AERO Animal Education and Rescue Organization

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AERO Animal Education and Rescue Organization We are an organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of native wildlife

🐢 You know that feeling when you're looking for something and suddenly realize... you're being watched? 👀Well, at least ...
10/16/2026

🐢 You know that feeling when you're looking for something and suddenly realize... you're being watched? 👀

Well, at least our stalker was adorable. 😂

While we were busy moving things around, we happened to look up and realize we had a very curious little box turtle keeping a close eye on everything we were doing.

Apparently, we were being supervised.

This time of year, we're busy transitioning our recovering box turtles from their outdoor enclosures into their indoor winter accommodations. 🐢🍂

Unlike their healthy wild counterparts, who are preparing to brumate outdoors, these guys are still recovering from injuries or illnesses and need a little extra help getting through the colder months.

Our overwintering turtles will stay with us from October 1 through May 1, receiving the care, nutrition, and monitoring they need until they're healthy and ready to return to their home territories in the spring.

That's SEVEN months of room service, housekeeping, and climate-controlled accommodations.

And apparently, management likes to keep a very close eye on the staff. 😂🐢

10/14/2026

🐿️ When Your Wildlife Patients Refuse to Cooperate with Their Photo Updates… 😂

We always WANT to give the public updates on the animals they bring to us, but sometimes our patients make that a little difficult!

Take these two squirrels, for example.

Both are currently on medications, being housed indoors, and will be spending the winter with us while they continue recovering. The good news? They’re both doing really well! ❤️

The bad news? They apparently have absolutely NO interest in participating in our social media updates. 😂

Every time we walk into the room, they disappear into their hiding spots. Photos? Absolutely not. Videos? Don’t even think about it.

So we’ve resorted to some pretty sophisticated wildlife photography techniques…

Otherwise known as propping a phone up somewhere while we’re cleaning cages and hoping we capture something worth sharing. 📱🐿️

And now, after all that effort, we proudly present to you…

THE FRUITS OF OUR LABOR! 😂👏

If we could get better photos and videos, we promise we would! But these guys are wild animals, and their comfort and recovery are much more important than getting the perfect shot.

So to the wonderful people who brought these squirrels to us, please know they’re doing well, getting excellent care, and apparently running a very strict no-paparazzi policy.

Enjoy this rare and exclusive footage of our two very uncooperative patients! 💚

🥂 THANK YOU! 💚We want to send a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out this weekend and supported A.E.R.O. at our Annua...
10/12/2026

🥂 THANK YOU! 💚

We want to send a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out this weekend and supported A.E.R.O. at our Annual Cocktail Fundraiser!

What an incredible night. We had a wonderful turnout, beautiful food, beautiful music, beautiful drinks, and most importantly...

WE RAISED OVER $20,000! 🎉🎉🎉

That is HUGE for our organization, and we are so incredibly grateful to everyone who bought a ticket, bid in our silent auction, donated, sponsored the event, volunteered, or simply showed up to celebrate this work with us.

We also got to share some pretty exciting news with everyone in the room about what’s coming next for A.E.R.O. 👀

And don’t worry — we’ll be sharing it with all of you VERY soon!

A special thank you to our event sponsors and supporters:

William A. Hazel
Ricky L. Brown, Inc.
Cathy Johnson
Kaiser Pet Care
Malarkey’s Distillery

Your support helped make this beautiful evening possible, and we are so grateful to have businesses and individuals in our community who believe in what we’re building for wildlife.

Stay tuned because there are some BIG things ahead for A.E.R.O. in 2027. 💚

For now, check out some of the photos from our beautiful evening — and THANK YOU to everyone who helped make it such an incredible success! If you took some good photos at the event feel free to share

10/08/2026

🐢 Construction Supervisor Stompy Reporting for Duty

Stompy’s new winter enclosure is officially under construction, which means our education tortoise obviously needed to stop by for a quick inspection.

First order of business: checking the quality of the lumber. 😂

A few sniffs, a very thorough tortoise investigation, and no major complaints filed...

We think she approves! ✔️🐢

Now if she could just learn to use a drill, we could really put her to work.

A Taste & Touch of Sweden 🇸🇪Take a little trip to Sweden without leaving home! This beautiful basket was thoughtfully pu...
10/03/2026

A Taste & Touch of Sweden 🇸🇪

Take a little trip to Sweden without leaving home! This beautiful basket was thoughtfully put together by **Deb Drain, one of A.E.R.O.’s dedicated wildlife rehabilitators**, and is filled with Swedish foods, drinks, traditions, and treasures.

The basket includes: Absolut Citron vodka, a Simply Swedish ccookbook, Kosta Boda crystal candlelight from the Kingdom of Glass, Swedish knäckebröd crispbread, traditional dish towels, a book about Sweden, mini Absolut vodka flavors, flavored salts, Swedish candies, cinnamon rolls, tea, a shot glass, lingonberry jam, assorted pins, and other Swedish treats and surprises.

And there’s a special A.E.R.O. connection behind this one. Deb is one of the wildlife rehabilitators who goes above and beyond throughout the year—not only accepting wildlife directly from members of the public, but also helping animals brought to us through local animal control agencies. She is part of the team that makes it possible for A.E.R.O. to rescue, rehabilitate, and assist MORE THAN 1500 ANIMALS EACH YEAR!!!

This basket is a little taste of Sweden and a lot of love from one of the people behind A.E.R.O.’s wildlife rescue work. ❤️

10/01/2026

🦇 Have you ever seen a big brown bat drinking in SLOW MOTION?

These little guys do absolutely everything at top speed, so sometimes it’s nice to slow things down and actually appreciate just how adorable they are. ❤️

This big brown bat was getting some much-needed rehydration fluids, and we couldn’t resist slowing down the video so you could see that tiny tongue in action!

Bats have such quick movements that we miss so many of the little details when we watch them in real time. Slow it down, though, and suddenly you get a whole new appreciation for those little faces, tiny tongues, and BIG personalities.

And make sure you watch until the end… 😂

Apparently our rehabber got just a LITTLE too close for his liking, because he gives us a perfect little snarl and shows off those teeth!

Cute? Absolutely.
Wild animal? ALSO absolutely. 🦇😂

And that, friends, is why our rehabbers wear gloves!

Enjoy the tiny tongue… stay for the tiny teeth. ❤️🦇

Here’s another silent auction sneak peek for our upcoming event!Have a home project coming up—or just love really good t...
10/01/2026

Here’s another silent auction sneak peek for our upcoming event!

Have a home project coming up—or just love really good tools? These professional equipment Items donated by William A. Hazel, Inc. has amazing items, including a Milwaukee power-tool set, a YETI rolling cooler, a Stanley tumbler, a tool bag, hard hats, gloves, safety gear, and more!

You’ll have the chance to bid on the entire package at A.E.R.O.’s Annual Cocktail Fundraiser on October 10.

Learn more and purchase tickets:
https://aeroanimalrescue.org/annual-event/

09/30/2026

Silent auction teaser with one of our favorite items 💕😁👏

🪤 Helping Our Community Respond Better to Glue Trap EmergenciesMonday, Jenny, one of A.E.R.O.’s licensed wildlife rehabi...
09/30/2026

🪤 Helping Our Community Respond Better to Glue Trap Emergencies

Monday, Jenny, one of A.E.R.O.’s licensed wildlife rehabilitators, had the opportunity to visit Fairfax County Animal Services to teach a class on wildlife and glue traps!

Animal control officers are often some of the first people called when a member of the public discovers a wild animal stuck to a glue trap, so knowing how to respond safely is incredibly important.

Jenny talked through proper removal techniques, what supplies and precautions are needed, and — just as importantly — when NOT to attempt removal and instead transport the animal directly to a wildlife rehabilitator.

Our advice to the public is simple:

If you find a wild animal stuck to a glue trap, contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible. Unless instructed otherwise, leave the animal attached to the trap, place the entire trap and animal inside a secure ventilated container, keep them warm, dark, and quiet, and transport them for professional care as quickly as possible.

Trying to pull an animal free can cause significant damage to delicate skin, fur, feathers, wings, and feet. Even after they’re safely removed, these animals may need additional cleaning, medical evaluation, supportive care, and time to recover before they’re ready for release.

And, of course, the TRUE best practice?

DON’T USE GLUE TRAPS. ❤️

They don’t discriminate between the animal someone intended to catch and snakes, birds, bats, small mammals, and countless other unintended victims.

Take a look at some of the photos from the class, and a huge thank you to Jenny for sharing her knowledge and to Fairfax County Animal Services for making wildlife education and humane response a priority!

Education prevents suffering — and sometimes the best rescue starts before an animal ever needs us. 💚

Here’s your first silent auction sneak peek for our upcoming event!Want to make your backyard a better home for wildlife...
09/28/2026

Here’s your first silent auction sneak peek for our upcoming event!

Want to make your backyard a better home for wildlife? One lucky bidder will take home this entire Backyard Wildlife Habitat Package, including birdhouses, a squirrel-proof feeder, outdoor binoculars, landscaping tools, and a $500 Meadow Farms gift certificate. Huge THANK YOU to William A Hazel for this awesome item!!

See it at A.E.R.O.’s Annual Cocktail Fundraiser on October 10! LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!

Learn more and purchase tickets:
https://aeroanimalrescue.org/annual-event/

Address

Gainesville, VA

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 8pm
Tuesday 8am - 8pm
Wednesday 8am - 8pm
Thursday 8am - 8pm
Friday 8am - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 8pm
Sunday 8am - 8pm

Telephone

+17034930554

Website

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