all day. More often than not, it's one person caring for dozens of animals while simultaneously fielding calls, answering messages, preparing diets, making milk and countless bottles, cleaning enclosures, administering medications, and responding to emergencies.
We are few and far between. We are stretched thin. And like many wildlife rehabilitators across the state, we are operating at or beyond capacity for much of the season.
Please give us grace.
When you call, remember that the person answering may have been up all night with a critical patient, may be bottle-feeding multiple babies, or may be trying to juggle a dozen urgent situations at once. We do our best to help every animal and every person who reaches out, but we are human too.
What hurts the most is when someone hangs up and then calls other organizations to trash-talk the people who are dedicating every waking hour to helping wildlife. None of us are getting rich doing this. We do it because we care deeply about these animals and because there is a desperate need for this work.
We will continue to do our best every single day. All we ask in return is a little patience, understanding, and kindness.
Thank you for standing with us.
