Help! I’ve Found an Injured Animal!
Adult Mammals
Small animals like rabbits, opossums, and squirrels often get hit by cars or attacked by dogs or cats. In most cases, they need help after this happens. If possible, carefully pick the animal up using a snow shovel and place it in a box with air holes. Close the box and contact us for further assistance.
Until the animal can be transported to our hospital or to a veterinarian that treats wild animals, it is very important to keep the contained animal in a darkened, quiet place. Voices and household noises are very stressful to wild animals, and they will be most comfortable if they are kept in a quiet place.
If you find an injured adult opossum, carefully place the animal in a box and call our hotline for further assistance. Sometimes you will see babies in the pouch, or climbing out of the pouch. If the mom is dead, the babies can sometimes be saved. If you can put the mother’s body into a box and contact us, we can remove them from the mother and attempt to help the babies. If the babies are loose or climbing on the mother, and she is dead, pick the babies up (you can use a towel or gloves) and put them in a box, then contact us for assistance.
Volunteers for Wildlife is not licensed to accept raccoons, due to the fact that they can transmit rabies. Rabbits, opossums, and squirrels are not carriers of the rabies virus.
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