New Caging

No new animals came in today, that is good I guess. I ran over to our BOD member Linda's house tonight to pick up a mink. Turns out that the mink didn't need rescuing, it had a licensed home with another wildlife rehabber so I didn't need to bring it home. It was a great chance to see some new crias (baby llamas) that Linda had at her farm. Very cute, I miss the crias since we are a no-breed facility but I am pretty sure that a few of the llamas that I rescued earlier this spring are pregnant and going to have crias soon.

Nicole and Ally have been great volunteers this week. They have helped me get caught up and I really appreciated their help. Ally volunteered at NYWRC last summer, she gets paid through a program that puts HS kids to work in the summer (Workforce Solutions). I will be getting 15 high school students for the rest of the summer starting next week and I am really looking forward to it. All business owners should participate in this program, they are still looking for work-sites for kids in "Scary County". I love to teach the kids about how to raise animals right. Many hands make light work, we will get a lot done around here that I would never be able to get off the need to do list by myself. It is hard work but they will leave here after a summer knowing a lot that they will never forget. Nicole is a former student who volunteers here every afternoon. She is learning her way around the farm well and is a great asset. Chris and Justin are the main force behind our construction projects. Both have jobs that they go work at every day and then they come up after work to help me with the construction; nothing would be built here without their help and great carpenter skills. I don't know how we would expand without them. All four of these volunteers could easily run this place because they have all been here so long.... Thanks.

Got Claire the cow's feet trimmed yesterday. That was cool. I've had Clydesdales for years, I am very familiar with what the farrier does but had never seen a cow get done. It was impressive. Claire is one of the cows that I took out of the farm on the big sheep rescue this spring. She had extremely long hooves due to standing in a horse stall in muck for so long. Ed got her in a hydraulic chute, picked her up off the ground. Trimmed and filed her feet--she is walking like a new cow. A friend that has a large dairy farm stopped by tonight to see what we were doing and he was amazed at how great Claire looks ... actually said she was fat ... I think I would like to see another 100-200 pounds on her yet. I think that she has earned a home, her job is to make lots of noise with her cow bell, give my kids rides, and follow us around like a dog ... she is a keeper.

Chris, Bob and I worked out the details of the new cage that arrived yesterday compliments of our friend John at Unadilla Game Farm. We have to pour some concrete, get the cage set on the pad and build a roof over it. I want to get all of that done by our Open House. Maybe that is optimistic but it is possible. All it takes is time and money, which is slow coming in. It is a great cage, I am going to dedicate it to raccoons and skunks so that we can keep our big corn cribs for foxes and the bobcats. I do have an empty corn crib that I designed for Black Bear cubs but we didn't get any in this year so I could always let Oscar use that when he is healed enough to go out in something bigger.

I have a long range vision for our facilities, right now I want to finish what we've started. Your donations are crucial to keeping the construction going, I don't like to beg ... dig deep and please send a donation ... anything will buy some boards. The concrete will cost around $1000- , we are doing it right but money is tight. I can afford to feed the animals, pay my bills and keep things going. I can not afford to continue to expand our facilities nonstop to properly house all of the animals that are coming in. Your help is needed.

The Open House on Saturday, July 18th from 4-6 pm, would be a great opportunity for you to visit New York Wildlife Rescue Center. I am very proud what our BOD, Our Volunteers and our limited budget has accomplished thus far. We have to find the funding through your donations to finish the Raptor Flight. I have already contacted Bush Lumber (our local lumber supplier), Morton builders and Fingerlake Construction. Once we get enough donations to buy $5000- worth of materials, I am hoping that the local Telephone Company will help me set the poles. I am hoping that we can do an Amish-style building blitzkrieg. I bet 20 volunteers could build the entire flight in a day if we set our minds to it. We have the resources within us to get it done. I am hoping that Brooke will come through for us on Utility Poles and have her husband help us put in a pond for our waterfowl as well but that will be another bridge to cross.

Two blogs in one day, it is almost 2am ... I have a bat to feed. Tell everyone in your address book about us. Tell them about our website and our blog. We also have a nice selection of domestic animals looking for great long term homes. We have llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, chickens, and lots of rabbits that all would love a new home. I really can't wait to wake up every morning, even when I go to bed at 2am every night: I want to share my excitement about what we do here with everyone.

Till tomorrow,
Wes