Born to be Wild-Animal Rehabilitation and Rescue

05/27/2026

🦝 “What’s their name?” 🦊

One of the questions we get asked most often at the rehab center is, “What did you name them?”

The answer is usually… we didn’t.

While we completely respect that some wildlife rehabilitators choose to name the animals in their care, our center chooses not to — and there is an important reason why.

Wildlife are exactly that… wild. Our goal as rehabilitators is never to make wild animals feel domestic, tame, or dependent on humans. Every decision we make is centered around one thing: successful release back into the wild where they belong.

By avoiding names, we help reinforce an important lesson, especially for children: these are not pets, even when they are tiny, cute, or temporarily dependent on people. A baby raccoon drinking a bottle, a fawn needing medical care, or a squirrel cuddled in blankets may look “pet-like,” but they are still wild animals with wild instincts, wild needs, and wild futures.

Naming animals can unintentionally create the idea that wildlife are companions or something to keep, when in reality, keeping wildlife without proper licensing is illegal in many places and often harmful to the animal. Wild animals do not thrive in homes — they thrive in nature.

Instead of names, we often refer to animals by species, intake number, or unique identifying traits. It helps us stay focused on our mission: rehabilitation, not domestication.

That said, every rehab center operates a little differently, and we deeply appreciate the compassion all wildlife rehabilitators have for the animals they care for. This is simply one of the ways we help teach respect for wildlife and keep our focus on raising healthy, wild animals that can return to the lives they were meant to live.

Because the greatest success story for us isn’t a named animal staying close to humans — it’s a wild animal who no longer needs us at all. ❤️

Photo Credit Kristi Thieme

05/27/2026

🩶 Possum Facts You Probably Didn’t Know! 🩶

As wildlife rehabilitators, we spend a lot of time helping people better understand the animals they share their neighborhoods with — and one of the most misunderstood is the opossum (or “possum” as most of us call them!).

These quiet nighttime visitors are actually incredibly important to our ecosystem. Here are some fascinating facts about North America’s only native marsupial:

🐾 They’re North America’s only marsupial
Unlike most mammals, opossums carry and nurse their babies in a pouch. After several weeks, the babies graduate to riding on mom’s back — which is often when people mistake a healthy mother with babies for an injured animal.

🐝 Baby opossums are incredibly tiny at birth
A newborn opossum is roughly the size of a honeybee and weighs less than a paperclip. After birth, they must crawl into mom’s pouch completely on their own to survive.

🦷 They have 50 teeth — more than any North American land mammal
Those impressive teeth often make them look intimidating, but opossums are generally non-aggressive animals. Open-mouth hissing is usually fear-based and meant to say, “Please leave me alone.”

🌎 They are nature’s cleanup crew
Opossums are opportunistic omnivores and play an important role in the ecosystem. They help clean up carrion (animals already deceased), eat insects, fallen fruit, and other organic material that would otherwise contribute to waste and disease spread.

🐍 They have a natural resistance to some snake venom
Opossums possess biological defenses that make them more resistant to certain snake venoms than many other mammals — one of the many ways nature equipped them for survival.

😴 “Playing possum” is actually a physiological response to fear
When severely stressed or threatened, an opossum may involuntarily enter a catatonic state. They can appear deceased, drool, and even emit an odor that discourages predators. This is not a choice or “trick” — it’s a survival response.

☀️ A possum seen during the day is not automatically sick
This is one of the biggest misconceptions we hear! While sick or injured wildlife should always be evaluated, healthy opossums may be active during daylight for many reasons — searching for food, caring for young, or being disturbed from their sleeping area.

💙 Opossums are more beneficial than harmful
Despite their reputation, opossums are shy, non-territorial animals that rarely cause trouble. In many cases, they are simply passing through and helping maintain a healthy ecosystem.

The more we understand wildlife, the better we can coexist with it. Next time you spot a possum waddling through your yard, remember — they’re usually just out doing an important job. 🩶

Have you ever seen a possum carrying babies on her back? Share your photos or stories below! 👇

Photo Credit Kristi Thieme

05/24/2026

When a licensed wildlife rehabilitator asks where an animal was found, we are not asking because we don’t want to help or because we are trying to avoid taking the animal.

We are asking because there are very real laws, permit restrictions, and disease protocols surrounding wildlife rehabilitation — especially with certain species like deer, raccoons, and other mammals. In Michigan, many species have county-of-origin requirements, movement restrictions, and specific housing or release regulations that we are legally required to follow. (Michigan)

Today, some finders came across a fawn that had reportedly been hit by a car. After contacting another rehabilitator in Kent County and hearing a voicemail stating they could only accept Kent County fawns, the decision was made to claim the fawn came from Kent County.

Later, after the original rehab center was unable to assist and I was asked to step in for triage, the story changed. Suddenly, the fawn was actually from Ottawa County. The finders admitted they lied because they “just wanted the animal to get help.”

Please understand — we know your intentions are often good. We know you are scared, upset, and trying to save an animal. But lying about where an animal came from can put rehabilitators in an incredibly difficult position and, in some cases, create legal issues for the people trying to help.

This is not about us not wanting to help.

This is about following the laws that govern wildlife rehabilitation, protecting wildlife populations, preventing disease spread, and ensuring animals are cared for and released appropriately. Deer rehabilitation in particular has strict regulations regarding county of origin and movement due to disease concerns and DNR requirements. (Michigan)

We ask questions for a reason. Please be honest with your rehabilitators. The more accurate information we have, the better chance we have of helping the animal legally, ethically, and appropriately.

We are all on the same team — helping wildlife.

Please remember that licensed wildlife rehabilitators do wnot get paid for the work they do. They volunteer countless hours, resources, and personal funds to care for injured and orphaned wildlife. If and when you are able, please consider making a donation to help support the care of the animals.

05/21/2026

“Why do baby opossums sound like they’re sneezing?” 🩶

One of the cutest (and most common) sounds we hear in wildlife rehabilitation is the tiny little “sneeze” noise baby opossums make.

Many people are surprised to learn that baby opossums are actually quite vocal! Those little sneezing, puffing, or clicking sounds are often a normal form of communication. Babies may make these noises when they’re hungry, seeking comfort, interacting with siblings, or simply letting everyone know they are awake and active.

At the rehab, we hear it all the time — especially around feeding time. It can sound concerning if you’ve never heard it before, but in many cases, it’s just a baby opossum being a baby opossum. 🥹

Of course, there is a difference between normal vocalizations and signs of illness or distress. Frequent forceful sneezing, nasal discharge, labored breathing, or lethargy can indicate a medical concern and should be evaluated by a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

As always, if you find a baby opossum and aren’t sure if it needs help, please contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator before intervening. Not every baby found alone is orphaned, and proper care from the start makes all the difference in successful rehabilitation and release. 🦝🦊🩶

05/20/2026

Last week we made a post looking for volunteers to help us care for the animals. We had several people comment saying they would message us, and out of those who did, we arranged start times for 6 volunteers…

Only 1 person showed up.

We understand life happens, schedules change, and emergencies come up — but the reality is, rescue doesn’t stop. The bottles still need fed, enclosures still need cleaned, laundry still piles up, and the animals still need care whether we are exhausted or not.

We desperately need volunteers, but we need help now — not in three weeks when schedules clear up, not in July, not “once summer slows down.” We need dependable people willing to jump in and help us today.

If you truly want to volunteer, please only reach out if you are ready and able to commit to showing up. Even a few hours makes a huge difference, but reliability matters because these animals depend on us.

If you’re serious about helping, send us a message. We could really use you. 🦝🦊🐿️

05/19/2026

If you have a scheduled appointment to drop off animals today, we are still able to accept them. However, we are currently on a temporary raccoon intake hold for any new admissions at this time. We appreciate your understanding as we work to provide the best care possible for the animals already in our care.

05/17/2026

Sometimes “thank you” just doesn’t feel like enough. ❤️

Running a small wildlife rescue means there are many days where we wonder how we are going to make everything work — how we’re going to feed all the hungry mouths, replace enclosures, buy supplies, and give every animal the care they deserve. And then people show up for us in the most incredible ways.

We want to give the biggest, most heartfelt thank you to Hello Handyman for taking the time to dig an outdoor pond for our resident turtles.

To Kelly Hyde — thank you for the incredibly generous rabbit enclosure — thank you for helping us get one fixed and ready too!

To everyone who has sent cash donations to help us purchase puppy pads, formula, and even enrichment toys for our raccoon babies… thank you. These may seem like simple things, but they are things we go through every single day, and your generosity takes so much stress off our shoulders. Seeing our babies happy, healthy, and thriving because of your kindness is something we never take for granted.

And a very special thank you to the PAWS TNR program out of Saline MI and vankoyevering for the unbelievably generous donation of a 20-pound bucket of raccoon formula and 8 pounds opossum formula. With the number of babies we are caring for right now, this donation is truly a blessing.

Every single donation, share, item, message, and helping hand matters. Wildlife rehabilitation is hard, emotional, exhausting work — but because of all of you, we get to keep saying “yes” to animals that need us.

And finally, none of this would be possible without some of our amazing bottle feeders who show up week after week willing to get scratched up, pooped and peed on, clean dirty enclosures, run on very little sleep, and listen to me tell everyone how tired I am. 😂❤️ Kristi Thieme,Holly Williams,Beth, Lyz Tosh, Missy Anne Monarch and Jade.

You love these babies like your own, and your dedication never goes unnoticed. You are all truly the best, and we are so incredibly grateful for every single one of you.

From the bottom of our hearts… thank you for believing in us, supporting us, and helping us continue this mission. We truly could not do this without our village. ❤️🦝

05/11/2026

This Mother’s Day, we are hosting a fundraiser to help provide formula for the many orphaned babies currently in our care.

Right now, we are feeding approximately 75 baby animals and going through nearly 3 pounds of formula every single day. These babies rely on specialized formulas tailored to their species in order to survive and thrive.

Every donation made will go directly toward purchasing formula and feeding supplies for the orphaned wildlife we are caring for.

From tiny raccoons and opossums to foxes and squirrels, each baby deserves a chance to grow strong enough to return to the wild where they belong.

If you would like to help support our Mother’s Day fundraiser, any amount makes a difference — and every bottle fed is possible because of compassionate people like you. ❤️

This Mother’s Day, we are hosting a fundraiser to help provide formula for the… Evan Carter needs your support for Help Baby Animals Thrive with Your Donation

05/11/2026

As a wildlife rehabilitator, I cannot just take animals because someone hears them or sees them. Our job is to make sure wild animals stay wild — and most of the time, that means keeping them exactly where they belong: in the wild with their families.

There are absolutely times when intervention is necessary. Sick, injured, or truly orphaned animals need help, and that is when a wildlife rehabilitator steps in. But I cannot ethically or legally remove healthy wildlife simply because someone does not like where they are nesting or living. I also cannot solve issues involving stray cats, neighbors’ dogs, or tree trimming companies.

What I can do is educate, assess situations, and help ensure animal family units remain together whenever possible.

This year more than ever, I have experienced anger, insults, and hostility from people because I could not give them the answer they wanted. Please understand that wildlife rehabilitators are licensed individuals who are required to follow strict laws, city and county ordinances, and continuing education requirements. We do this work because we care deeply about conservation and animal welfare — not because we are paid.

In fact, most of us operate at a financial loss. Donations rarely come close to covering the cost of formula, medical supplies, food, enclosures, utilities, and transport. We sacrifice our time, sleep, finances, and emotional energy to help wildlife.

Tonight, on Mother’s Day, I answered calls at 9:30 PM from people upset that I could not take healthy baby rabbits that still had a mother caring for them. After trying to explain the situation respectfully, I was met with “Thanks for nothing” and called names.

Please remember there is a human being on the other end of the phone. We are doing our best. We care deeply. And while you may be frustrated, tearing down the very people trying to help wildlife only adds to the exhaustion and burnout many rehabilitators already face.

As a community, we have to do better.

05/09/2026

Yesterday alone, I received 49 messages about animals in need. I responded to every single one of them — some while sitting in a movie theater with my own children.

Please understand that even if I spend only five minutes messaging each person, with nearly 50 messages a day, that adds up to over four hours spent just answering messages.

Then there’s the actual animal care.

Right now, we are feeding approximately 75 mouths every 3–4 hours, cleaning enclosures after each feeding, providing medical care, and maintaining cages and habitats. Feeding and cleaning alone takes about six hours a day. Medical care and pressure washing enclosures add even more time.

After all of that, there still needs to be time left for my own family and my regular job.

Wildlife rescue is not just cuddling babies and posting photos online. It is exhausting, emotional, time-consuming work that happens every single day.

We would truly love to add a few dedicated volunteers to our crew. What we need are people who can commit to at least one hour on the same day and time each week for a minimum of one month. Reliability matters because the animals depend on consistency.

If you’ve ever wanted to help wildlife rescue in a meaningful way, this is your opportunity.