Savage Hart

08/29/2026

Saturday Scout Shout-Out!

We’re so grateful to Anne, who recently completed an incredible Eagle Scout project to support local wildlife. Anne led the construction of a new outdoor tortoise habitat that will give recovering patients a safe, natural space to soak up sunlight, rebuild strength, and practice the behaviors they’ll need to survive in the wild. And the timing couldn’t have been better—our injured gopher tortoise is already using the new habitat as part of his rehabilitation!

Anne demonstrated wonderful leadership throughout the project, dedicating countless hours to planning, coordinating, and bringing the build to life with the support of her troop and their families. We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who contributed their time and hard work. This habitat will benefit Georgia’s native wildlife for years to come.

Great work, Anne! 💚

08/28/2026

The Breakfast Club 🐾

08/26/2026

Wishlist Wednesday 🐿️

With dozens of squirrels currently in care, nest boxes are at the top of this week’s wishlist!

These boxes are more than just a cozy place to sleep. They give our squirrels a secure, sheltered space while they’re growing and preparing for life back in the wild. And when release day comes, the box goes with them—giving them a familiar, safe place to retreat while they adjust to their new surroundings.

We have several suitable nest boxes on our Amazon Wishlist at the link below, but you can also build them! Squirrels aren’t picky, and there are plenty of simple building plans available online. If you’re handy and would like to make a few for our patients, we’d be happy to put them to good use. Homemade boxes can be dropped off at our wildlife hospital in Hamilton.

Whether you buy one or build one, you’re helping give a squirrel a safe place to call home—both during rehab and after release. 💚🐿️

Amazon Wishlist:

08/24/2026

Coming at you like Monday morning… 🐢

Our gopher tortoise patient is putting in some work! His little wheel apparatus helps support his weight while encouraging him to use those hind legs during physical therapy.

Happy Monday, everyone! 💚

08/21/2026

We’re officially outnumbered, and we’re calling for reinforcements!

This spring, you helped us stock up for baby season. We filled the kitchen shelves with formula and the nursery with supplies—and truly believed we had enough to carry us through the year. Those supplies fed a lot of hungry babies. But with patient intake now up 25% over last year 😳, they disappeared much sooner than we ever expected.

The nursery is still full. The juvie room is full. Babies are still arriving. And every one of them still needs weeks of food and specialized care before they’re ready to return to the wild.

We need your help restocking the kitchen and nursery with the formula, food, and everyday supplies these young wild animals need to grow healthy, strong, and prepared for life in the wild.

Will you help us refill our shelves and keep these babies fed? 💚

Hit the Donate button below or give directly here: https://www.savagehartwildlife.org/how-to-help/donate/

08/19/2026

For all of our Chewy shoppers - It's never been easier to give back! Help our wildlife patients by shopping our Wish List to donate much-needed food and supplies directly to our organization.

Click the link to donate today!

Savage Hart Wildlife is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and conserving wild animals and their natural environments. We exist to facilitate animal welfare,

08/17/2026

Patient Update 🐢

It’s been a few weeks since we introduced you to the severely injured gopher tortoise from Buena Vista, and we’re happy to report that he’s doing well!

His rehabilitation is very hands-on right now. He receives daily wound care, appropriate pain medication, and physical therapy. Because of the location of his injuries and the associated pain, decreased use of his hind legs is expected at this stage. We expect him to regain full use as he heals, and in the meantime, regular PT helps maintain range of motion and prevent muscle atrophy during his long recovery.

Another really positive sign—he’s eating on his own! Significant injury, stress, and pain can all affect a reptile’s appetite, so we’re always happy when a patient begins eating voluntarily. Good nutrition is especially important now, giving his body the fuel it needs to heal and regain strength.

He’s also spending time outside soaking up natural sunlight, where he happily munches on grass and whatever seasonal fruits happen to fall from the trees. Access to natural UVA and UVB is especially beneficial for reptiles, supporting normal behavior, calcium metabolism, and healthy bone and shell maintenance.

We knew when we made the decision to treat him that this wouldn’t be a quick case. His recovery will be measured in months, not weeks, but we’re very encouraged by where he is today.

Most importantly, thank you. So many of you donated toward his care, liked and shared his story, and helped make this long rehabilitation possible. Every dressing change, every PT session, and every bit of progress you see is something your support helped make possible.

A special thank you to our partners at Project AnimalAid for providing many of the medical supplies being used in his care. Long-term cases like this use a tremendous amount of supplies, and we’re incredibly grateful for their support.

For now, we keep doing the work—and we’ll keep you posted on his progress. 💚

08/12/2026

Our friends at Columbus Medical Aesthetics are collecting supplies for Savage Hart throughout August and September!

And they’re giving you a pretty great reason to help fill that donation box. Bring in an item from our Supply Drive Wish List and receive 25% off your entire product purchase.

Every item collected helps keep our wildlife hospital stocked with the everyday supplies we go through while caring for injured and orphaned native wildlife—from paper towels and laundry detergent to puppy pads, food, cleaning supplies, and more.

A huge thank you to Columbus Medical Aesthetics for finding a fun way to support our mission and help keep Georgia wild. 💚

08/10/2026

We're starting the week with one of our favorite kinds of updates...

Remember the young gray fox that was trapped in a fence? A few months ago, we weren't sure how her story would end. After spending nearly a day suspended by one leg, she arrived unable to bear weight on the injured limb. While there were no fractures, the injury left her with significant swelling and nerve damage. With veterinary care, physical therapy, time, and the opportunity to simply be a young fox again, she slowly regained normal use of her leg.

Recently, she returned to the wild—and she wasn't alone. The orphaned gray fox she spent the past few months growing up alongside was ready, too. Together, they disappeared into the woods, and watching them run, you'd never know one of them had ever been injured.

Whether you shared their story, donated toward their care, or simply cheered them on from afar, you helped give these two young foxes the second chance they deserved.

Thank you for being part of their journey.
-
To learn more about our mission or ways to support our work, visit https://www.savagehartwildlife.org/

08/06/2026

Meet the Team: Tiffani & Laura

(The original duo behind Savage Hart)

You've gotten to know some of our interns and volunteers, so we thought it was about time we introduced ourselves. Laura is Savage Hart's Founder & Executive Director, and Tiffani is our Director of Rehabilitation.

After years of working side by side, we've built the kind of partnership that only comes from sharing thousands of patients, wildlife hotline calls, rescues, releases, and everything in between. We finish each other's sentences, somehow communicate with little more than a look across the clinic, and know exactly when the other needs to step away, jump in, or simply be reminded to eat lunch. We've learned to trust each other's instincts, and there isn't a major decision made at Savage Hart that we don't talk through together.

One of the biggest reasons our partnership works so well is that we've learned to lean into each other's strengths. We both do a little bit of everything, but Laura often takes the lead on grant writing, planning, and building the partnerships that keep Savage Hart moving forward. Tiffani is usually the first to volunteer for ladder climbs to reunite young raptors, late-night rescues, and the nitty-gritty medical cases (especially the ones with maggots that Laura would rather avoid). We're constantly learning from each other and pushing one another to become better wildlife rehabilitators.

Some of our best conversations happen sitting on the clinic hallway floor after a long day, talking through difficult cases before grabbing a piece of chocolate and heading to our cars. Even after we leave, we're often texting each other to pull up the patient cameras, compare observations, and see what our patients are up to after hours.

When you follow Savage Hart, you're usually seeing one chapter of a patient's journey. Behind every update are countless conversations, second opinions, shared decisions, and a partnership built on trust.

If you've followed Savage Hart for a while, thank you for allowing us to share this journey with you. We don't say it often enough, but we're really glad you're here.