FIGGY & FRIENDS need 5 BUCKS!

Furred & Feathered Misfits Like FIGGY Need You To Fork Over Five Bucks!

My petition is to secure $7800 which will be allocated towards building an outdoor exercise enclosure for a wildlife rescue operation called FOR ALL SPECIES EDUCATION located in Columbus, Ohio.  FOR ALL SPECIES EDUCATION was created by Dr. Diana Huang, DVM, a real-life Dr. Doolittle.  Dr. Huang established her sanctuary after working as a sub-permittee for the Ohio Wildlife Center (OWC), a nationally renowned organization dedicated to the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife.  The goal of the OWC is to successfully release the convalescing critters back into their natural environs; but, unfortunately not all can be cured to the point they can take care of themselves.  Dr. Huang’s facility offers an alternative for those who are still impaired enough that they wouldn’t make it on their own if returned to the wild quite yet (or, in some cases, at all).  Thanks to her refuge, legions of otherwise doomed forest dwellers have been salvaged. 

                                 GLINDA, a 'special needs' ground hog and BECKER, a frisky raccoon who was raised illegally as a pet.

Every member of Dr. Huang’s happy haven of hodgepodges will melt your heart.  There's “Figgy” the frolicsome and friendly Red Fox who was liberated from a furrier; “Quincy” the Bobwhite Quail who, having imprinted on his human rehabilitator pre-release, determinedly walked 7 miles back to the wildlife hospital from which he had been discharged: twice!; “Becker” the sprightly raccoon who was raised illegally as a pet, and suffered malnutrition and other maladies because his abductors hadn't fed him properly; “Glinda” the genial ground hog who was hit by a car while in pursuit of the vestiges of a McDonald's meal someone had carelessly tossed into the middle of road; “Linus” the acrobatically accomplished Gray Squirrel who earned his name from the blanket he totes around, in which he’ll be found either burrowing or sleeping; “Sheldon” the curious and unexpectedly speedy Eastern Box Turtle who is 'directionally-challenged' - and his cohort, “Amy” who was saved from someone wanting to make turtle soup; “Leonardo" the spunky flying squirrel who, despite his notably pudgy constitution, still manages to agilely propel himself onto one’s shoulder and surreptitiously disappear down one’s sleeve in search of a treat; “Odin” the pint-sized, one-eyed Eastern Screech Owl whose cheerful chatter and melodious vocalizations add to the overall joie de vivre one senses while in the company of her endearing assortment of furred and feathered friends.

                    Part of the FOR ALL SPECIES EDUCATION family, ODIN, a Lilliputian, one-eyed Eastern Screech Owl, shares the stage with Dr. Diana Huang during one of her education programs.              

Not convinced forking over $5 to further the furnishings for FIGGY and the rest of the rotating rescues at FOR ALL SPECIES EDUCATION is worthy of your donation?  Well then - read on, because I’m gonna do everything in my power to persuade you otherwise:

Huang’s exhaustive efforts aren’t limited to the free medical care she provides to her foster animals for the OWC.  Oh no, this Wonder Woman is determinedly committed to promoting the awareness of and appreciation for “All Creatures Great and Small.”  As such, she single-handedly orchestrates as many as 4-5 environmental educational programs a week.  Her unpaid speaking engagements are chock full of little known facts and fascinating tidbits about Ohio’s most prolific native species.  Not only does she initiate the outreach contact and schedule the event itself, but she also transfers the designated “ambassador animals” into their respective travel carriers, gathers up her video projector equipment and piles everything and everyone into her blue Saturn Vue, a, shall we say, “dated” vehicle that, among other quirks, requires the use of a hockey stick to prop open the trunk... The good doctor will then drive up to two hours away, unload them all, set everything up, and - by herself mind you - deliver an animated and informative 45 minute talk that culminates with the highlight of her presentation: an interactive “Meet & Greet" that gives the participants an up close look at some of her 21 non-releasable “ambassador” animals.  Whether it’s the fox, turtle, owl or flying squirrel mentioned above, or one of Huang’s latest additions, one is guaranteed to be beguiled by the captivating antics of Huang’s oddball array of displaced souls, each of whom have an irresistible misfit component to them.

                    LEONARDO, a twirling, little flying squirrel w/ medical issues.

Dr. Huang finances 80-some percent of her endeavors.  Her indefatigable passion is evidenced the minute you see what lies behind the front door of her home.  That’s right: her HOME.  The woman has transformed her house into a full blown retreat with an open-door policy that welcomes any and all denizens of the outdoors.  This I know only too well, as I have spent many hours as a volunteer for Dr. Huang and have witnessed her whole routine firsthand.  During one week alone, this munificent healer took into homecare 7 juvenile possums, 4 bunnies, a Downy Woodpecker fledgling, a pair of wounded groundhogs, 5 baby bat “pups," and a litter of baby red squirrels.  Many of these “new” four and two-footed patients had incurred some sort of injury or ailment that necessitated medical attention; and, as one might imagine also had/have demanding feeding schedules.  It’s intensive, inspiring, and overwhelming.  For example, the bat pups require nourishment every hour and ½ in their 1st week (!!!).  Once acclimated though, those furry little winged fellers will actually PURR when being fed.  Yep, they literally start vibrating like tiny motorboats when satiated from their mealworm feedings.

                          One of FOR ALL SPECIES EDUCATION'S  non-releasable ambassador's, ECHO, a "big brown" bat, receiving the sustenance he needs to thrive.

The eccentricity at FOR ALL SPECIES EDUCATION doesn’t stop with reverberating bats.  Nope.  The volunteer experience is supplemented with anything and everything from the dexterous escapades of one of Huang’s personal charges, “Photon,” an Olympic-bound chipmunk who performs his seemingly effortless gymnastics 24-7 from a cage situated directly adjacent to the feeding station (see attached video!!!), to being serenaded by the catcall whistles and comical mimicry emitted by "Allegro" the disabled Blue Jay and his fellow aviary compatriots. 

                    JUST WATCH ! (plus, if you are not familiar with what a funambulist is; you will be 33 seconds from now...)

BUT WAIT: THERE’S MORE!! 

Dr. Huang has selflessly devoted her entire being not only to the welfare of wild animals in need, but also to her mobile Veterinary offerings.  Uh huh.  Somehow, this enterprising veterinarian manages to squeeze in house calls for folks who have difficulty getting their dog, cat or exotic pet(s) to the Vet Clinic.  She also serves as a mentor to 30 some college-aged and young professional interns from around the country.   And, remarkably, she apportions 2 days a week to her work as a physician for the Ohio Wildlife Center.  The situations with which those vets have to contend can be most unusual too - such as a recent instance in which a golf ball had to be surgically removed from the inside of a rat snake
(insert astonished face emoji here...) - not surprisingly, the latter often results in her shifts extending into the wee hours of the next morning. 

In terms of living arrangements at her shelter, Dr. Huang does what she can to simulate as natural of a habitat as she can.  Seeing as “fox cages” aren’t exactly something one can purchase off of Amazon, the resourceful Dr. Huang will makeshift an enclosure using anything from closet organizing remnants and Gridwall shelving panels to chicken wire and PVC pipes.  Each individual set-up is built from scratch, taking into account the inherent needs of the habitant.  

                    BECKER the raccoon and Dr. Huang during a play session.

Dr. Huang wants the best for the animals for whom she takes responsibility.  She takes great pride in her role as a caretaker and has long aspired to design a multi-purpose outdoor run that would give both her full and part-time residents an opportunity to spread their wings.  I can’t begin to tell you just how significant an impact your donation would have on the fortunate creatures who call FOR ALL SPECIES EDUCATION their home.  Dr. Diana Huang juggles her responsibilities mellifluously and carries out any and all challenges by employing her artful skills and her magnanimous and humble demeanor.  She’s an exceptionally modest woman with earnest convictions, but is the first to admit that fundraising is not her forte - hence my stepping in to launch a Go Fund Me.  If you’ve managed to read through my lengthy appeal all the way to this point - won’t you please donate $5?  Or $10.  How about $25?  Yes!  Twenty-five dollars it is then!  Just THINK of all of those poor, hapless varmints who would readily perish if it weren’t for the merciful and restorative hands of this altruistic champion for wildlife and pets alike.
                                         For All Species Education
                                           Dr. Diana Huang, DVM          
                   http://forallspeciesvet.com/wild-ambassadors/
                               A 501©(3) Education Organization
                                 
                                        Hashtag:  #5bucks4Figgy