Frequently Asked Questions
- What kind of animals do you take in your hospital?
- Can I bring a wild animal to a veterinarian?
- Why are animals brought to your hospital?
- What do I do if I find an injured animal?
- If I have to bring an injured animal to you or to a vet, will I have to pay?
- What type of funding do you receive?
- If wildlife rehabilitators don’t get paid, why do you do it?
- I’ve found this injured animal, but I am not going to pick it up. Will your organization come pick it up?
- Can I keep a wild animal as a pet, or release my pet into the wild?
- Can I trap an animal on my property? Does VW remove nuisance animals?
What kind of animals do you take in your hospital?
Volunteers for Wildlife accepts all wildlife that is native to New York, this includes...
- Birds, including songbirds, shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors, and pelagic (sea) birds.
- Mammals, most frequently rabbits, opossums, and squirrels.
- Reptiles, such as land turtles, water turtles, and snakes.
There are just a few exceptions in terms of animals that we cannot accommodate at our hospital. Should you have a question about any of these species, or need help identifying an animal, feel free to contact us for assistance.
- Deer – Our facilities are not large enough to accommodate deer. For assistance with deer on Long Island, contact STAR Foundation.
- Pigeons, House Sparrows, and European Starlings – These species of birds are not native to North America, they were introduced from Europe. They can also present a threat to native species of wild birds as some can be aggressive, and they generally put pressure on native populations by restricting their available habitat range and other resources. Because our resources are limited and our organization’s funding is intended to help native wild animals, it is not appropriate for us to accept these species at our hospital on a regular basis. If you have a question regarding a pigeon, try Pigeon Life.
- Raccoons and Bats – Volunteers for Wildlife is not licensed to deal with raccoons or bats because they are “rabies vector species,” meaning that they can transmit the rabies virus to other animals or people. Obviously, exposure to this fatal disease would present a great risk to our volunteers; only specially licensed individuals can accept these animals.
- Animals such as escaped pets, feral cats, and farm-type animals are not considered wildlife. For assistance with these animals, see our exotics page.
Can I bring a wild animal to a veterinarian?
Some veterinarians (especially those that treat exotics) will accept wild animals, and some will not. Please call them in advance to find out. Furthermore, people often mistake healthy young animals for orphans. We encourage you to read our articles about how to determine if an animal is truly orphaned before you take it to a vet or rehabilitator. Many animals are brought to us each year that were not in need of help, and were inadvertently kidnapped. A young animal is always better off with its own parents; we do not want wild animals to grow up in captivity needlessly.
BACK TO THE TOPWhy are animals brought to your hospital?
Wild animals are often brought to our hospital after being injured by cars, caught by cats or dogs, or hurt by landscaping equipment. Birds are often injured when they collide with windows, having mistaken the reflection of sky in the glass for open space. Birds of prey are sometimes brought to our hospital after they are affected by poison. Chemicals put down to kill insects and rodents can make their way through the food chain, inadvertently causing serious illness or death in these top-level predators.
In the spring, we receive hundreds of calls regarding young animals that have been found and are thought to be orphans. Fortunately, most young wild animals are not truly orphaned, and we spend a lot of time counseling the public about how to reunite a young animal with its parents. Some animals make it to our hospital a few weeks after they were originally found. Well-intentioned attempts to raise them in captivity can often have disastrous effects on their health, as a young animal can suffer greatly from malnutrition when they are fed the wrong things in captivity.
BACK TO THE TOPWhat do I do if I find an injured animal?
The best first aid you can offer to a sick or injured animal is to put them in a quiet place to rest. Most animals will calm down if they are placed in (or covered by) a cardboard box. They will feel safe and be more relaxed in a dark quiet place. Most small animals can be safely picked up in a soft towel, this minimizes the chance that they will hurt you or you will hurt them. You can also wear gardening gloves to handle the animal if you feel that you need to.
Exposure to household noises, the smell of humans and pets, and excessive handling will frighten a wild animal. Wild animals are not comforted by petting or being spoken to, and handling can hurt the animal or make some injures worse. Talking, loud noises, and a lot of activity will raise their stress level, making it more difficult for them to begin healing from an injury. An animal that is already weakened by injury can actually die of fright.
Offering water and food is usually not necessary unless it will not be possible to transport the animal to a wildlife rehabilitator for an extended period of time. Animals that are injured or do not feel well are unlikely to eat. An animal that is weakened or injured to the point that it cannot sit upright or hold its head up should not be offered water, as they may accidentally inhale it.
Visit our Help page for more specific information if you think you have found a sick, injured, or orphaned animal.
BACK TO THE TOPIf I have to bring an injured animal to you or to a vet, will I have to pay?
It is not legal for us (or any veterinarian) to ask for payment when a wild animal is treated, but please remember that our organization depends on donations. Only a very small portion of our budget is provided by state grants. Many animals are left at our hospital without even the smallest donation to help care for them. Please help us continue the work that we do by making a donation or sponsoring an animal – click here for more information. BACK TO THE TOP
What type of funding do you receive?
Volunteers for Wildlife, and all licensed wildlife rehabilitators, rely on donations by caring individuals who bring us wildlife. We have to pay for food, medications, heat, electricity, and any other supplies needed for our patients. Donations are always appreciated, you can also become a member of our organization.
BACK TO THE TOPIf wildlife rehabilitators don’t get paid, why do you do it?
Wildlife rehabilitators are regular people who have an interest in caring for wildlife and our environment. It is often asked why we do what we do, and if we are interfering with natural selection. It is a good question!
The majority of the cases we see in our hospital are admitted because of harm done to wild animals and their habitats by humans. Continual development of land in New York has taken the home of countless turtles, mammals, and birds. Cars have taken the lives of hundreds of rabbits, squirrels, raccoons, opossums. Injuries from cast away fishing line, plastic six-pack rings, and litter is common, as are birds and small mammals caught on glue-traps. Chemicals used to kill insects and rodents have a wide range of serious effects on wild birds, including reproductive failure, deformities in bone growth, behavioral abnormalities, internal bleeding, and death.
We recognize that what we do helps only a small fraction of the wild animals on Long Island, but it is not only these individuals who benefit. The work we do gives us the opportunity to educate our volunteers and the general public on how to prevent some of these events from occurring. Anyone who brings us an animal, volunteers with us, or attends our education programs has a chance to develop a lifelong interest in conservation and wildlife biology based on their experiences with our hospital.
BACK TO THE TOPI’ve found an injured animal, but I don't want to touch it. Will your organization come pick it up?
Because our resources are limited, we do have to be selective about what animals we can pick up. Please remember that we are primarily a hospital, and we need our staff and volunteers to take care of the animals already in our care before we can leave to pick up more. Our capacity for rescue is limited. We do not have traps, dart guns, boats, tower ladders, or super powers at our disposal to assist us in containing an animal. Fortunately, most animals can be safely and easily contained by the general public. Check out our page on How to Restrain Injured Wildlife to find out how to expedite helping an animal.
We generally limit our rescue/transport operations to assist people who have found an animal that is potentially dangerous and may injure anyone who tries to handle it, or elderly people who are unable to capture an animal and bring it to our facility. Please remember this when you ask to pick up an “easy” animal – while we are helping you, we are leaving the rest of our community at a disadvantage and may be risking their safety.
BACK TO THE TOPCan I keep a wild animal as a pet, or release my pet into the wild?
Wild animals should not be kept as pets. In some cases there are laws that prevent you from doing so, and in other cases it is simply an unsafe choice for yourself, the animal, and any other pets you may have. Releasing your pet into the wild is not only unsafe for the animal, it is often detrimental to the environment as well. We invite you to read much more about both keeping wild animals and releasing pets here.
BACK TO THE TOPCan I trap an animal on my property? Does VW remove nuisance animals?
In some cases, it may be necessary to trap an animal that is living on your property. Please understand that removing one animal (or one group of animals) will not necessarily remove the problem. Other animals will simply move in and take their place if resources (food & shelter) are still available to them! Please do your research and ensure you are truly ridding yourself of the problem, not just displacing one animal to make room for another. Eliminating food sources (open garbage pails, pet food outside, etc.) may encourage the animal to leave your property without the need for a trapper. Volunteers for Wildlife is not a wildlife removal company, and this service is not provided for free by any agency. We encourage you to find a licensed, insured, and humane wildlife control company to help you resolve your situation.