“Release day is a lot of hard work by our staff who secures the animals a very stinky ride and then a very beautiful moment where we open the kennels and they fly, crawl, walk and run out,” NTXWC President Rebecca Hamlin said.
The setup
When an animal arrives at NTXWC triage will be the first step in creating a custom care plan.
“We do an exam to figure out if they’re dehydrated, emaciated, injured or need medication,” Hamlin said. “No two animals are going to be the same, even if they are the same species and have the same injuries, they’re going to heal at a different rate. Maybe one opossum lived with someone that gave them cat food and this one didn’t have cat food—he was climbing trees to get persimmons. Every animal needs something tailored to them specifically.”
The impact
NTXWC interior space is lined with incubators and cages of varying sizes. The exterior features covered enclosures where animals reside before they are released back into the wild.
However, some animals do not get released which creates a perpetual emotional roller coaster for Hamlin and all NTXWC rehabbers and volunteers.
Hamlin said sometimes the nonprofit needs to take on the burden transfer when members of the public bring injured wildlife to the Center for care. Hamlin gave the example of a family that finds a severely injured baby beaver.
“You walk away and I triage the beaver. He’s really sick and in a lot of pain, and then later on, before the shift ends, he dies,” Hamlin said. “You don’t have to know that. You did a great job saving that animal. That loss is my burden. One of the biggest things that we can do as an organization is protect the public from the death of wildlife.”
Going forward
Within the year, NTXWC plans to relocate to a larger space either in Plano or Richardson. It is advised to call the Center at 469-901-WILD (9453) prior to bringing in wildlife.
Get involved
In addition to financial donations and hosting fundraisers, NTXWC also needs volunteers. Hamlin said there are currently 85 onsite volunteers who serve for at least four hours a week and their primary responsibilities include cleaning and feeding baby animals.
