05/11/2026
Those of us who have been in rescue for a while know that eventually, the ones needing help just start finding you themselves.
Last night, Gertrude found her way into the backyard of a foster home where the very curious (but thankfully harmless) resident shih tzu raised the alarm that something didn’t seem right. Upon closer inspection, Gertrude had old puncture wounds on either side of her back legs, full of maggots!
We told Gertrude we are not a possum rescue, but promised her we’d find her the help she needed. Quick text to the AMAZING folks at Owl's Nest Sanctuary for Wildlife and Gertrude was on her way to Jessica. Jessica cleaned out the maggots, got some pain meds on board, and confirmed that thankfully there were no babies in the pouch at this time. Gertrude is underweight and needs all the calories and energy she can get to heal up! We know she’s in THE BEST place and will receive the best care. Thank you so much, Owl’s Nest and Jessica!!
Fun facts about opossums:
1) they cannot carry rabies! Their body temps are too low.
2) they eat a variety of foods, and enjoy snacking on bugs, including COCKROACHES!!
3) Unlike kittens or puppies, orphan possums must be “tube fed” and will not latch onto a bottle.
As far as we’re concerned, any animal that kills roaches is a FRIEND!❤️
