OCCRA ::: On-Call Community Rescue for Animals

04/22/2026

It takes a village. This is some of ours ❤️🙏

We got to celebrate our volunteers and have our yearly meeting just in time for fledgling season (aka… our busiest, most chaotic time of year 😅)

We managed to wrangle a group photo, this is less than half of our full OCCRA response team… which is just wild to think about. This team has grown so much in ten years! . We’ll check in again soon, lots of admin stuff happening , supes busy. BRB 🙏❤️

🚨 WANT TO SUPPORT OCCRA? 🚨
Your help saves wildlife! 💚 Every donation goes directly to outfitting, training, and rescuing animals in need.
🦉 Best way to give? Donate through our website (link in bio)! ✅ Venmo & PayPal take fees, so donating directly helps even more.

Other ways to support: www.occrapdx.org
💸 Venmo: [ (please make sure you confirm it is our account, last 4 digits of phone number are 3450)]
💰 PayPal: [OCCRA PayPal Link in bio]
📦 Amazon Wishlist: [Wishlist Link in bio]
✉️ Mail a check: [PO BOX 1291 - Oregon City, OR 97045]

Every dollar makes a difference! Thank you for being a wildlife hero! 🙌💚

vOCCRAnteer wildlifetransport oregonwildlife oregonvolunteers animalvolunteers wildlife 💙 SecondChanceForWildlife 🌿 BackToTheWild 💚 WildlifeVolunteers 🙌 VolunteerForWildlife 🌱 EcoWarrior 💪 🌍 📣 🦉 SaveWildlife 🦊 WildlifeConservation 🦡 🦆 ProtectWildlife 🐍 WildlifeMatters 🦅 AnimalRescue
📍 WildlifeRescueOregon 🏥 WildlifeRehab 🦜 RescueRehabRelease 🐾 WildlifeRescue 🦢 InjuredWildlif

03/26/2026

You should never be able to walk this close to a wild beaver 🛑🚨

When wild animals stop avoiding humans, it’s often a sign that something is very wrong. 🦫

This beaver was found at Sellwood Riverfront Park and allowed our team to approach without attempting to flee—behavior that strongly suggests illness, injury, or severe distress. 💔

Thanks to the quick response by volunteers Manon and Alex, this beaver was safely contained and transported for further evaluation and treatment at ❤️

Moments like this are a reminder that wildlife often suffers silently—and that early intervention can make the difference between life and death.

💛 If you want to support this work:
• Donate to help fund rescue efforts
• Volunteer your time
• Share this post to help others learn what to do when wildlife is in distress

Thank you for being part of the community that makes this possible.

03/18/2026

03/18/2026

Lake Oswego — BABY SEASON HAS ENTERED THE CHAT 🐣🌲

We’ve got our first “GHOWLET” of 2026 🦉💥
(Yes… that’s baby Great Horned Owl for those new here)

A Lake Oswego resident found this little fluffball hanging out on their back steps — while mom was nearby calling and keeping watch ❤️

And here’s the gold star moment ⭐️
They did EXACTLY the right thing — they did not touch the baby and called Bird Alliance of Oregon to help triage the situation.

Because here’s the deal:
👉 Most of the time, baby wildlife should be left alone
👉 Or you can attempt a renest with the parents nearby (after triaging with the pros at Bird Alliance)

BUT… this little biscuit likely took a very long fall from the nest and had potential injuries, so intervention was needed.

Annette responded and transported the owlet to DoveLewis, and then on to the , where they are currently in care. We’re hopeful for a possible renest and a second chance 🤞

And just like that…
Baby season has officially begun.

This is the first of 2026… and likely the first of hundreds.
Things are about to get real bananas 🍌

Please bear with us over the next few months —
we will be truly, truly, absolutely inundated with calls.

If you don’t see us posting as much, just know:
🔥 We are working at all the candle ends
🚑 Responding across multiple counties
🦉 Doing everything we can for wildlife and our community

We’ll share stories when we can — but right now, it’s go time.

OregonWildlife LeaveWildlifeWild Renesting SpringRush

03/18/2026

Wait… donkeys?! 🫏

We promise — we are not rescuing farm animals again 😅
But this rescue did come with some very cute coworkers…

The first photo is from our friends over at Oregon Donkey Sanctuary in Oregon City, where a sanctuary sitter was busy caring for 40+ rescue donkeys (honestly… dream job??). When they found a tiny Anna’s hummingbird under a feeder — exhausted, not thriving, and unable to fly — they knew they needed backup.

With their hands already very full (and probably a few donkeys asking for snacks), they gave us a call ❤️

Let’s be real… we don’t know anyone who isn’t obsessed with donkeys. And while we respond to over 95% of our callouts, some are extra special — because sometimes our volunteers get to meet some very sweet, very long-eared residents along the way.

Annette responded and safely transported this little hummingbird to . We’re hopeful they were able to make the next step to the for continued care and a second chance 🕊️

Tiny patient. Big team effort.
And yes… still thinking about those donkeys.

RescueStory SmallButMighty

03/09/2026

🦉 Not Santa. An owl.

Last week we received a cal about a barred owl stuck inside a chimney in NW Portland. The owl had been perched behind the damper for days, climbing the chimney walls but unable to escape 🏠.

Our volunteer arrived to assess the situation and confirmed what we often see in these cases: chimneys can act like vertical traps for birds 💔. Without a way to spread their wings, owls and other wildlife can climb up and down the walls but struggle to exit.

With careful planning- and a little creativity- the damper was safely removed and our volunteer climbed inside the chimney to reach the owl. The result? One very dusty rescuer 🧍‍♂️ and one rescued owl 🦉 on the way to veterinary care 🏥.

This rescue is a good reminder:
🏠 Install chimney caps to prevent wildlife from entering
🏠 If you hear scratching or movement in your chimney, don’t start a fire
🏠 Contact your local wildlife professional for guidance

Stay safe out there, owls. And maybe… avoid the chimneys. 🦉⚡️

👇 Have you ever heard animals in your chimney before? Tell us what it was in the comments 👇

03/09/2026

🔗 Donate in our link in bio — it takes just a click!
(OCCRA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and all donations are tax-deductible.)

✨ OCCRA just surpassed 500 wildlife rescues.

That’s 500 animals that were able to get help because someone called — and volunteers were ready to respond.

Our team responds day and night across six counties, helping wildlife get safely contained and transported to professional care.

With fledgling season approaching, rescue calls are about to increase dramatically as young birds leave the nest.

Donations help us equip volunteers with the safety gear needed to do this work — things like gloves, nets, carriers, and rescue supplies.

Every dollar goes directly toward supporting the volunteers behind these rescues.

🦉 500 rescues down — and many more animals will need help this year.

Thank you for supporting wildlife and the people who show up for them.

03/09/2026

🦉 Great Horned Owl Rescue – Beavercreek
OCCRA rescue #500

Last week our team responded to a report of a grounded Great Horned Owl in Beavercreek.

The call first came in from a concerned Good Samaritan who had been referred to us by Oregon State Police. Troopers were unable to respond, and the resident’s family member had found the owl down in their yard. With no one on scene feeling safe handling such a powerful raptor, they reached out for help.

This is exactly how our system works.
Danny Rost was monitoring the OCCRA phone and took the call. From there, volunteers Danny and Kari Jacobs responded that evening. Working carefully in the dark with lights, they were able to safely locate and contain the owl before transporting the patient to DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital for overnight stabilization.

We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating — there are a million things happening behind the scenes at OCCRA. While you may only see occasional rescue posts on social media, our team is constantly responding to calls, coordinating volunteers, fielding reports, and getting wildlife to care.

And last week marked a huge milestone for our organization:

✨ OCCRA officially surpassed 500 wildlife rescues.

That’s over 500 animals that were able to get a second chance because someone cared enough to call, and because volunteers were ready to respond.

Every rescue represents hours of phone coordination, volunteers leaving their homes at all hours, miles driven across six counties, and strong partnerships with care centers that can treat these animals.

We’re incredibly proud of our team and grateful to the community that continues to trust us with these calls.

We wish this beautiful Great Horned Owl the very best in treatment and hope to see them back in the wild soon. 🦉💛

03/07/2026

✨ Big milestone for OCCRA yesterday! ✨

We held our Board of Directors meeting and officially completed a major leadership transition as we move into the next phase of OCCRA’s growth. It was a special moment to reflect on how far this organization has come since our original foundation in 2015, to our board establishment in 2021, to the massive amount of callouts and incredible team of over 50 volunteers we have today 🖤🦉

Image 1: Our founding OCCRA board in 2021 — Alicia Laing, Mike Borden, and Virginia Krakowiak — who helped get this program off the ground.

Image 2: The board from 2023–2026 who guided OCCRA through huge growth, hundreds of wildlife rescues, and the partner agency relationships we've worked so hard to build. Virginia Borden, Joanne Cloud, Mike Borden, Alicia Laing, Darci Love, Shannon Dooley

Image 3: Our new OCCRA Board of Directors as of March 5, 2026.

✨ New Officers
President — Scotty Lombardi
Vice President — Nikki Panos
Secretary — Danny Rost
Treasurer — Susie Sullivan

🦉 Board Members
Virginia Borden
Annette Blackwell
Darci Love

We also want to thank the board members stepping down from officer roles after years of dedication: Alicia Laing, Shannon Dooley, Joanne Cloud, and Mike Borden. 💛

OCCRA exists because of the incredible people behind it — from the founding board, to the leaders who helped grow the program, to every volunteer responding to wildlife calls across our six counties.

This transition is a HUGE STEP for the future of our mission. Succession planning is how nonprofits grow and stay strong.

The future is bright — and we’re just getting started. 🖤🦉✨

Thank you all for believing in this mission and your heart for our community and wildlife!

.irene .borden.5667

02/28/2026

02/28/2026

Beaver Rescue – Raleigh Hills, Portland
RESCUE #493

OCCRA responded to reports of a trapped beaver in Portland near Raleigh Hills this week. The patient was stuck down in a narrow concrete drainage ditch — we don’t know how many days they had been there, but their nails were worn down, they had minor injuries, and they were severely exhausted.

Volunteers Danny and Zoey responded. Danny has a long history of experience with many wild species and previously worked as a rehabilitator with the Bird Alliance of Oregon, which made a big difference on a call like this. Together, they were able to safely contain the beaver and transport them to the Bird Alliance of Oregon Wildlife Care Center for treatment.

After several days of supportive care and monitoring, the beaver was successfully released back to the same area. 💛

But here’s the best part of the story: the Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District stepped in and covered the drainage hole to prevent this from happening again.

Mitigation is a huge part of rescue work. There’s no point in continually responding to the same preventable injuries if measures aren’t taken to fix the root cause. We are so thankful that this was taken seriously and addressed right away.

Wishing that beautiful beaver safe travels and many peaceful nights ahead. 🦫

02/15/2026

This is our fifth Bald Eagle rescue of 2026 already.

For comparison, there were nine total Bald Eagles admitted in all of 2025 to Wildlife Care Center.

Why the increase?

Because OCCRA exists.

When a massive raptor is grounded — in a backyard, on a roadside, being harassed by crows, or simply too dangerous for a resident to safely contain — people now have someone to call. That means more eagles (and other large raptors) are making it to professional care instead of suffering unseen.

And that’s a good thing.

But here’s the reality:

Last year alone, the treated over 5,000 patients.
Large raptors like Bald Eagles dramatically increase the lift required:

• More food (and not inexpensive food)
• More volunteer and medical hours
• Larger enclosures and flight buildings
• Incubators, specialized equipment
• Higher utility and supply costs
• Long rehabilitation timelines

You name it — it scales up quickly with birds this size.

More successful rescues means more patients arriving.
More patients means more strain on the care center.

There is absolutely no way to sustain this level of intake — especially with large raptors — without strong, consistent financial support.

When you see and share these Bald Eagle rescues, please also consider supporting the BAO Wildlife Care Center. The rescue is only the first step. The real work — and expense — begins after intake.

These second chances are only possible because of donors. Thank you and Danny for helping this patient to care!