If you have a wild animal in need, call 941-778-6324 from 8 am – 9 pm.
DO NOT text, email or send us messages, they will not be answered.
If you have found an animal that you believe to be in need during non-business hours, please follow the advice below. Please DO NOT give food or water prior to speaking with a licensed rehabber. Most can go well over 12 hours before it becomes an issue. Improper feeding is much more dangerous than hunger.
Please do not drop animals off at a veterinarian’s office. Veterinarians are not licensed or permitted to keep wildlife. They don’t have time to bring them to us and we do not have time or resources to pick them up. Dropping them off may leave no choice but euthanasia.
If you found a domestic animal, by state law, you must call your local animal control, NOT US.
—– IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE WITHOUT A PERMIT TO RAISE WILDLIFE —–
For Bunnies, Opossums or Squirrels
Keep the animal in a box with a towel or dry cloth under it, keep it in a warm, dry place away from pets and children and DO NOT give it any food or water. You can keep them on a heating pad set to LOW, under half of whatever you are keeping them in, so that they can move if needed.
Call us in the morning so that we can determine the best course of action.
For Raccoons, Skunks, Foxes, Bats
These mammals, especially BATS, can carry RABIES.
If the animal is an adult, keep an eye on it and call us in the morning or you can call 888-404-3922 to report it to the Fish and Wildlife Commission. DO NOT TRY TO HANDLE AN ADULT OF ANY OF THESE SPECIES YOURSELF.
If the animal is a baby, put the animal in a box using heavy gloves or hold a box sideways next to the animal and push it easily into the box with a broom, shovel or stick, etc.
Please keep the animal in a box with a towel or dry cloth under it, keep it in a warm, dry place away from pets and children and DO NOT give it any food or water. You can keep them on a heating pad set to LOW, under half of whatever you are keeping them in, so that they can move if needed.
Call us in the morning so that we can determine the best course of action.
For Otters or Bobcats
If the animal is an adult, keep an eye on it and call us in the morning or you can call 888-404-3922 and report it to the Fish and Wildlife Commission. DO NOT TRY TO HANDLE AN ADULT OF ANY OF THESE SPECIES YOURSELF.
If the animal is a baby, please keep it in a box with a towel or dry cloth under it, keep it in a warm, dry place away from pets and children and DO NOT give it any food or water. You can keep them on a heating pad set to LOW, under half of whatever you are keeping them in, so that they can move if needed.
Call us in the morning so that we can determine the best course of action.
For Owls, Hawks, Vultures, Great Blue Herons, Egrets and Cormorants
If you have picked up the animal, please keep it in a box, in a warm, dry and dark place away from pets and children and DO NOT offer it any food or water. DO NOT PUT THESE BIRDS ON HEAT. Warm, ambient air is all they need.
Do not attempt to handle Great Blue Herons or Egrets or Owls, they are incredibly dangerous.
Call us in the morning so that we can determine the best course of action.
If you are not able to pick it up, please check on it in the morning to be sure it is still there and give us a call.
CAUTION! – Do not approach a large, downy covered chick. Birds of Prey (owls, hawks, eagles, vultures, falcons) frequently fall from their nests. Parents WILL attack. Maintain a safe distance and CALL for Help.
For Blue Jays, Mockingbirds, Doves, Sparrows, Cardinals
It is important to remember, these small birds do not eat after dark, they shut down making eating or drinking unnecessary.
Please keep it in a box, in a warm, dry and dark place away from pets and children and DO NOT offer it any food or water. Keep it as DARK of a place as possible. DO NOT PUT SMALL BIRDS ON HEAT, doing so can be deadly. Being in a house should be plenty warm enough. Being in the dark is the most important part of this, birds will shutdown, as they do at night and not need food or water.
Call us in the morning so that we can determine the best course of action.
For Waterfowl
If there are ducks or geese in parking lots in the spring and summer months, chances are they are nesting and must be left alone. As with all native birds, they are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Interfering with them or their nest is against federal law.
If ducks or geese can get into the water, capturing them, even if they are injured won’t be possible.
If you see a wing issue, note if the wing is stable or flopping, if it is flopping, the bird needs help. If it is sticking out but in the same position, the bird most likely has Angel Wing, a condition caused by poor diet due to humans feeding and cannot be fixed. Thankfully, these birds do not have to fly to survive. Leaving them where they are found is the best thing to do.
If they are seriously injured, please place them in a box with a towel under them, keep them in a warm, dry place, but do not provide extra heat other than the ambient temperature of your home and call when we open the next day.
For Deer
Please understand, nobody is allowed to help adult deer in the state of Florida. If you are concerned about an adult deer, please call the Fish and Wildlife Commission: 888-404-3922
For Fawn
Mom leaves her baby “parked” most of the time for the first two months. If you find a baby alone, lying down in a curled up position, it is most likely fine and should be left alone. If you find a baby that is either laid out, flat, legs and head completely away from the body, or has flies swarming around it, or has been FRANTICALLY screaming for over an hour, that fawn needs help. Please do not chase it, this alone could kill the animal. If you can quietly capture the fawn, keep it in a warm, dry place, away from pets and children and do NOT offer it any food or water.