FourWands Wildlife Rehabilitation

You know when you want to make a post but you don't know where to start or how to phrase it? That's me. That's this fundraiser.

I know I haven't posted on social media a lot in recent months. The reality is that I'm tired and depressed. The second half of this year was just so full of loss, it literally changed how my heart was beating. (I'll be fine, but it was a bit weird.) Right now, I am struggling to find the joy in things, but I know it will return at some point.

For the first time in pretty close to 10 years, I don't have any grey or red squirrels in my care. While it's great that no one has needed care, I feel a bit lost, to be honest.

I have been working on getting my USDA permit. I was actually in the process of doing this two years ago but had to abandon the application when the pipes in the rehab froze, causing expensive/extensive damage. Now I have reapplied for my USDA permit so we can make Justin, our three-legged skunk, an educational ambassador. Having my USDA permit means I can do mobile educational exhibits such as visiting schools, nursing homes, and wherever the opportunity presents. I've been wanting to make some major upgrades to my rehab space but have been putting it off because, frankly, I hate doing fundraisers. The Catch-22 is that if I upgrade my space to facilitate my USDA approval, then I can do more educational visits and I can raise the money to make improvements and assist more animals.

I want to install an epoxy floor, fire-resistant wall paneling, and some shelving. I need to extend a fence around Peekaboo's Palace so his enclosure is within a USDA-approved fence. (This is going to be a challenge with the frozen ground!) I would love to install a commercial washing machine to wash bedding in the rehab instead of dragging it over to my house to wash it.

I said that I hate doing fundraisers and I really do. I feel like I am harassing you. I've also never done one this big but I guess I need to aim a bit higher to bring about the changes I want to see in 2025 and beyond. This is a very ambitious goal for Fourwands Wildlife Rehabilitation but, after watching a few other recent fundraisers, I think what I am hoping for is possible.

I've also added a few items to my Amazon wishlist to help me get organized a bit better.

I just haven't posted much lately. I don't have a lot of animals in my care right now and most of what I do have is nocturnal, so it's not easy to get pics. I am not one to wake them up for picture time!

So I am starting what seems like an enormous fundraiser to take us to the next level. I think we can achieve this lofty goal together and help build up Fourwands Wildlife. Please help us make Justin, Peekaboo (our handicapped porcupine), and Gem (our blind chipmunk) ambassador animals who can go on to teach others about the incredible wildlife we share our world with.

We can do this. We can make this happen.

We have recently moved our facility to Langdon, NH. We obtained our NH Wildlife Rehabilitation permit and applied for a USDA exhibitor permit. (The USDA permit is precisely so that Peanut can become "Ambassador Peanut"! Our USDA inspection is pending.) We began renovating our garage space for the rehab - installing a new climate control system, added insulated garage doors and put a coat of easy-to-clean epoxy on the floor. Unfortunately, all that stuff was EXPENSIVE and now I'm tapped out. So many of us have been feeling the financial pinch lately, so I hate doing this, but I need your help if possible.

To complete our work, I am hoping to update the electrical box so that we may then install a utility tub, a hot water heater, a dishwasher and a washing machine (as critters create a lot of dirty laundry!) We would also like to install fire-resistant paneling as it is both easy to clean and...well... fire-resistant! Estimates for electrical and plumbing work (including the hot water heater) are running around $5000. I don't have an estimate for panels as with all the chaos that is moving, I have not had the time to find someone that does that kind of work yet. I will also need to purchase the mentioned appliances (unless they are donated!).

It's a lot to ask, I know. It will take a village to make this happen but FourWands Wildlife will be able to continue to assist injured, orphaned and in Peanut's case, unreleasable wildlife.

If you can help at all, please donate or share. I know it's a lot to ask, particularly now as the holiday season is here and while inflation takes a chunk out of our paychecks. Anything you can do helps.

Many of you are familiar with Peanut's remarkable story. Peanut was rescued in 2013 as a tiny hairless baby by a 9 year old girl who raised her all by herself. Peanut was eventually confiscated as an illegal pet by Law Enforcement. At that time, she was already losing her sight to cataracts. She lived with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who eventually moved to a neighboring state that took a more humane approach to non-releasable animals.

On Wednesday, November 29, Peanut was diagnosed with an odontoma - a non-cancerous dental tumor. Odontomas cause pain as they grow, causing difficulty breathing and ultimately causing the animal to stop eating. Untreated, they are fatal.

Odontoma surgery is complicated and has risks.

Peanut is scheduled to be treated on Wednesday, December 6th at Cornell University's Janet L. Swanson Wildlife Hospital. I have not yet received an estimate as the attending veterinarian will not be in until Monday so I am basing the current fundraising amount on a best guess and from the treatment of another squirrel for a similar issue several years ago. I may be adjusting the amount needed once I speak with the Cornell vet.

I can't express the gratitude I have felt towards the many people that have reached out to offer support for Peanut. She is a very special squirrel to many squirrel fans.

If you are able to donate, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If donating is not in your budget, please share and spread the word.

I am terribly worried about Peanut but she knows how to #FightLikeASquirrel.