The Medical Side of WRR

Things are starting to pick up in the vet clinic (or maybe they just never slowed down). We have rescued our first few cottontail rabbits over the last couple of days and have had two mother opossums come in with babies in pouch--baby season is surely on its way! Vet staff, along with the rest of the WRR community has been working hard ensuring that our new San Antonio location is up-and-running and ready, for the babies who are coming our way.

We are also very excited that we will be extending out vet staff crew this summer. Not only will we hopefully have two full time vet tech interns, but we will also be hiring a part-time vet tech to help two days a week. This will enable us to save even more lives!

On the sanctuary front, we are constantly monitoring the daily life of our newly formed macaque bachelor group in one of our one-acre primate enclosures. They got off to a rough start, but things are starting to calm down as they are now getting along with each other. Our geriatric male bear is having some trouble getting around these days, so animal care staff is working hard to ensure he is comfortable.. Additional hay and bedding has been added to his den to prevent his joints from aching on those cooler nights and we are discussing other ways we may be able to alter the enclosure to better accommodate his needs. We are trying different remedies, supplements, and anti-inflammatories and determining what combination works best for him.

Mange, a general term for skin conditions caused my mites, has been fairly prevalent recently. Some animals we have rescued come in with very itchy skin, hair loss, and excoriations due to scratching and chewing. These animals tend to have a characteristic smell as a result of secondary bacterial and fungal infections. We conduct a skin scrape and pluck hairs from the affected area to examine microscopically. If mites are present, they appear as round, “dancing” organisms with tiny legs. While mites can be contagious, infestations are often the result of a compromised immune system. It is important to not only get rid of the mites and treat the secondary skin infections, but to also provide immune support to get the infected animal back into overall good health.

Alamo (a sweet new pup found wandering the streets of San Antonio last weekend), Cuddles (a new female cat who looked so bad people thought someone had burned her), a group of raccoons, and a porcupine are all currently on treatment for mange. How do you treat a porcupine with dermatitis? This was no easy task but with imagination and great care we have made tremendous strides in healing the porcupine. We are very proud of her progress and know that soon she will once again be roaming free.

Dr. Megan McAndrew, DVM

From Behind the Scenes

For all its 33 years, Wildlife Rescue has survived and flourished due to the commitment of its supporters. It began with no written budget, animals in Lynn Cuny's bedrooms and backyard, and she up in the wee hours to run a paper route whose proceeds supported her work. Then, year by year, things changed: first a move to a sanctuary on four acres in Leon Springs, then to 21 acres in Boerne, and in the year 2000 to 187 acres in Kendalia, where our main operations are and will always be. It now costs over a million dollars a year to buy the food and medicines, pay the staff, and keep up with all the other necessities of caring for close to 6,000 wild animals in rehabilitation each year and over 600 wild, farmed, and companion animals who (except for dogs and cats who will be adopted) will live here for their lifetimes.

Since WRR receives no government funding, it all depends on individual donors and foundations to provide the support that keeps us going. And we are fortunate to have especially dedicated and generous members and reliable foundations who recognize the value and quality of our work for animals and demonstrate this through their assistance. About 80% of our annual income comes from citizens who dig deep and write checks, and who have the assurance that their help goes to good uses.

I became involved with Wildlife Rescue just as Lynn, the Founder, was signing the papers to buy the property near Kendalia in 2000. I had worked in nonprofit organizations since 1973, the first 21 years in mental health settings and then in animal protection. My first work for WRR was helping Lynn raise the money to build a sanctuary from scratch--it turned out to be a two and a half million dollar project, one that has produced a state of the art facility. Most of the funds came from foundations who provided grants to build enclosures, barns, offices, clinic, nutrition center, and roads; to drill wells, bring in mobile homes for intern housing, purchase work vehicles, and provide the furnishings and equipment that allowed staff to do their jobs. It was an amazing time with many balls in the air at the same time, but it has come to a fruition that everyone at WRR is proud of.

How do we raise the funds to keep Wildlife Rescue activities humming? What we call our Annual Fund consists of a variety of activities:
*Four newsletters a year provide information and invite donations.
*Four direct appeals to our 8,000 or so donors asking for help.
*Two special events--Win a Wild Ride to Save Wildlife is held every spring in San Antonio and Walk on the Wild Side is in the fall in Boerne.
*Bequests naming Wildlife Rescue provide unpredictable but vital help.
*Personal phone calls to donors asking for support for specific projects and needs.
*We are members of Earth Share of Texas, a workplace giving campaign for environmental organizations.
*We have a Thrift Store, called the Squirrel's Nest, and our online store.
*Foundation grant requests.

Every year is suspenseful as we watch the ups and downs of the economy and the amountl of our contributions. Some years end in the red, others in the black. Over time, it seems to balance out, although some times are especially worrisome. But people care about wildlife and know that WRR is a unique organization that is well known and well respected, and they show they care with their donations.

My part in all this is to write the grant applications and work with Lynn and Angela preparing newsletters and appeals and planning other ways of reaching out to supporters and trying to attract new ones. It is good work for an excellent organization, and I am very pleased to play my small part in its success.

Dr. Craig Brestrup