CR Wildlife Rehabilitation

07/10/2017

If YOU ARE OR LOVE A RESCUER, PLEASE READ!

There is actually a condition for rescuers called "compassion fatigue syndrome" and every year it takes its toll on people who work in rescue. It is a secondary stress syndrome that occurs from the relentless state of feeling the pain and suffering of others and being responsible for helping them. People who suffer from it are often misjudged, especially when they are fighting through a challenging time and tend to react with less thought and care to those around them needing their support and attention.
Every year by June I can feel it creeping in, but never toward the animals. I understand the syndrome and I know that my emotions are overwhelmed from taking on the needs of hundreds of innocent babies in such a short time, and physical exhaustion compounds the battle to emotionally survive it. I tend to lose patience with people and withdraw emotionally from relationships because I cannot withdraw from the animals. They will die without my complete care. The people in my life will either be there when I have had time to rest and recover, or not. It is something that I have learned to live with because it is hard to expect those you love to understand that for a few months each year, the person that cared about everything and everyone may suddenly appear blunt and heartless, and we cant help it. The best thing that anyone can do for the rescuer in their life is to understand what they are going through and back off with emotional needs and give lots of support and help in any way you can. If we cannot have the room and time to recover, it can actually change who we are forever, and that leads to emotional burn out and potentially giving up the mission we were once so passionate about. It is because we care so much that we break down, and like everyone else who is broken, we just need time to put ourselves back together.
I hope this helps someone out there who might be on either end of this struggle. We need our loved ones after the battlefield clears. Always.

Thanks for reading!
Annette

07/03/2017

06/22/2017

Most of Texas' 3.5 million or so whitetail deer are Geminis, born from late May through June in a mass maternity event timed to put hundreds of thousands of spotted fawns on the ground when habitat conditions and their sheer numbers give them the best chance of survival. The majority of those perils...

05/12/2017

05/11/2017

I wanted to say a bit more about the grey fox release from yesterday. This adult came in having been hit by a car, none of his legs working, his lower jaw split down the middle but intact. He healed completely with a few months of care and treatment and was released back to his home where his mate was waiting and began 'chewing him out' for being gone so long. The funny thing was imagining us in the same position, and our excuse nothing short of an alien abduction.
We train our volunteers and rehabbers with this in mind at all times. When we "rescue" wildlife, they are taken away in vehicles, examined on tables under bright lights, we check their mouth, their temps (a**l probe), we shave wounds, we restrain them sometimes or sedate them.. then into a cage or crate or tub and every few hours someone is peering in or checking them, sometimes force feeding, etc etc,. Their minds have to be absolutely terrorized, and there are so many mistakes that can be made that stress these animals that wouldn't normally occur to someone who is helping. Smiling at them (bearing teeth) petting the animals (many predators lick their prey before eating) and sudden noises or loud voices etc etc.
When you imagine that each animal is experiencing the equivalent of what we might consider an "alien abduction", you will tend to do less to the animal and do what you must do as quickly and efficiently as possible, get them into a private place and cover them up to conceal all the activity that they have no ability to understand.
Rule number one for our daily care is to stick to the same cleaning and feeding routine with every animal, do not change their type of food or water bowls unless necessary (causes them to suspect new objects, stress and hesitate to eat and drink) use the same type of bedding (familiar texture) and always remember, WE are the aliens on THEIR planet.
Thanks for reading!
Annette