Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, Inc.

10/07/2026

CWRA 2026 Fall Meeting – Registration Now Open!

The Connecticut Wildlife Rehabilitators Association invites wildlife rehabilitators, veterinary professionals, animal control officers, students, and others working with or interested in wildlife to join us for our 2026 Fall Meeting.

Saturday, November 21, 2026
Mattatuck Museum | Waterbury, CT
Doors open at 8:15 AM | Program 9:00 AM–5:00 PM

This year’s program brings together wildlife veterinarians, researchers, rehabilitators, and advocates for a full day of education:

• Emergency Care of Sick and Injured Wildlife — Dr. Raina Shunk, South Wilton Veterinary Group

• Tracking the Fate of Window-Struck and Captive-Raised Birds Post-Release — Dr. Cailin O’Connor, PhD, Kean University

• The Growing Threat of Anticoagulant Pesticides in Connecticut — Christine Cummings, A Place Called Hope; Lisa Shirk, Newtown Conservation Commission; and Annie Hornish, Humane World for Animals

• Case Scenarios in Wildlife Rehabilitation — Dr. Rob Adamski, Consulting Wildlife Veterinarian, IWRC & WRAM

• Handling Emaciation Cases — Dr. Shary Parker, Wildlife Veterinarian, Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy

• Top Ten Common Problems Seen in Wildlife Rehabilitation — Dr. Rob Adamski, Consulting Wildlife Veterinarian, IWRC & WRAM

Registration:
$40 – CWRA Members, advance registration
$65 – Non-Members, advance registration
$75 – Day-of registration

Advance registration includes morning refreshments, a buffet lunch, and afternoon snacks, a $40 value, and is strongly encouraged to ensure an accurate meal count.

Whether you encounter wildlife in a rehabilitation facility, veterinary hospital, animal control setting, or out in the field, we hope you’ll join us for a day of education, professional connection, and discussion.

Register and view complete meeting details here:
https://cwrawildlife.networkforgood.com/events/105744-fall-meeting-2026

Please feel free to share with colleagues, staff, students, and others who may be interested.

09/20/2026

Board member Deborah Galle and I had a great day tabling at the CT Municipal Animal Control Officers Association and we met many ACOs interested in wildlife rehab! We were joined by Annie Hornish of Humane World for Animals and former legislator David Michel, along with the wonderful volunteers for Desmond’s Army which stands up for abused and neglected animals in court.

09/18/2026

Connecticut wildlife rehabilitators! This one is practically in our backyard!

The 2026 NYSWRC Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference will be held November 12–15 in Ossining, NY. With this year’s conference location so close to Connecticut, it’s a great opportunity to attend a multi-day wildlife rehabilitation conference without having to travel quite so far from home.

The conference offers a wide variety of sessions for both new and experienced rehabilitators, with topics covering medical care, triage, species-specific rehabilitation, fluid therapy, reconditioning, wildlife education, nonprofit management and much more.

If you are currently working toward your Connecticut wildlife rehabilitation appointment, conference education may also help you complete your apprenticeship requirements. Generally, up to 20 hours of approved wildlife rehabilitation conferences, seminars and similar educational programs may be applied toward the required apprenticeship hours. Be sure to keep documentation of your attendance and confirm applicability to your individual apprenticeship requirements with DEEP.

For already-appointed rehabilitators, conferences are a great opportunity to continue learning, connect with other rehabbers, and come home with some new ideas to put into practice.

Registration is currently open!

Today is the day! Our 2026 NYSWRC Conference full tentative schedule is out now! We are so excited to bring you four days worth of lectures, hands-on labs, workshops, discussions, networking, and fun. You can view the full schedule and register for the conference on our website. You can register for all four days or for just one day - it is entirely up to you. Please keep in mind that this schedule, including lectures, titles, speakers, and timing, is subject to change as we approach the conference.

See the schedule here: https://www.nyswrc.org/conference-info

09/15/2026

Have you ever thought about becoming a wildlife rehabilitator?

Connecticut’s next New Wildlife Rehabilitator Training Class will be held on Sunday, October 25 at the Kellogg Environmental Center in Derby!

Wildlife rehabilitation is incredibly rewarding, but there is a lot more to it than simply caring for an injured or orphaned animal. This training is the first step toward understanding what wildlife rehabilitation really involves from basic care and handling to state laws, permits, responsibilities, and the realities of working with Connecticut’s wildlife.

If becoming a wildlife rehabilitator is something you’ve been considering, this is where you start.

Registration is now open and closes October 16.

Space is limited, so don’t wait until the last minute to register!

https://cwrawildlife.networkforgood.com/events/105397-new-wildlife-rehabilitator-training-october-2026

08/25/2026

SAVE THE DATES!

CWRA has two events coming up this fall, and we hope you’ll join us. Be sure to mark your calendars and watch for more information as we get closer to each event.

New Wildlife Rehabilitator Class
Sunday, October 25 | Derby, CT

Interested in becoming a wildlife rehabilitator in Connecticut? This mandatory class is considered the first step toward becoming a permitted wildlife rehabilitator. Registration information and additional details will be announced soon.

CWRA Fall Meeting
Saturday, November 21 | Waterbury, CT

Join us for a day of education, networking, and connecting with fellow wildlife rehabilitators from across the state. We’re working on finalizing this year’s program and will be announcing lecture topics and additional details soon.

We hope to see you at one or both of these events this fall!

08/18/2026

REMINDER! The final pop-up veterinary clinic for rehabilitators will be held THIS Thursday, August 20th at the Franklin Swamp Wildlife Management Area!
Location: Under the Mountain Rd, Franklin, CT
Time: 10 am - 2 pm

If you have any wild animals in your care who need an exam, diagnosis, treatment, vaccinations, wound management or more, wildlife vets (Dr Parker and Dr Marko) will be happy to help you!

Reservations: Text/call 860-876-9246 or email [email protected]
Emergency arrivals: Text/ call Laurie at 860-876-9246 or Lisa at 860-305-1163

This special opportunity is thanks to a partnership between CWRA, Vet Care Everywhere, and DEEP.

08/10/2026

Wildlife rehabilitators have been invited to bring wildlife patients to a pop up veterinary clinic TOMORROW (8/11) at Northwest Community College in Winsted from 9am-3pm. The clinic is being run by Dr Melissa Magnotta of Copilot Mobile Vet as a service for rescue groups, and she extended the invitation to our group. X-ray services will be available. To register, call or text 860-639-7419 or email [email protected]. (Please call ahead, don't just show up!)

08/08/2026

Reminder: mobile wildlife vet clinic is open TODAY at the Indian Rock Preserve in Bristol Connecticut! Feel free to bring your wildlife patients for exams, treatments, vaccinations, etc. We are here 10 AM to 2 PM TODAY . Please call ahead when you’re en route: 860-876-9246

06/14/2026

05/24/2026

Ensuring that wildlife does not bond with humans is essential to their survival. Rehabilitators are implementing positive protocols to prevent this from happening.

Great Humanity Job!! Some baby animals bond so deeply with whoever raises them that caretakers have to hide their human identity completely 🥹 wearing full animal suits, using puppets, copying movements and sounds, just so these tiny orphaned babies can grow up feeling safe, natural, and wild inst...