The Opossum's Pouch Sanctuary, Rescue and Rehabilitation

08/19/2026

This mom was attacked by a dog. She has some pretty deep puncture wounds, as well as a broken foot from a bite. She's moving very slow due to the pain. Only two of her babies survived. The second one has some scratches and hiding under her mom.

Before letting your dog out at night, please make a loud noise to scare any opossums who may be in the yard. Give them the chance to run. We'll know more once the mom settles in. I do believe X-rays will be needed this week. All are so scared right now but somehow I believe they know a kind voice and good food means life will be easier.

08/16/2026

Remember this spicy little boy from weeks ago? He's healed really well. It's questionable if the fur will completely grow back around his eye. The shiny pink area is new skin and in a few more weeks we'll know if the fur will grow back. Often times the tissue can be too damaged for fur to grow however the great part is his vision is unharmed. He's eating great, finished with his meds but needs another 3/4 of a pound gained before we can consider a soft release.

Soft releases are when they are outdoors for 10-14 days to acclimate to the smells, sounds and temps. Then the gate is left open so he can decide to leave on his own terms. Should he become injured or not managing well in the wild, most will return to their enclosure. This is the only way I release for the best chance they will survive!

08/12/2026

This old lady has cataracts and can't see. She had been sleeping between the roots of this tree for 3 days. A nice older lady put out water and a few grapes daily. At noon today she found me. Frode Briggs who is a good friend, transports for many rehabbers when far away. The last two photos were this old girl eating a banana after being picked up and the last is her enclosure for now. We will meet up this week so this lovely old girl can live out her life here at The Pouch. She'll be wormed and put on a good diet! Life just took a nice turn for her!

08/08/2026

Update on Silus, our old guy from the trap... He's a bit cleaner but has some infection in one of his eyes. His teeth are worn down really severely and one tooth seems infected. Silus is being treated and I'm keeping his foods soft for now. He has a really good appetite which is a great sign.

These old ones deserve a soft bed, good food and care. Silus would not have made it through a cold winter. I wish all the old, blind or injured could find a caring place to spend the remainder of their lives free from fear and pain... Being able to go to sleep with a full tummy is something very few ever know.

08/05/2026

I've had a lot of questions about The Pouch's Sanctuary. I've never thought about posting photos . My husband and I took out a loan to build the 2 story Sanctuary. We finished the inside bit by bit. A good "opossum friend" who is an electrician (Rodney Johnson) drove a 4 hr round trip several times to handle all the wiring. I shopped the market place for appliances and much of the material needed. (I'm not cheap but I am thrifty) It's decorated with years of opossum items given to me and some I purchased here and there. The Sanctuary is 6 ft. from our home and we attached the two with an enclosed breezeway. It's nothing fancy but functional. I would have tried to add more sq. footage had I known how much The Pouch would grow. We were slowly remodeling our home and so far lost 2 rooms to the over flow. Critical care opossums is always near me in our home to keep close watch. These are just a few pictures taken randomly... We have a wooded area on two sides, a grassy field full of pecan trees on the other. The one photo with the owl bench that was gifted will be removed to make room for more enclosures. And yes, repurposed chicken nesting boxes make great storage! lol.

08/04/2026

It's rare to get a call of someone who traps an opossum around their chicken coop but doesn't kill them. The nicest person called today and noticed this opossum wasn't acting like the normal wild ones. She said the response to her movement wasn't followed as if there was a vision issue. She didn't want to relocated if there was a medical problem or something causing the odd behavior. I can't tell you the sigh of relief it was. She was about an hour and 20 min away and my day was so loaded with other calls. One of our transporters was thankfully not too far away and she took this old one in for the night.

One eye appears to be damaged and a bit infected. Vision is probably an issue. I'll know more tomorrow what might be going. I wish life wasn't so hard on these guys. I can see the tattered ear, dirty nose and feet. I'll get this one checked over and cleaned up with a soft bed and some good food.

The good thing is, I made a friend and she will now contact me if she traps any moms with babies, any old ones and any injured!

08/03/2026

These are 3 photos out of so many taken in this weekend. I honestly lost count,. Charts are made as soon as they come in so I'll count later... lol. This older girl is missing a left eye and the right is a bit cloudy. You can tell by her teeth, she's at least 2 years old which in the wild is usually near the end of life. She's with us and we're going to extend that by getting her healthier and giving her a home.

The single young boy has multiple bite marks in various areas of his skinny body. He was too afraid to eat, so once hydrated, I tubed him some formula so he could go to bed with a full tummy. He has food left by his bed so I covered his kennel after cleaning his wounds and giving him his meds. The three babies do not even have their eyes open yet. A dog grabbed the mom and slung these babies from her pouch. She was able to get away, I pray she'll be okay. These wee ones will need tube fed every 3 hours for a few weeks.

Babies this time of year is concerning if they will be ready for release before winter. I have the 10 almost ready for a critter nation cage, so I'm going to have to search the Market Place. Then figure out where I can gain more floor space! lol. I'm yet again attaching a donate tab just to keep everyone fed. Naturally the little ones favorite is Bok Choy which is $3.29 a lb here per bundle. Most bundles are 3 lbs and they all eat 2-3 bundles of Bok Choy a day. I've never diced more veggies in my life! I just finished tubing babies, so grabbing a 3 hr nap until feeding time again... Thank you for recent donations, every dollar and every donated item sent is appreciated.

08/02/2026

AI - ChatGP has never rehabbed wildlife! If you need advice please find a rehabber with a heartbeat and breathes!

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08/01/2026

Many asked about why Curtis was unable to walk and if he possibly would regain use of his legs. Yes, we hope with the Trager Method, Curtis will be able to walk again. He may not be releasable but hopefully he will walk again.

There were two marks on his shoulders that appears a puncture from being bitten by a larger animal, resulting in nerve damage. Curtis has feeling and can move his legs. It's a bit like sending a signal back to the brain that nerves need to repair! Carla flew out from California in February and taught classes, one of them being at my classroom upstairs at the Sactuary. This method works on many species and humans! Domestic animals as well. I'd strongly suggest you reach out to her if you are in the rescue world.

www.CarlaMontagno.com.

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07/31/2026

This is Curtis. He was growing up in a busy apartment complex along a busy hwy. He had been seen for weeks dragging his back legs and while different people would offer food, no one would help him. Finally one lady who did not realize rehabbers were even around, found me. Curtis doesn't have a mean or fearful nature in any way. He just wants to be held. Im sure his diet wasn't the best but he's a chunky little guy. He's now on a good diet and in a play pen in our living room. Curtis has spent too much time by himself and its time for coconut oil rubs on his back legs to soften the callouses developing from dragging. He's just the cutest little fellow!! Only the easy life ahead for this sweet little boy!