For just about a decade now, not only have I been proud to be a wildlife rehabilitator, but I've been proud that I've been able to help with so many field calls. Whether I was running out to catch an animal that the public didn't have the equipment to safely catch themselves, or I was an extra set of hands for animal control or PD, field calls were a huge part of our organization.

In October of 2020, my car died and that basically stopped. We have one car, which Dave needs to take to work 60+ hours a week. On weekends, we're doing all of the errands that we need done that can't get done during the week. We do squeeze in some field calls now and again, but it's rare we have the time.

Not only can I not get out to capture animals as often but when we do take in animals that need vet care, I have to ask for help and sometimes pay for transportation. When I take these animals in after hours, I need to do what I need to do to be sure they get the care they need and deserve.

On a much more personal note, this is really starting to get to me emotionally. I feel like I've lost much of my independence. Not only can I not get out to do things that need to be done, I can't get away from thinking about rehab chores. Even when I sit out in our yard, I see enclosures and my mind starts wandering to what I have to do next out there and which ones need repairs or are due for a deep clean. As much as I LOVE rehabbing, I do need breaks from it and that's nearly impossible when it's ALWAYS right in front of me.

I know this is a HUGE ask. We've never even come remotely close to reaching a double digit thousands goal. We tried to do it ourselves. We had quite a bit saved up, but spent more than half of it on rehab this past summer. We also thought about taking on a loan, but since the rehab isn't completely funded by donations, doing that would take even more away from animals that need us. I've looked into cheap used cars, and that's scary because if there is a big repair hiding we'll never be able to afford it and I'll be right back here again. It's been 3 years, and we're stuck. We need help.