T L Whatley RVN - Locum Vet Nurse Service

08/07/2026

12/05/2026

🦘 A gentle reminder for everyone working with wildlife patients, whether in general practice, emergency, rescue or dedicated wildlife hospitals.

The member of the public standing at your reception desk with an injured animal is usually scared, emotional, worried… and trying to help.

They may have put themselves out of their comfort zone to stop for that animal. They may have spent hours trying to catch it, driven long distances, or interrupted work, school pick-up or family commitments just to get that animal help.

Please don’t make them feel like a burden.
Please don’t make them feel stupid.
And please don’t tell them off for not handling the situation perfectly.
If someone has done something incorrectly, use it as an opportunity to kindly educate them — because if their experience is met with embarrassment or hostility, next time they may keep driving. And wildlife cannot afford that.

The same goes within our profession.

For those working in wildlife hospitals and specialist centres: remember that general practice teams are usually doing the absolute best they can with the knowledge, equipment, staffing and time they have available. Most clinics are trying to help between desexings, emergencies, consults and phones ringing off the hook.

Educate. Support. Collaborate.
Not reprimand.

I’ve personally been on the receiving end of feeling “told off” for wildlife cases before — and there was genuinely a moment where I thought, “Why do I even try to help if I’m just going to get criticised?”

And that thought scared me. Because I’m someone deeply involved in wildlife nursing and education… I literally wrote the damn book.

If experienced wildlife professionals can feel discouraged, imagine how a new graduate, GP nurse, receptionist or member of the public might feel.
Kindness keeps people helping wildlife.

And collaboration saves more animals than ego ever will. 🖤