Article and images by Jen Howard
Approximate read time: 3 minutes
We are nearing the end of summer, and it’s been an extremely busy one here at Procyon. Baby squirrels are arriving again; it’s not over till it’s over. The raccoons who are ready will be getting released soon. Our groundhogs have gone home already, and two of our foxes will soon be making their trek home, with many more to follow.
As the Centre gets into release mode, those who worked so hard caring for these precious animals of all shapes and sizes are soon to be rewarded. The many hours of hard work in the heat, which this summer was a bit insane, are about to pay off. Our goodbyes are happy, but also sad. Will they be okay, will they find their way safely? The answer to both those questions is yes. On releases, when an animal looks back at us, we say they are saying thank you. And then off they go. It’s beyond beautiful. It can often bring a tear to one’s eye.
When raising wee orphans we have to be their mothers, setting the pace to teach them to find food in their enclosures, to climb and to be afraid of humans. We have to make sure they are wild for their lives to be successful. Once they hit the toddler stage and go outside, its hands off, no voices and giving them everything they need to learn how to be wild. As wild they must be to survive.
The Centre will be undergoing changes to make it better for our patients thanks to the gracious donations we receive. As our population of animal demands are increasing every year, our space must grow. The work never stops. Volunteers are always needed. Your donations are hard at work for the animals. As always, we depend on you to get the animals to us as we just do not have the volunteers or the time to do call outs. But rest assured, the phone volunteers will guide you through this process. Always make that call, never feed them, always get them to us asap so we can take over. Always call first to set it up as we must make sure there is a person available to do the admission. Their survival depends on these steps.
Next month I will have some sweet stories for you on some of our releases. Not all will get to go home this fall. Some will need to over winter. The feel good is for you as well for bringing them in and making sure they got the care they needed. So, stay tuned for some of those beautiful upcoming release stories, and if you’re unsure or have an animal in need, call us and leave a message. We will get back to you. Keep the animal warm and quiet, no touching after it is secured, always wear gloves, and just keep them quiet until we get back to you. And thank you for doing your part and for caring.
Jen Howard