A New Dawn - Wildlife Rehab & Rescue

06/12/2026

Always provide a ramp for wildlife!

Summer is here & outdoor swimming is great but please consider making a ramp or a floatation device to help wildlife that make accidentally get stuck in your pools.

It's hot outside & a large container of water maybe very appealing to thirsty wildlife. Only problem, wildlife may not be able to get out of the pools.

Animal Help Now provided this little post a while back & I find it very helpful.

As usual, if you find injured or orphaned wildlife, keep them warm, please do not give food or water, & contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or facility near you.

*use the state's wildlife commission website or AnimalHelpNow.org to locate a licensed wildlife rehabilitator or facility.

06/04/2026

Save the turtles!!!

If you need guidance on how to do this, please let me know!!

05/29/2026

Unfortunately, sometimes they don't make it. This is the side of rehab that hurts.

2g mouse that we transported from an hour away. Mice can be super difficult due to their tiny size. They eat every 2 hours and can dehydrate super fast.

Once we got him here, I went to take him out to transfer to his new enclosure on a heating pad. It was at that moment he took his last breath while in my hands. Such a tiny, sweet little soul. Some people may say, "it's just a nasty mouse." But it's not. Mice are living beings too and deserve every bit of a chance as any other living being.

We always do everything we can to save them but mom is ALWAYS their best chance at survival.

Every life deserves A New Dawn.
Small team. Big heart. Wild purpose

05/29/2026

05/24/2026

Friday night, we drove to pick up 3 Virginia opossums to bring back for release onto our property after being rehabbed by the wonderful Wildlings: Wildlife Rehabilitation & Rescue. We have acres and acres of land surrounded by even more wooded areas, along with a nice-sized creek, tons of natural shelter, and plenty of natural food sources for wildlife.

Rescue and rehab is all about coming together to help the animals who need us most. Since we have so much space for wildlife to safely thrive, we’re able to accommodate more wildlife releases than some others can.

“Meathead” is what the big male opossum was named because he is HUGE 😂 Any names us rehabbers give the animals we rehab and release are always given with love, even if the names sound a little mean sometimes lol.

Please consider donating to us, Wildlings, or any other wildlife rehab organization so we can continue saving these amazing animals, giving them proper care, and providing them with a second chance to thrive in the wild where they belong. 🖤

Thank you for supporting our dream of giving these animals a second chance at life. 💚

Every life deserves A New Dawn.
Small team. Big heart. Wild purpose.

05/24/2026

Listen here LINDA! Yes, he's a male but his name is Linda because I always have to say "Listen Linda!" to him! He is huge and is able to get up on my 2 foot high raised garden bed and shelves which I thought was safe for a little longer but noooooo!

This is him coming on the back porch shortly after placing some garbage bags outside with blankets in them to be taken away so NO FOOD was even in the bags! lol

I walked out this morning to my 4 potted Black Eyed Susan's knocked on the ground tipped over and eaten and my Mother's Day flower I got from my sister was eaten. Now tell me why he went for those but didn't touch any of my succulents that he loves to destroy (which I have tons of so that he can have whatever he wants of those), didn't touch any of my herbs or veggies or any of the stuff he usually destroys. lol

I told him to be patient with me because I'm trying to get him and his little family a huge garden planted but it's taking time. But no, he wants to go for all of MY plants.

So...Listen here Linda, if you're not too full from eating MY plants and can access your groundhog facebook account and you see this, please do me a huge solid and leave MY stuff alone! lol I'm working on getting YOURS fully stocked!! I love you and I'm grateful that you have found my home to be a safe space for you and your sweet little family every year but give me some time!!! lol

Thank you good sir and have a great day everyone!!

05/18/2026

A New Dawn Wildlife Rehab & Rescue needs your help 🐇🐭🐍🐸🐢🦎🐿️

Are you decluttering your garage, shed, workshop, barn, or yard and wondering what to do with leftover building supplies? Before hauling them to the dump, please consider donating them to A New Dawn Wildlife Rehab & Rescue 💚

We are currently looking for:
• Scrap lumber
• Plywood
• Insulation
• Fencing
• Shelving
• Old cabinets
• Electrical supplies
• Other usable building materials

If you're not sure if we can use it, mention it and we will let you know. You'd be amazed at what us rehabbers can turn things into to be useable materials.

Right now, baby season has exploded into full chaos mode. Every single day, rehabbers receive call after call about injured and orphaned wildlife needing immediate help. More tiny mouths to feed. More medical care. More animals needing a safe, secure place to recover.

We are working hard here at A New Dawn to secure and fix up our rehab building so we can continue helping as many wild lives as possible.

What many people don’t realize is that wildlife rehab is almost entirely volunteer based. We do this because we love these animals and want to give them a second chance, but the overwhelming majority of supplies, food, vet care, and building costs come directly out of our own pockets unless items are donated.

That means even the smallest donation can make a huge difference.

And if you happen to be an electrician, or know someone handy with electrical work… we would LOVE your expertise too 😂⚡

Every board, screw, sheet of plywood, donated tool, share, and act of kindness helps us build a safer future for the wildlife depending on us.

Thank you for supporting our dream of giving these animals a second chance at life. 💚

Every life deserves A New Dawn.
Small team. Big heart. Wild purpose

(Picture is if when you look out the door from A New Dawn - Wildlife Rehab and Rescue.)

05/17/2026

Please read this carefully!!! I couldn't have said it better myself.

Sorry, but us rehabbers are exhausted & honestly a ridiculous amount of time is being wasted arguing with finders. Every single day we are spending sometimes literal HOURS begging people to hand over babies and injured animals while being told “Google/ChatGPT said this” or “I already gave it water/formula because I’m not letting it starve.” There are reasons we tell you NOT to give food or water. A cold baby cannot digest formula. Wrong feeding causes aspiration. Every species is fed differently with different formulas, amounts, schedules, weights, and methods. Water can kill dehydrated wildlife if done incorrectly. We are not trying to be difficult. We are trying to keep them alive long enough to actually help them.
🚩And please do not say you “found another rehabber” just to avoid listening/keeping the creature etc. We are all full, networking constantly, and we know who is who.

In North Carolina, by law, you only have 24 hours to transfer wildlife to a licensed rehabber. The longer babies sit in boxes being fed random things from the internet, handled constantly, stressed, dehydrated, or kept around pets and children, the worse their chances become.The top causes of death we see are cats and finders. That is the reality.

Rehab season has us elbows deep in feedings, meds, wound care, tubing, cleaning cages, laundry, breathing treatments, being bit and scratched, sleepless nights, and trying to place animals when everyone is overloaded. We cannot have volunteers around wildlife unless they hold the proper permits, so unfortunately there is not much “extra help” coming in either. We do not have hours to spend arguing over why a squirrel should not have cow’s milk, why a bunny should not be kept (Google capture myopathy) because someone got attached overnight, or being cussed at and called names for trying to help. What in the Sam hell?

When you hand wildlife over to a rehabber, consider donating toward their care if you are able. Formula, syringes, heating pads, meds, gas, cages, laundry detergent, supplies, and food all come out of our own pockets. The majority of us are not paid to do this. We are volunteering our homes, time, sleep, money, sanity, and entire lives during baby season trying to save them.

If you truly want to help wildlife, and it is free: HEAT.KEEP SAFE AND QUIET.CONTACT A LICENSED REHABBER.BE PATIENT.LISTEN TO THEIR INSTRUCTIONS.TRANSPORT.

That is all.

04/29/2026

04/18/2026

Calling all local builders, carpenters, and animal lovers! 🦋💚

I’m looking for some amazing people willing to donate their time, skills, or materials to help transform the back area of my well house into the new home for A New Dawn – Wildlife Rehab!

If you have building, carpentry, or renovation experience — or even extra tools or supplies to share — I’d love to connect. The exact start date isn’t set yet, but construction will need to be completed before next spring to meet state inspection requirements.

Your contribution will directly help rescue and rehabilitate North Carolina’s wildlife — from snakes and lizards to opossums and groundhogs. 💚

Interested? Comment below or message me to get involved. Let’s build something beautiful together — for the animals and the community!