Does an animal need help?

If you've found an animal you think needs help, please follow these steps:

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1. Assess the animal

If the animal is obviously wounded and/or bleeding, go to step two. Otherwise, scroll down this page for information about the type of animal you've found. 

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2. Text us a photo

Text it to us at 585-808-3231. Include your name, phone number and the location where the animal is and we'll get back to you as soon as we're able. 

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3. Locate a wildlife rehabilitator

We do our best to respond quickly but sometimes we are busy with other animals in need. If you need help right away, please find a rehabber near you at the Department of Environmental Conservation.

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Caution: DO NOT attempt to give water or food to any animal, especially babies. They can aspirate easily and that will lead to almost certain death. 

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Birds

• If you find an injured bird, please send us a photo or find a rehab facility at the link above

• If it’s an uninjured baby, first determine if it’s a nestling or a fledgling. Nestlings are usually featherless or may have a few fluffs. Fledglings are generally fully or almost fully feathered. Nestlings cannot walk or barely walk; fledglings tend to hop about on the ground

• If the fledgling is hopping around and looks okay, walk away. There is almost certainly a parent hovering around waiting for you to leave

• If you find a nestling or nestlings that appear uninjured, put them back in the nest if possible. It is a myth that the parents will reject a baby bird if a human has touched it. If you are unable to put it back in the nest, place it in a small box lined with a soft cloth and call a rehabber

 

Beavers and porcupines

• If you find an injured adult or baby, please send us a photo or find a rehab facility at the link above

• Baby beavers and porcupines found alone do need help. Contact a rehabber

 

Woodchucks, squirrels and most other small mammals​

• If you find an injured adult or baby, please send us a photo or find a rehab facility at the link above

• If you find a baby that looks healthy, wait and watch from a distance to see if a mother returns for it. You might have inadvertently scared the mom away! If the animal is in your yard, bring your dogs and cats inside!

• If the baby or babies seem weak or distressed, or no mom shows up within an hour or so, contact a rehabber

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Rabbits

• If you find an injured adult or baby, please send us a photo or find a rehab facility at the link above

• If you find baby rabbits (called kittens) in a nest in the ground, leave them be! Mother rabbits do not stay with their babies like most other mammals. They dig a shallow hole in the ground, line it with their soft fur, and come back only a few times a day to feed the little ones. If the babies are not wounded or distressed, they are probably fine! You can place some colored yarn in an "X" on the top off the nest and check it in 12 hours. If the yarn has been moved but the nest is all covered up, you can rest assured the mom has been back to feed the little ones

 

Opossums

• If you find an injured adult or baby, please send us a photo or find a rehab facility at the link above

• If the babies are smaller than a rat (less than 5” long from nose to base of tail) and on their own, they need help. Baby opossums (joeys) stay with their mothers until they’re ready to survive on their own. If you can, put them in a box with air holes and a secure lid (they are excellent climbers!). Keep them warm until we can arrange for you to bring them to the sanctuary

• If you find a dead adult on or near the road, it’s a good idea to see if the animal has a pouch with babies inside. If you see any babies, find a rehabber at the link above

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Foxes

• If you find an injured adult or baby, please send us a photo or find a rehab facility at the link above

• Fox kits are often left unsupervised while their parents are out hunting. Observe from a distance and if they seem healthy and playful, leave them alone. If they appear weak, sick or distressed and no parent shows up after several hours, find a rehabber at the link above

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Deer

• If you find an injured adult or baby, please find a rehab facility at the link above

• If you find a fawn who seems healthy, odds are the mother is off foraging and will return. Mother deer often leave their fawns to forage for up to 12 hours, concealing them nearby in tall grass or shrubs. Keeps dogs inside and away from the baby. If no mom comes back or the fawn is wandering around and seems distressed, find a rehabber

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