Northeast Llama Rescue

Nice Article from The Daily Star

2011-03-14T10:14:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Big Chuck D'Imperio, from TheDailyStar.com for this wonderful article on Wes and NYWRC/NELR!

http://thedailystar.com/bigchuck/x2002721734/Schoharie-savior-is-areas-own-Dr-Dolittle

Thanks Cornell University

2011-02-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

During this rescue of the NY 100, there have been so many people that have helped, donated and given everything that they could to help these poor llamas. I hope to get our donations page updated tonight. I will put the "State of Donation Origin" after the donors names, if the donation didn't come from NY. Gigi Davidson,DVM, North Carolina Vet College helped us get the vaccinations that we would need to give all of the new llamas their first round of shots. Destron Microchips donatated the chips and readers to permanently ID all of the llamas in Montana. Mary Smith, DVM, and over 25 of her vet students from Cornell University provided the labor. I am rarely speechless, yesterday was another one of those days.
Yesterday started out like any other day at our facility. Nice spring morning, a lot of very happy llamas waiting to see me when I stumbled into the barn around 530half asleep as usual. I got everyone up, eating and started to formulate a game plan for the huge surge of labor that I was expecting on the farm. By 10 am our webmaster and dear friend Gayle Nastasi rolled in. She had one of the toughest jobs yesterday, she had to photograph and record every llamas' microchip so that she could come up with a database, not just for our records but for the virtual adoption fundraiser that Josh and Brent are doing with the Beekman Boys friends and fans. Next came volunteers Viv and Bob Fulton, Ive known the Fultons forever. They have been packing with llamas forever and were quick to email me to let me know that they wanted to adopt five of the guys when they were ready. Turns out that the Fultons are going to adopt 6 llamas since they found a llama that they had parted ways with years ago. I am sure that Moody Blue will be the first of many llamas that we figure out where they originally came from. We have a long list of people looking for "lost" llamas, there was only one llama that we found a microchip in that wasn't our chip....we are figuring that out. There were some llamas with metal ear tags, we are figuring those out. Gayle will have the llamas head shot photos up online soon so people can start looking for llamas that they might have known. We also had 6 guys with (actually 12) surprises, 6 of the "geldings" were actually intact studs so the gang from Cornell took care of that problem as well before they left to go back to Ithaca.
Shortly after my friends and volunteers arrived, the students from Cornell started rolling in one car at a time. I was kind of surprised that Cornell didnt send a van but the cars kept coming one after the other until around 25 vet students and their teacher, Mary Smith, DVM arrived. I took them on a tour of the farm and showed them "everything that we do at the zoo" so to speak. Then it was time for a game plan. With this many people we had to divide up tasks. Some students worked the chute that the llamas were going through. Some students prepared the syringes with the wormer, the rabies or the C.D. and T vacinations. As we started putting llamas through the chute, we quickly realized that giving 3 shots, feelin' for testicles, takin an ID photo and reading a microchip wasnt going to go as quick as we had hoped for. Some of the students broke off and put 5-7 llamas in a horse stall. Then in groups of 2-3 vets they gave shots, body scored the animal and wrote any immediate medical issues that Dr. Smith needed to see on a plastic ribbion around the llamas neck. Once all vet work was done, they were put through the chute where the microchip was read, the photo was taken, the neckband was removed and they got to go outside and hang out in the beautiful spring sun with their buddies.
About halfway through the herd, we stopped and had lunch. Hubie's Pizzeria in town donated ten pizzas to the cause. I really appreciate Chris and Jenn Hubbard's help. Whenever they know I am working with a large group of students at the farm that need to be fed, they always take great care of us....Viv made some great cookies. Gail made some cupcakes.....most of the students were finished eating and back to the barn before I had my second piece of pizza.
Everyone was a bit slower after lunch but we finally started to get into the groove and got into the routine. Of course the llamas that were last to be done were the ones that were not our most willing participants. The day concluded with a special surprise for the 6 male llamas that snuck on the trailer to NY from Montana with everything that they must have been hiding a month ago.....We have 100% neutered males (or geldings) now. It was a long day but a great day. In a month the CD and T and the rabies should be repeated. We are also coming up with a game-plan for getting the guys sheared this spring. I think that we will shear 50 llamas one weekend, the other 50 llamas the next weekend. I am taking adoption applications now for the guys, even though they will not be adopted out until the weather breaks this spring. The llamas need to get sheared and get looking better. The adoption applications are available to print on our website, then mail them in. For people that can not afford the small adoption fee, we can talk and some of the adoption fees will be offset by virtual adoptions from our Beekman Boys friends.

Just Added: Meet the Llamas Here

Pictures from Dr. Smith

Visit From Paul Taylor

2011-02-11T15:03:00.001-08:00

Friend and photographer Paul Taylor stopped by the farm. We'd like to share a couple of his images with you. Thank you, Paul!

Llama 99

2011-02-09T10:31:00.000-08:00

I usually like Wednesdays, the work week is half over and the coaster is going down the tracks. I also like Bactrian Camels a lot, hump day always makes me think of them. Today started out like any other day, (watch out when I start a blog like this you know it isn't going to be good). I got up at 5:30 am (as usual) and let the Border Collies out. The Border Collies wake up about 15 minutes before me and run from the bed to the door knowing that there is "stuff to do" outside. I got up and made coffee. Got some wood piled into the outside wood furnace; it is so cold. I am really ready for spring at this point, enough of winter. Then I let the dog boarders out into the kennels and head for the barn.

By the time I get outside, I can always hear the roosters crowing and the horses shuffling around their stalls. It isn't light yet but all of the animals know that I am coming and we all look forward to getting the day started. I like doing morning chores, it is just the critters and I in the a.m. Animals love to wake up and I have the best reason to get out of bed every morning. I usually get up before the alarm clock lets me know that I need to be out of bed. This morning wasn't much different than it has been for the last 3 weeks. First, I take hay out back and let the horses out. Then I put the llama grain and hay out in the front courtyard. Then I open the door so the llamas can go outside (weather pending).

The llamas love going outside but we lock them inside at night. I don't want them sleeping outside when it is this cold; I want them burning calories to live, not stay warm. I always stand by the door as all 98 llamas go bouncing by. Now since they know that there is grain out there waiting, the llamas have a "take no prisoner" approach to being the first 40 outside. When I first grained the NY 100 a week after they arrived from Montana, they walked through the grain. The llamas really didn't even know what it was. They are now getting free choice hay and water 24 hours a day and grain once a day. They also get free choice Stillwater Llama Minerals, which they love. By this weekend, I want to start graining them twice a day. With llamas starved this bad, you must take things slow. They didn't starve over night and getting them built back up will take time also.

The last thing that I do before getting my coffee is physical therapy with the llama that was too weak to walk upon arrival almost 3 weeks ago. I will always try to save a llama if they have "the look" in their eyes that they want to live. Unfortunately, with most llamas, once they go down into a kush....they almost never get back up for long. I had made it my personal mission to save this guy and get him back up on his feet. I felt that he had survived way too much to die in NY when he was home free on llama easy street. This morning, "Llama 99" as I've been calling him didn't look at me with his same "Wes we can do this" look in his eyes. I had built him a llama bouncy bounce with a sling and elastic straps, and with his new jacket (donated by Useful Llama Supplies). He was the best dressed llama in the barn. This morning he had the "Wes, when are you going to let me die?" look in his eyes. I told him that it was cold, told him that he was in a bad mood because the blood wasn't circulating yet and went through the stretches and production that I have done for almost the last 3 weeks before I could enjoy a cup of coffee for ten minutes before I have to get showered and dressed for school. I thought that he was just having a crappy morning, it happens to all of us.

At 11:15 today I ran home to meet with another great reporter from the Greenville News. NY Ag and Markets had just stopped at the farm, I'll catch up with them when they have an appointment. Cornell University is sending out 20+ vets on Feb 17th to help me give the llamas their vaccinations and parasite medications. We are also going to read microchips and take photos for the Beekman Boys Fundraiser on that day. As the reporter and I went into the barn, I realized that Llama Number 99 wasn't doing well in the chute. I immediately knew he died shortly after I left him this a.m. after physical therapy. I knew that he was saying good bye this a.m. and had given up the fight and will to live. I was angry that he had tried so hard and given up. I have only had one other llama get up after being down that long, maybe I should have euthanized him instead of giving him almost three weeks to try to get up. At least he died knowing that he was in a great place with lots of food, surrounded by the llamas he had known for years in Montana. He died knowing that his friends and their story would live on. I am selfish, I wanted him to live so I could say I saved him....sometimes you just have to let things go you can't control. I have to go now, I cant write anymore and as I told the reporter that was with me.....few people have ever seen me cry. WES

News Coverage on NY-100

2011-02-07T09:13:00.001-08:00

The Cobleskill Times Journal, our primary local newspaper, did a wonderful front page write-up on the NY-100.

You can view it here:
http://www.timesjournalonline.com/details.asp?id=48595

Check out the Watershed Post's great blog article by Julia Reischel
http://www.watershedpost.com/2011/101-llamas

Article in Daily Gazette online

2011-02-05T06:59:00.001-08:00

Need a herd of rescued llamas?

Click the link above to view the online version of the article written by Jim Mcguire, reporter for the Schenectady Daily Gazette. Jim and his photographer Marc Schultz visited NELR yesterday to talk to Wes about the "New York 100".

For frequent updates and photos, join us on Facebook at http://facebook.dj/nywildlife/

CBS 6 Take a Break segment online

2011-02-03T17:39:00.001-08:00

If you missed seeing us on TV this evening, you can catch the entire segment on the Channel 6 website:

http://www.cbs6albany.com/articles/animals-1282528-llamas-rescue.html

While viewing, be sure to also click on the Web Extra video, to the right of the main story, to see the interview with Brent Ridge from the Fabulous Beekman Boys.

NELR's "NY-100" on Channel 6 CBS Albany

2011-02-02T07:22:00.001-08:00

From Jerry Gretzinger: [The Northeast Llama Rescue "Take a Break"] story is going to run [this, 2/3/11] Thursday at 5:30 and 6:30 on CBS 6 and 10pm on the CW15. This is of course for the Albany Capital District and all areas served by those television stations. A link to the story online will be posted when it's available for viewing there.

The Montana Llamas are here

2011-01-21T21:10:00.001-08:00

The 53-foot double decker livestock trailer arrived today from Montana, carrying 100 rescued llamas who will be fostering at Northeast Llama Rescue. Here are some YouTube videos for you to enjoy

The trailer arrives:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G__CcHO7vT8

The huge trailer wasn't going to make it up the hill, so we took the small stock trailer down to meet it at Laraway Oil. It took nine or ten trips to get all one hundred llamas up the mountainside to Northeast Llama Rescue.

Here, Wes moves llamas from the large trailer onto the small one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWa6v2Aca94

Article and Pictures of the Montana 100 Llamas

2011-01-20T08:14:00.001-08:00

Please view the great article on the Albany Times Union website on the 100 llamas that will be arriving this weekend from Montana:

Farm takes 100 llamas - Times Union http://bit.ly/g3057u

Thank you, Paul Grondahl for a great write up! The article has several nice photos of the llamas being loaded into the trailer at the sanctuary as well.

Also, please view our dear friend Ellen's web page on the rescue here:

http://www.fortlucasfarm.com/rescue/index.html

And her great photos of the animals in Montana here:

http://www.fortlucasfarm.com/rescue/nelr_pictures.html

Thanks to all of our friends for their support. The needs of these hundred llamas will be huge. Please consider donating via the Paypal button on this blog. In addition, "spread the love" by passing the news to your animal-loving friends.

One of Ellen's site's photos of the NELR 100 heading
for the trailer to be loaded for their journey.

Montana Llama Crisis

2011-01-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

Important: Please see our other blog at
http://nywildliferescue.blogspot.com/
for more updates on this situation!
You may wish to bookmark and follow that blog,
as it is the more active one.

Hi Folks, We've been really busy since I blogged 10 days ago. Yesterday, 100 llamas were loaded on a huge semi trailer by Zeigler Transport in Montana. 10 days of nonstop work with the Camelid Rescue Coalition got 100 gelded llamas headed to us. There are still 200-250 llamas left in Montana. It cost over $9000- just for the transport of these 100 to NY. Donations have never been so important. I really hope that the other 200-250 can find a home before the rescue group that is in Montana leaves on Jan 31st.... I know one thing, we dont want any more than 100. This is one of the largest animal rescues in the USA since Hurricane Katrina. It is a huge undertaking by all involved. Thanks to all who already donated. Thanks to my BOD that have worked day and night to ccordinate all of this. I really want to thank Bruce, Eric and Judder. These 3 guys are the core of our volunteers and have helped me do almost everything over the last week around the farm to get ready for their arrival. Ellen has been vital to the coordination. Gayle has been vital to keeping the website and paperwork straight...to the dozens of donors, your donations have given us the faith thgat we can do one of the largest animal rescues in the USA and still pay the bills.....I will try to blog daily again or as I find out new news and/or get photos. Weve had two bats come in this week. besides for the little brown bats, things have been slow but it won't be for long. One person can make a difference, many people can make a bigger difference.:) WES

Trailer that is bringing the 100 llamas to NELR/NYWRC

Emergency Transport for 50 Llamas

2011-01-07T06:52:00.001-08:00

IMPORTANT ALERT!

A Montana sanctuary is closing its doors. Approximately 600 animals are affected.

We at Northeast Llama Rescue have agreed to take 50 of these animals.

Funds are desperately needed for transportation!

Please Donate Now!

Been There, Done That

2010-03-11T07:13:00.001-08:00

After a week of nasty weather, 3 snow days from school, lots of shoveling with over 4 feet of snow....what do I say? Spring is coming, my friends are boiling maple sap right now to make syrup. 36 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. The snow is slowly melting (TG), I've seen robins in the yard for weeks, saw my first vulture returning this past weekend and I even heard a red-winged blackbird this a.m. while doing chores. I am excited about changing the clocks this weekend, spring is in the air.

Things have been slow at NY Wildlife Rescue Center lately but will pick up shortly as "orphan season" begins. January was everything that I thought it would be. I kept busy doing little projects and showing many interns from SUNY Cobleskill's Wildlife Program what we do here.

February was unproductive. My wife and kids went with their grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins to Disney World in Orlando. I stayed home to try to get some wood cut and hold down the fort. The weather was lousy, I wish I had gone with them now. The highlight of my winter break from school was going to General Electric (with Gayle and Kelly) to do a program for their Wildlife Committee. The Whitney Club have supported us with checks and volunteer labor for years, they are good friends and we love doing our programs for them. The ride home during the blizzard was interesting but we made it, my truck really needs new tires.

March is a great month, spring is in the air. I did a Wildlife Program for the West Fulton Rod and Gun Club last week. I love speaking to hunting clubs, we have the same mission. I am all about conservation and preservation of wildlife. A good Rod and Gun Club will have the same mission statement. It was a good program and I believe that when it comes time to build the Raptor Flight their members will be there to help us. I appreciate their donation also.

This past Saturday, I did a Wildlife Program for the Golden Age Club of Middleburgh. I had a lot of fun and their lunch was great. I am surprised at how many people in the town where I grew up, live and teach don't know what we do up on the hill. I've made it my mission this spring (before things get busy again with orphaned wildlife) to get the word out locally about what we do. I will gladly speak and bring some of our licensed educational animals to any group that would like a program. I just try to keep my programs within a reasonable driving distance.

Last night I received a phone call from Cornell University's Wildlife Center. I expected that it was a call to see how Oscar the Bobcat was doing. Oscar is healing up nice but still favors the one hind leg a bit. I am still hoping that he is releasable. If he isn't, I would love to find a zoo with a native wildlife section that has a great enclosure for him but that is not a decision for today. The vet that called explained that Dr. Randell of Somers Animal Hospital has been working on another male bobcat that was hit by a car in Croton Falls NY, Westchester County. Deja Vu. I think that I've done this before. Cornell was wondering if I could help house and continue rehab on this Bobcat. The Wildlife Hospital at Cornell University offered to provide support care. I quickly agreed.

Somers Animal Hospital did a great job on this cat. Check out their website, www.somersanimalhospital.com and be sure to drop them an email thanking them for what they did to stabilize the bobcat. Many vet clinics do not want to deal with wildlife, this vet clinic went above and beyond. I am impressed: check out the bear surgery photos on their site...awesome. I agreed to help and said that I would start to figure out transportation to our facility. I instantly emailed Kim and Karen, two wildlife rehabbers that I greatly respect in the Rhinebeck area to ask if they would help with this cat. Kim and Karen were the wildlife rehabbers that caught and brought Oscar to me last year. They agreed to pick the cat up at Somers Animal Hospital and meet Roger to transport the rest of the way up to me. Roger is a new wildlife rehabilitator. He is also the man that saw Oscar laying along the road last year and stopped to see if he could be saved. He took such an interest in Oscars recovery that he visited, sent checks and took his test to become a rehabber himself this past fall at the Wildlife Rehabilitators Conference in Lake George.

Roger agreed to meet Karen, transfer this cat into his car and drive another hour to meet me at a convenience store by the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. We did that last night. I really appreciate the help from Kim, Karen and Roger. I appreciate that Kayla, one of our High School volunteers, came along with me for the ride. No one can do Wildlife Rehabilitation without a network of friends and help. They know that I would transport the other direction towards them if needed. It is easier to have 3 people drive an hour each way than force one person to make a 6 hour round trip. I still need to get a transportation chain linked between our facility to Cornell. I know that if we could shuttle raptors and wildlife easier between the Wildlife Health Center at Cornell and NY Wildlife Rescue Center that they could fix and I could rehabilitate many more animals that really don't have a place to go to heal for several months.

This new Bobcat, that I've been calling "Deja Vu" (I don't name wildlife), was pretty out of it last night. He has head trauma, a dislocated leg, and nerve damage in another leg. I don't think that Deja Vu is as messed up as Oscar was with his fractures. I got the bobcat settled in last night when we got home, he hasn't eaten in two days since the accident. Bobcats don't like commercial cat food if given a choice. I feed all of our bobcats the same defrosted dead rats that I feed the raptors. I gave him a couple last night and I didn't see the rats this morning but it was kind of hard to tell if they were in his cage or stomach with him attacking the sides of the cage. Tonight we will try some defrosted mice....yum. I like mice, they are easy to sneak his meds into.

I am excited to have the honor to save another Bobcat. I know that it is going to be expensive and time consuming but I like a challenge. I needed something to keep me busy until Orphan Season starts in another month. Now since I have something to write about, I will try to get blogging again. I will also try to get a photo of "Deja Vu" up on the blog asap, Roger took a couple last night. This bobcat is bigger than Oscar. Oscar was 17 pounds the day he was hit by a car, this bobcat is almost 24 pounds. I will also try to find out the details of the accident.

Be back soon, Thanks for your continued support.

--WES

PS: thanks to Karen LeCain for donating the pictures of "Deja Vu".

3rd Annual Easter Bunny Photo Shoot

2010-03-05T07:13:00.001-08:00

Come join us for our 3rd annual

Fund Raising Event:

Easter Bunny Photo Shoot

Have your photo taken with a live bunny or lamb!

Where & When:

Saturday March 20^th 10a.m. to 2p.m

@ Agway, Rt. 7, Cobleskill

Sunday March 21^th 10a.m. to 2p.m.

@ Middleburgh Hardware, Main St, Midd

Why:

To help raise funds and awareness for the New York Wildlife Rescue Center, a local non-profit animal rescue located right here in Middleburgh.

***Please join us for a day of fun and have your photo taken with a bunny or lamb and learn something new about our local wildlife. Live Birds of Prey will also be on location for viewing and question/answer sessions. The New York Wildlife Rescue Center is a registered non profit that relies on private funding to support all of its releasable and non-releasable wildlife.

For more information please call:

518-827-7760

Help NYWRC Help The Animals

2010-01-14T07:27:00.001-08:00

Please vote for (name entered as:) *NY Wildlife Rehab Center* (address:) Llama Rd. Middleburgh, NY to win a grant from the Berkshire Bank's giveaway:

http://www.berkshirebank.com/about_us/in_the_community/berkshire-bank-foundation/help-us-give-away-20000

Happy New Year

2010-01-11T09:55:00.001-08:00

Since my last blog, a lot has happened, seems like I havnt blogged since last year. I am blogging with a little Daschund Puppy sleeping on my lap, long story but she is here and needed a home... I found the Pitbull pup a home and they love her and it appears to be working out. After school on Dec 23rd, I took all of the supplies that my students brought in over to the Animal Shelter of the Schoharie Valley. Volunteers/staff helped me carry the stuff in, the kids actually got a TYN this year, Im glad that they appear to be getting their PR in order. Our County needs them and we all need to work together. I got an email today for 25 horses that need a home, 17 llamas that need a home, another 2 older horses looking for a home. Locally, people are calling me all the time to beg for help, ask me to take their animals or report people that are neglecting their animals. I wish I could help everyone and every animal but our county doesnt have an animal control officer and it seems that many law enforcement agencies are slow to get involved with animal abuse cases. They are tough to document and prosecute but shouldnt be avoided. The weather is bad, if you cant afford to feed your livestock, give them to someone that will. Cheaper in the long run than getting an attorney to try to stay out of jail. Sad yet true.....I so wish that I could do more legally. Financially this time of year is always tough for everyone. We are a not for profit looking for donations like every other animal rescue group. I never take on more animals than I know we can care for on our budget. I know that I can afford to feed the livestock that is here for the winter, I make sure the hay money is set aside before the snow flies. Just before xmas, someone nominated me as a Times Journal Star. This is an honor that our local paper does every year. It is to recognize people that have made a difference in our County for the previous year. To the people that nominated me, thank you. I am flattered and honored by the local recognition.
Xmas was everything that I thought it would be. Our kids and pets are lucky. The time with family was nice, something that we should do more often. New Years Eve was spent at home with friends and family, 2009 has disappeared and I have high hopes for 2010. Reflections on 2009 are very positive for Northeast Llama Rescue, New York Wildlife Rescue at Red Maple Farm. Every year we have all to do to keep up with the growth and need for what we are doing. We are one of the only animal rescue facilities that do what we do. Im not talking about numbers of animals helped, we helped well over 500 animals this year find new homes or get back into the wild. A feat that I am very proud of considering our limited budget. Every donation that we get goes directly into expanding our facilities to help more animals. We are basically in a state of nonstop construction to keep expanding our facilities to handle the increased numbers of animals coming in every year. 2009 was a great year. We built (and dedicated at our Open House in July) a 100 foot of Raptor Facility that is second to few. There are 8 different aviaries to handle just about all of the species in the Northeast that come in with injuries that need to be treated. There is a wide assortment of hawks, owls and falcons using this space already. It is available to any licensed rehabber. 2009 was also the year that Oscar the bobcat found his way to me. Oscar came to me because others knew I was his only hope. I may have brokered the deal but Cornell Universities Wildlife Center kept him alive, with some help from God. We built a beautiful shed and a new enclosure for Oscar to heal in. We were overwhelmed with Raccoons this year, there are very few places left that are licensed or even want to deal with them. We built a new shed just for doing them that can be sanitized and locked. I am thinking that it should hold around 50 coons as youngsters, around 20 skunks....I am really not the type of guy that likes to think about the past. I like to think about the future, 2010 will be a great year. I am determined to get the flight built off the Raptor Aviaries so we can actually fly the Raptors to get them ready for release back into the wild. This will happen with your support. Once that is done, we need to do something different with our deer soft release area. I would like to get it fenced in with 8 foot deer fencing but we will worry about that design when we get there. Im sure there will always be a project here, all I need is time and money. Till next time.....

'Tis the Season

2009-12-15T20:56:00.001-08:00

'Tis the Season to be Jolly and thankful for everything we all have ... friends, family, all types of critters, wildlife rescue facilities.... You get the drift. After my last post, I had to take a little break from my blogs. I never get sick of the animals, most of the folks I meet are cool people that do what they can to help an animal, send New York Wildlife Rescue Center a donation or help us out by volunteering up here. Just a quick reminder, there are some great products for sale in our store section of our website. For those of you that like to send out the support in the form of a check, you still have about two weeks to get the checks in for this tax year deduction.

I've spent the last few weeks catching up on reports, license renewals, rehab logs, etc. My individual Wildlife Rehabilitation Log for the DEC is 40 pages of wild birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. My RVS intake forms for the 40 raccoons, 10 skunks and a dozen bats are over 30 pages. This year alone, my log alone has over 200 wildlife entries. Add my wife's squirrels, and what our BOD and Associated Rehabbers in our network have done, I would not be surprised at all if the total for our group is well over 500 wild animals saved this year. It is NOT a contest to see how many animals I can save. I just do what I can do and we try to do things first class not half-assed, one animal at a time. Add in our domestic pet rescues, livestock and exotic animal rescues ... wow, no wonder I'm so tired lately. Being a perfectionist, I was complaining to a friend the other day about how much more I could do and was thinking out loud about how many more animals I could save. I often wonder if I am making a difference in the world ... maybe not, but as my friend pointed out, I make a big difference to the animals and kids I help. I do know that we wouldn't have a website and a lot of paperwork wouldn't have gotten done without the help of my very good friend Gayle Nastasi, visit her website from our links, it is great and she is very talented. I am lucky to have her as a friend and on our BOD.

When I was trying to figure out what to write about tonight, I figured I would start with my standard apology for not blogging. I don't want to do a reflection on the year (yet), but looking back over the last year ... we have accomplished more than many of the animal rescue facilities that have large budgets, with taxpayer support and paid staff members. I am very proud of what we have done. If I can keep up with fundraising, facility construction, rehabbing the animals, public relations, paperwork, my job teaching, my family and my wife ... we are going to build a facility here that will be second to none and will long outlive me.

In November I attended a NYS Falconers Banquet. It was a fun time, I bid on some great items in the secret auction. Unfortunately I didn't win any of it but hey, all it takes is a dollar and a dream. Also in November, I went to the NY Wildlife Rehabilitation Council's Conference in Lake George. It was a great conference, lots of great friends, food and drink (it is my vacation also). I went to as many of the classes as I could that were on Raptors. As always, I really learned a lot and it was well worth attending. Networking is half the battle of being a good rehabber. I got to see and meet a lot of great Wildlife Rehabbers at the conferences and I learn a lot over a few drinks. I really want to encourage EVERYONE to take the test and become a wildlife rehabilitator. Remember that becoming a rehabber is one of the most rewarding things you can do. You can put as much time into it as you can afford (mentally and financially) and say no when you are in over your head. The demand is huge for new rehabbers, I believe that there are only a couple of dozen licensed RVS Rehabbers that can legally do raccoons, skunks and bats in the entire STATE of NY. My wife is like most rehabbers, she found her niche, she only does squirrels. Some rehabbers only do rabbits (only have to be fed twice a day). Some only do baby birds, every 20 minutes ... yikes.... The key to being a good rehabber is having a good mentor. If you are interested in doing this crazy thing of saving wild animals, you MUST get a good mentor. A good teacher is better than any book and you will burn out if you don't get taught right and stay on the cutting edge in new techniques for giving animals (that often want to die) some life. I've had one of the best mentors; Kelly Martin has done this for over 20 years. She is President of NY Wildlife Rehab Council and she is one of the best rehabbers that I have ever met. You can go to DEC's website, order the study materials, enroll to take the test but it is almost impossible to figure out what license you need for what animals. It is impossible to keep track of renewals, applications and logs. I am the most organized person that I ever met and I often say "I need another license for that?" or "When is that form due?" or "No wonder why no one does this...." :) A good mentor is very important to show you how to do it right and keep your sanity in the process.

I have done my required hours working with Kelly, I have the hundreds of hours needed and have received my US Fish and Wildlife Federal Migratory Bird Rehabilitation Permit now. Kelly is a great teacher, she lets me learn some things on my own and then smiles when I figure it out, she often puts on her glasses when I now know I am going to see something new, she gives me a kick in the ass when I need it or am in need of a pep talk. I am waiting to receive my own Federal Special Purpose Migratory Bird Educational License. I will be learning how to rehab animals better for the rest of my life, it will be nice to be done collecting licenses.

Kelly lost a very special Raptor this week that anyone that has ever seen our educational shows knows well. Hooter the Great Horned Owl was one of Kelly's first educational raptors, added to her federal license in 1985. Hooter would go anywhere, would sit on your fist forever and was always the bird that never got off his stand, rarely gave us a hard time ... just the dream bird that will be missed greatly by all. I'm sorry for your loss Kelly.

Enough for tonight.

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-10-10T07:24:00.001-07:00

Don't call, don't write.... I'm not dead (yet), just really busy. Wildlife Authority at the Power Authority went well. I also took some wildlife to the Schoharie County Youth Conference on Monday. It went really well and the kids were great. Last weekend was the first weekend that I was home in months. I love traveling around and doing our shows but it is always nice to be home and get some work done. Winter is coming and some friends helped me get some projects finished up. I have to get firewood cut before it snows.

Oscar the bobcat went into his new enclosure. We poured concrete, built a building and specially designed a cage for him to be over-wintered in. If he is ever going to go back into the wild he needs lots of exercise but he couldn't have the high trees and dangerous heights that a lot of our other enclosures have because he could break his plate out of his hip if he got having too much fun. The entire enclosure including the concrete and building was around $2500 that I really didn't plan on spending but he is worth it. His cage is neat because it has a squeeze cage built into it for safely catching him. We always do things first class not half-assed around NY Wildlife Rescue Center.

Last weekend was also cool because we got the last of the releasable animals back into the wild before it got too late in the season. Derick and I released 2 skunks, 2 opposums, 2 squirrels and a red fox. These were all critters that needed every advantage of being in captivity but didn't need to be overwintered. We actually flew 2 redtails on a line, using a trick a falconer taught me. We really need to get this flight built so that we can get birds properly conditioned and exercised for release. We have about half of the money that I estimate for materials but I really don't want to start it if I don't think that we can afford to finish it before the snow flies.

This week could be described as "lets ditch our dog week". The week started off with a phone call about a sheep that has been home alone for months. The sheep is happily running around the pasture with my sheep now. I still have 4 kittens that are looking for homes and really wish that someone would adopt them. In the past two days I have adopted out a pitbull, a german wirehair pointer, two labs, a siamese cat, a beagle, and hopefully a little shitzu. I have done my good deed; now stop calling me to find a home for your dog, I am running out of friends to adopt them.

Yesterday, one of the rescued llamas from this spring blessed us with a little female cria. I miss the baby llamas so much, we don't breed any animals anymore so when we get little ones, it is always fun ... even if they are offspring of previously unwanted animals who were destined to a life of misery. They were lucky to be born at NY Wildlife Rescue center, I guess.

Till next time, adopt a kitten.

Wes

Animal Control

2009-09-22T07:51:00.001-07:00

Schoharie County needs an animal control officer. Here in 'Scary Co. we have Dog Wardens for individual townships (There are 16 towns in our county). I think that we need a county wide animal control officer. I know a good part time candidate for that job.... :) The last two nights I have been called out until all hours of the night helping the NY State Police and the Schoharie County Sheriff's Department on animal calls. I do dozens of calls a year for the law enforcement of our county. I receive no compensation at all. I don't even get invited to a Christmas Party. We need a County Wide Animal Control Officer. It could be a part time position. The ACO could coordinate communication between the different dog wardens, assist in natural disaster animal relocation, answer wildlife calls; the job description could be long. Most other counties have an ACO. Most are paid salary, receive a truck, benefits, etc. I would be interested in the position for mileage, stipend and getting it started for the good of the animals and people in this county. Email the Supervisors and Bill Cherry and express the need for creation of a paid ACO (on a part time basis) in Schoharie County.

The Coyote that I rescued Monday night was taken to Dan Sullivan, Grand Gorge Animal Hospital last night after school for an x-ray. We were both optimistic that it could be saved. It had feeling in its rear legs but x-rays revealed a different story. Vertebrae damage in the lower spine made it probable that this young coyote would never walk again. Neither Doctor Sullivan nor I saw any reason for it to endure the process of recovery toward such a bleak quality of life and the pup was humanely euthanized while still unconscious for the x-ray process. I try not to focus on the negatives, I need to stay focused on the positives. I did everything that I could to help this coyote. Dr. Sullivan also donated his time and services. I really appreciate his help and I was very impressed with his practice.

I got home, kind of depressed and helped the guys work on Oscar the bobcat's new enclosure. Made the mistake of taking my boots off before 9pm and the phone rang. Schoharie Co. Sheriffs Dispatcher said a Trooper needed help with two horses in Carlisle that had been running around loose all day. I reluctantly agreed, for the animals and for the safety of people driving in the area, got dressed, got halters, grain, hooked on the trailer and met up with the Trooper to go to where they had been temporarily corralled. With a little bit of coaxing and calm soft talk, I got them on my trailer without hurting them (or me) and we were off for home. By the time I got them settled in for the night, it was pushing 1am.

I am beat today at work; we have an Open House tonight at school so I wont even get home until about 9pm. I think that someone will miss these horses. They have good weight, manes and tails were brushed. The sooner the better that I find their owners because I really don't want two more horses ... we have 9 already at our facility. I will let you know how this story ends.

Kittens: they are so cute, everyone needs one. We have several that desperately need homes. PLEASE help me out with this one. One litter was bottle fed and are super friendly. The other litter was born to the long haired Siamese that I rescued from under a church (she is available for adoption also). If you know of anyone that wants a kitten, please let them know. I will also most likely have a couple of really nice dogs that I will need to find homes for shortly as well. Gotta get back to work, my class is coming in.

FYI- New York Power Authority, Blenheim-Wildlife Festival this weekend. Hope to see you there.

WES

Coyote Rescue

2009-09-21T12:53:00.001-07:00

The last day of summer, how depressing (like we had a summer). Wooly Caterpillars are saying long cold winter (when isn't it). :) In the last week, we have met some great people and gotten some new animals in. Last week we had a call on a wild turkey that got hit near Howe Caverns. That didn't end well but it didn't go to waste; the foxes left little to tell what they had done. I met some great folks when I picked up the turkey, they have alpacas and they visited this weekend to meet the three alpacas that I have available for adoption. In the process, I am hoping that we might be able to get the building materials we need to get the raptor flight started before the snow flies. Connections and destiny ... time will tell.

I have another "raccoon friend" I am hoping will help us get a pond in for rehabbing beaver and geese/ ducks that come in. Again ... time will tell.

Some great students from the SUNY Cobleskill Wildlife Program found a goldfinch with a wing mutation on a hike. The bird is unreleasable and must have been fed by parents, a luxury that will end soon with their migration. Good deed done, and I have a student that may want to do an internship with me in the process.

Saturday, I took the donkeys, alpacas, some other critters looking for homes, with some Raptors, to the Irish Festival at the Ballston Spa /Saratoga Co. Fairgrounds. It was a great day; the birds were a big hit and we got a chance to educate a lot of people about wildlife. It really doesn't get any better than that. Our donation jar did well and the people were very interested in what we do. Our educational events are vital to what we do and I hope we can book more events next year.

Yesterday, I had a great group of students come in for a tour of NY Wildlife Rescue Facility. They are a 4H group from Delhi, asked great questions, were respectful and want to help out in the future. I really like kids and animals; I love educating kids about wildlife conservation. 4H is such a valuable club for young people to be involved in. Anything that doesn't involve being stuck inside the house on a computer should be promoted. Their generation will see some horrible things environmentally; they will be the generation to, hopefully, go green.

I also have spent a lot of time the last week on paperwork. I hate it, but it is a necessity to keep good records for the various agencies that license me. Doing reports at the end of the year is easy when you have kept good records all year.

Last night, I actually took off my boots at 8:30 pm. The phone rang about 5 minites later. I recognized the number on caller ID, "New York Wildlife Rescue Center, this is Wes".... "This is Trooper (such and such) of the NY State Police, do you rescue coyotes?" Ten minutes later I was wrestling around in a ditch with it. I appreciate that he called me rather than just shooting it on the spot. I know a lot of people would rather it had been killed but I am a rehabber, not God. I don't rescue animals that I like and leave others to die.

The only thing that I could think of as I was grabbing it with my catch pole was that a dart would have been nice. That was the reason I took the chemical capture class at Tufts this summer. One of these days I am going to get a call for something bigger than me. I also thought about Oscar the bobcat; I bet that he felt the exact same way. Eyes in spotlights, blue and red lights, the sounds and smell of man ... and being helpless to move. I took the coyote to Cobleskill Vet Clinic where we knocked her out, did an exam and administered steroids. She is trying to get on her haunches but has a lower spine inflammation. I am trying to get her back in for an x-ray so I can figure out if we can really save her or if it would be more humane to put her down. I have never rescued a coyote before, a lot of people would like to see the vermin dead but you want to hear something interesting. I noticed that her feces looked funny, I looked through them and she had been feeding entirely on apples ... things that make you go hmmmmmmm. I am not God, I will spend a couple of hundred dollars to see what is wrong and give her a chance. If she is showing signs of pain or the damage is too great ... she will go to sleep. I will keep you posted.

--Wes

Fall is here

2009-09-01T05:57:00.001-07:00

I like spring, it means that new baby orphans will be coming in, the land comes back alive ... but fall has come. The trees know it, the animals know it. Since I have gotten back from Tufts from the Chemical Capture Class, I have known that fall is coming. The Chemical Capture Class was great, I hope to be darting animals soon to save them.

For the last few days, I have been dreading today. It was release day. My day started early with preparations to catch, cage, transport and release skunks and coons. I try not to get emotionally attached to the wildlife I rehab. My first coons came in May 9th ... skunks came shortly after. Watch the slideshow that Gayle will hopefully attach to this blog and link to the website.

Release day is always tough for me. I know that they are ready, they have been enriched, and can figure out any food item that I slip in. Every year we get "better" , we never claim to know anything here but we are quick learners and once we make a mistake (which all rehabbers do) we learn. That is why I mentor. That is why I'm lucky to have Kelly as one of the best mentors in the world. Never a day passes that I don't scratch my head, say "never saw that before" ... and learn.

Please Click Here to Visit our Musical Slideshow
to share our special day with us.

I really don't know what to say about today, I moved the Kestrels into their soft release enclosure. The 'Possums moved out into theirs.

The darn cage that Oscar the Bobcat was in is 1/2 an inch too large to slide into the aluminum zoo cage that I use to transport him to Cornell. I have to take him there tomorrow and it wasn't pleasant getting him into a cage with a catch pole now.

I really think that if you watch the slideshow and listen to the music that Gayle put to it from today, you will get what I do ... very few people get what I do. 5 months of my life has revolved around these animals; baby coons and stinkers; 24 hours a day, 7 days a week--no breaks. It all boiled down to today. Did I get them prepared for life in the wild and things that could eat them in the woods? I think so. If you watch the slideshow, you will see one eyed (black eyed) Susie as I called her, This is the coon that Dr. Diane saved for me. We both spent a lot of time and money on her; she was the only coon that kept coming back to me for reassurance--all of the others plunged into the wild. I am comfortable with the release, I am happy for them al. Once I drive away, they are on their own. It was the way that it is suppose to be, they are not pets. They are wild animals, for better or for worse.

I got home, depressed, in a bad mood which everyone at the farm got. Started getting things ready for Cornell trip tomorrow with Oscar the Bobcat because I start school on Wednesday.

Got a phone call about an owl in someone's yard, she called nonstop until we answered the phone ... she knows I don't check the answering machine more than once a day. I went, found a great old Great Horned Owl that was sitting under her picnic table. I had caught it before the kids could even get out of the house. What an old warrior; he had reserved himself to hunting a Porcupine and a couple of weeks ago had caught one. I pulled several quills out of a horribly infected foot. Glad I'm going to Cornell tomorrow--if anyone can save this foot....they can. Also had to set a livetrap for a red fox with mange: met a great guy who doesn't want to see his fox from his farm die a horrible death. I will try to catch it. I will and I will fix it.

I have several people a week say that what I do is amazing, I do not get funding; it is all by donation and my blood, sweat and tears. Forward everyone you know our blog, website and slideshow of our release today. I am the luckiest guy in the world that I get to do this every day.

My kids will look back at these releases as they get older and releaze how cool they were versus "Why can't I get out of the truck?".

I look forward to getting back in my classroom, I miss the kids from school. I need to see some kids (as if I haven't seen them all summer).

Plan on attending the Scottish Festival this weekend at the Altamont Fairgrounds. The Committee has supported what I do for years. I will be doing two shows daily.

Gotta hit the hay.

Wes

Small milestones

2009-08-13T05:50:00.001-07:00

Well, I should have more to say ... here we go.

Tomorrow the Workforce Solutions Kids will be done working at NY Wildlife Rescue Facility . It will finish the summer. I haven't gotten the dreaded "Welcome Back" to school letter from my boss that officially ends my summer but I do want to state for the record that I love all of you kids... I don't like the word kid, you're not ... what you have done here is amazing. Andy (the college supervisor here this summer) is amazing. Although we didn't get everything done that I wanted to do this summer, it was more than productive. Tomorrow after our BBQ, I'm sure that I will have more to say.

I actually had two weird wildlife experiences happen to me since I last blogged. I always blog how people shouldn't be quick to pounce on wildlife. I was mowing up at the picnic area and something ran in front of the lawn mower. I thought to myself, "I cant even mow without saving something ... read your blog ... leave it alone". I watched it for awhile until it disappeared in to the brush, then I saw it again in a completely different part of the area. I stopped the lawn mower, as I was chasing the chick around. I heard peep, peep, peep from all over the area. Then I saw the big hen fly in and I hid behind a brush patch as I heard cluck, cluck, cluck and all the chicks I had scattered when pulling into the picnic area come running out to get reunited with the hen and walk off into the woods.... I need to practice what I preach.

The next cool wildlife experience I had was while I was delivering llamas to a new home, a great home (as always) I might add. I was standing in the driveway chatting with a great animal communicator and her husband said "ohhhh look at the bobcat"... Didn't have to tell me twice, I jumped up on the wall and saw the most gorgeous cat walking down the backside of the wall about 20 foot away. The bobcat didn't seem to care, we caught a connection and it walked on down the wall out of sight ... very cool. Not as cool as the home the llamas got but pretty close.

On July 8th, you remember the story about the small bat that came in that I thought was dead, revived and have been feeding nonstop ever since? He was about the size of my thumb nail, he is 4 times that size now. I like him a lot. We reached a small milestone tonight. He normally grabs ahold of the syringe full of formula but tonight I tricked him. I put a small mealworm in front of him instead. He ate it ... I was shocked. Did it again, ate half of another before he realized what was going on ... had a fit and begged for his formula by vibrating and showing his new little fangs. They grow up so fast.

I am not a hero but very few people realize what I do. I have spent 5 weeks of my life on a baby bat and it is working. Andy and I agreed that it takes about 20 kids to do what I do everyday while Im teaching.

I got a baby pigeon in tonight that has issues, I have tube fed lots of them; this little guy needs your prayers; wings are fine but I think that it has two broken legs ... may be his last night. JAMES HERRIOT, one of my favorite authors said that all creatures, great and small, the Lord God loves them all ... or something close, it is late. Everyone should email John Katz, one of my other favorite authors. Tell him to get down to Middleburgh and see what I do, I need his help writing a book. That will be a big milestone but I am ready.

I will start blogging again daily, just need to get my head above water again,
Wes

Where has the summer gone?

2009-08-05T10:42:00.001-07:00

I know that I am bad, I haven't gone this long without blogging in a while. I try to blog everyday but it has just been too hard lately. We have had several school groups come in for workshops. I actually even did a program at Delhi Elementary School last week which was amazing. The teacher is amazing. The kids knew more about Raptors and wildlife than most of the older audiences that I work with. Education is one of the most important things that I can do to get our message out there. I deal with dozens of phone calls a week with folks that want to help animals that really don't need it. It is so hard to convince people that it is better to leave the baby rabbits in the nest than to pick them up and bring them in the house....

"Orphan Season" has slowed down a lot, finally. We are no longer getting several animals a day that we are working on. The past week has been interesting. Seems like every animal that has come in has been covered in maggots. I know that everything has a purpose but I really am getting sick of maggots. I have had 2 coons, a fawn, a porcupine and a baby robin come in this past week all covered.... All had their individual reasons and issues, all had unhappy endings. It is a combination of wounds, bad weather and hungry flies. It is really gross.

Our Workforce Solutions kids continue to do a great job. They are only here officially for another week. I don't think that we are going to finish the lower pasture but we are going to try. There is just so much wood, debris and stone down there. I've been working on that pasture for 10 years. I really don't know how the old-timers did it with nothing but an axe.

I will try to be more upbeat and interesting next time.
Wes

I'm Speechless

2009-07-21T05:32:00.000-07:00

For those of you that attended our Open House this past Saturday, July 18th, you probably wished that I was speechless. It was a perfect day, my High School volunteers, my 20 somethings and my "older" volunteers helped me get everything together and it was a great day. I would have never been ready without your help. I am so flattered that over 200 people thought that what we are doing was cool enough to come to the dedication of the Phase One half of the Raptor Center. We have worked so hard to have one of the best facilities in the Northeast, it is very important to do what we are doing and do it first class.

I have been flattered by all of you, your donations, validating what we do. I had an older lady from Middleburgh attend the Open House. She emailed me and said that she never understood until she heard me talk at the Open House. ... I do love what I do, there is such a HUGE demand for wildlife rehabbers. If you are considering it, do it but do it right. Get a mentor and do an apprenticeship.

I will let Gayle put links up for photos and videos of the event. I'm not going to rehash the whole thing but I do want to say thanks to my Board Of Directors, you are great. Our Volunteers and our donors are what keep us expanding. As I said during the dedication we are helping a lot of kids and animals here at this facility. Most people didn't even realize as they walked around the grounds that we had 7 animals come in DURING the Open House. We had a broadwing hawk, a painted turtle, robins, a cedar waxwing and 2 kittens come in. Our BOD members quickly got them into the nursery for assessment and treatment; the public never knew.

I am speechless, and very tired. I will get blogging again, going on 2am, I need to look over 370 emails and get some zzzzzzzz.

Till tomorrow,
Wes

Pictures and Video!

Some photos from our special day are included at this link.

Here is a music video one of our volunteers, Jess, put together, starring the animals of NY Wildlife Rescue, Northeast Llama Rescue, and Red Maple Farm. Enjoy!

Busy, Busy, Busy

2009-07-15T08:46:00.000-07:00

The hairless bunny didn't like the bottle very well
So Hannah's pet rabbit, who had babies three weeks
ago, cooperated beautifully so the baby could nurse.

I love days like today. I started in the morning with animal calls and feedings with BOD members Kelly and Gayle. Ran around like a lunatic all day, basically from one injured or hungry critter to another. Didn't get much time to work with my high school workforce today; thank God for Andy. Got a lot of paperwork and computer work done this morning, until I sent too many emails letting everyone know about our Open House and got tossed off line by my web provider....

Very few people can out work me. I start early and go to bed around 2am every day. These young adults (I hate calling teenagers kids and they are not all my students) are getting things done around here. The college supervisor Andy is awesome, keeps things going and covers for me when I am answering the phone (which never stops) or trying to figure out how I am going to save the next box that arrives. Kind of like Xmas but you can't forget about it when you are done playing with it.

It has been a slow fawn year (not that I am complaining). I love bats. I hate to admit it but I am really getting attached to my little pup (baby bat). I didn't think that he would live when I looked at him in the box a week ago. He now rules my life with his feeding schedule. They are so naughty, have a high pitched voice and try to bite you even when you are feeding them. Bats get a bad rap. 20% of all the earth's mammals are bats. You would be paying a lot more for food if it weren't for bats eating lots of bugs all night. I don't like what is going on with the white nose disease in bats right now. What is going on with honey bees bothers me also. Bats just have a bad rap because of all of the stupid vampire movies. They don't fly in your hair, few species will suck your blood and they are not the rabies infested demons that people think that they are. I've done lots of bats. I have 2 in the bat-cave right now. One is an older brown bat, don't know why it was found on the ground yet but it is eating and coming back from death. I still have to get some mites off of it but the maggots are gone. Capstar is an amazing drug. It is expensive but I use it all the time and it is awesome. The pills are tiny. When given orally or rectally they get rid of maggots, fleas and ticks within about 30 minutes. I actually put one in a ziplock bag, and slipped a little piece in this bats mouth ... no maggots.

Speaking of maggots, I got a baby coon tonight transported by North Country, came from DEC, what a mess. I've seen just about everything with a baby coon. This little guy is a mess. He had a paw caught in a foot hold trap. He has an infection in his foot, the maggots are bad. I should be the poster child for Capstar. Will someone call the folks that make those pills and ask them to send me a lot of the 2-25 pound pills. I am almost ashamed when I go to the vet, like a junkie, begging to buy more. I don't know if I can save this little coon, but I will give him 100% effort. Wish that he wasn't so cranky.

I got a Bluejay in that hit a house, I really don't know what he was thinking when he did that. Kelly got his wing wrapped up while we fed the orphans this morning. He will probably be ok. Just need some R and R which isn't easy for a Bluejay that has things to do.

I got a cottontail baby rabbit in tonight that is lucky to be alive. He got half of his ears and part of the top of his head taken off by a lawn mower. I've seen a lot but this was a first. He should have hidden a little lower. I give him a 50/50 but we are working on him. I hope the other rabbits don't make fun of him for being earless.

Had another rabbit come in tonight ... a little one. Hairless. I'm tempted to try to sneak it in with one of my daughter's rabbits new litters. I've done it before. It has worked but the risk is the mother could kill him if she realizes that we have snuck one past her. We will see tomorrow. The same person (and same bad dog) brought me a Garter Snake that looked like he had been hit by a lawn mower. I couldn't help that little snake, it was nearly in half ... I helped him get to sleep.

Speaking of getting to sleep (no not me), the sheriff's department called me today. There was a call for a cat at my bank dragging its legs on their lawn. I hate these calls. Like the dog that Kelly and I watched die a couple of days ago (hit by a car). It won't be killing my sheep anymore but I didn't want to see it dead, I just wanted it to stay home. Got in the truck with Nicole (former student, present volunteer) and got down there in a jiffy. I've caught a lot of road hit animals. This cat was feral, angry and the fastest thing that I've ever seen move on half of its legs. All I could think of was Oscar the Bobcat. I grabbed my shoulder length padded gloves from under the seat, my catch-pole, and we eventually caught the poor thing. The deputy had arranged transport to Howes Cave Animal Hospital, it never went....

Back to happy things.

As if the cosmos weren't already testing me. Another person holding a box showed up with "baby birds". I like birds a lot. They want it, want it now and don't really care about you for another 30-45 minutes (if you are lucky). A quick peek and I blurted out-loud.... "Ohhhh no, Chimney Swifts". They are tough enough to live in nest inside a chimney but a real challenge to do. They vertically perch, like to hang on sides of their container. They scream until you go to feed them then clamp their beaks shut with super glue. I tried to get them to put them back, they are here and I am going to give them 100%.

Last but not least (today) I got in a baby dove. Doves are a totally different type of feeder: different food, different equipment.... It's eating great, I like this fledgling.

Wow, really busy day. Lot to do tomorrow. Time for some Craig Ferguson Late, Late Show and a nap.

Till tomorrow,
Wes

Front Page News, Sunday Gazette

2009-07-14T04:22:00.001-07:00

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2009/jul/12/0712_rehab/

The Daily Gazette did a wonderful story on NY Wildlife Rescue Center and gave us front page coverage in their Sunday edition. We'd like to thank Sara Foss of the Gazette for such a marvelous story!

Sara also shared in her blog:

http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/foss/2009/jul/13/71309_animals/

Thank you!

We hope to see many of you at our open house this Saturday, July 18th, at 4pm!

New developments

2009-07-13T02:05:00.000-07:00

Photos in this blog entry
courtesy of Paul Taylor

I don't know really where to begin this blog, it is 2am, I'm exhausted, have to share....

We have been working really hard to get everything done for our Open House this Saturday. Chris, Justin and Bob have been working hard to get the new skunk, possum, and coon caging in before our Open House. Since all of our existing enclosures have trees in them, Oscar is getting a brand new enclosure (without anything to injure himself on yet) to get some more exercise while continuing to heal. Lets hope the concrete company can come tomorrow.

We've had some great baby Possums and another fawn come in from another wildlife rehabber that we love to work with from Oneonta. We've had a lot of great animals come in that are fixable and will go back into the wild.

This past Sunday, the Sunday Gazette featured us as a front page cover story. The photographer and reporter did a first class job. We have gotten a lot of great feedback on it and I hope that it gets the word out about what we are doing. This past Thursday the Mountain Eagle also did a great story on us, I am flattered. I don't do what I do for PR, I do it because I love it and it is the right thing to do. I don't give or take compliments well, I feel relieved that people validate and appreciate what we do here at New York Wildlife Rescue Center. After around 20 years of saving animals, we are getting some recognition ... which I hope will help us continue to expand our facility so that we can help/house more animals in first class style. This has always been important to us. I will ask Gayle to get the stories up as a link so that you can read both articles.

Thanks, I really appreciate everyone's support; besides the checks, you can help our cause by telling everyone that you know about what we do. Encourage your address book to check out our website.

On Saturday, we had a great visit by some folks looking to adopt some rescue animals for their farm. I liked the couple and their farm manager a lot; they picked out some of the llamas that I rescued earlier this year from the big rescue. They decided to adopt several llamas, a goat and the old donkey that came in a few weeks back. I am purposely keeping their identity and privacy guarded. When I delivered the critters, I was pleased to see that these animals will be leading the good life (not like I would let anyone adopt anything that wouldn't be). It wasn't about the farm (which is something out of a magazine) -- money doesn't impress me unless it is used for good: used to help kids or animals. The animals will have a great life with them. What I liked most was the people. I meet some really bad people doing what I do. These folks love their animals as much as I do. They have the means to make sure these animals never have another care in the world. They are adopting some more animals from us this Sunday. It isn't about the money with me, although I need it to keep our rescue facility expanding, you don't need to have money to take great care of your animals. The people are what makes animals happy with love. Their housing, food, care will be second to none ... I'm thrilled and they can adopt whatever they want, I just hope that they don't adopt too many animals to enjoy them or get to know them. But I know that they will be very involved in the lives of their animals. The animals that we've rescued here are very fortunate to be with them. I love a story with a happy ending. I really couldn't be happier about where the animals are living. They are going to adopt a few more animals and I cant wait to take them to their great new home.

Today all of our high school students started work at New York Wildlife Rescue Center. It was like a fairground here with parents dropping off kids; we have a total of 20 volunteers under the age of 20 years old. After an orientation meeting with me, I gave them a tour of the farm. Workforce Solution is a great program. They get these kids working, making money, stay out of trouble and they worked hard today. We got two pasture sheds painted today, chores, cleaning and even had time to start painting the fences. Many hands can make light work and I look forward to working with all of these students daily until the end of the summer.

To our helpers: I will teach you a lot about animals, hard work, ethics and we will have a lot of fun also. We'll have 3 different shifts at the Center this summer. One group will work 8-1, the next group will work 1 to 6, the last group are the construction guys (mostly former students that worked at the facility in high school) who often volunteer after their jobs until midnight. I will work along side of all of you, I will always be the last one to sit down ... unless I have to feed something.

Going on 3 am. Time to feed the baby bat and get some shut eye....
Till tomorrow, another day,
Wes

New Caging

2009-07-10T05:54:00.001-07:00

No new animals came in today, that is good I guess. I ran over to our BOD member Linda's house tonight to pick up a mink. Turns out that the mink didn't need rescuing, it had a licensed home with another wildlife rehabber so I didn't need to bring it home. It was a great chance to see some new crias (baby llamas) that Linda had at her farm. Very cute, I miss the crias since we are a no-breed facility but I am pretty sure that a few of the llamas that I rescued earlier this spring are pregnant and going to have crias soon.

Nicole and Ally have been great volunteers this week. They have helped me get caught up and I really appreciated their help. Ally volunteered at NYWRC last summer, she gets paid through a program that puts HS kids to work in the summer (Workforce Solutions). I will be getting 15 high school students for the rest of the summer starting next week and I am really looking forward to it. All business owners should participate in this program, they are still looking for work-sites for kids in "Scary County". I love to teach the kids about how to raise animals right. Many hands make light work, we will get a lot done around here that I would never be able to get off the need to do list by myself. It is hard work but they will leave here after a summer knowing a lot that they will never forget. Nicole is a former student who volunteers here every afternoon. She is learning her way around the farm well and is a great asset. Chris and Justin are the main force behind our construction projects. Both have jobs that they go work at every day and then they come up after work to help me with the construction; nothing would be built here without their help and great carpenter skills. I don't know how we would expand without them. All four of these volunteers could easily run this place because they have all been here so long.... Thanks.

Got Claire the cow's feet trimmed yesterday. That was cool. I've had Clydesdales for years, I am very familiar with what the farrier does but had never seen a cow get done. It was impressive. Claire is one of the cows that I took out of the farm on the big sheep rescue this spring. She had extremely long hooves due to standing in a horse stall in muck for so long. Ed got her in a hydraulic chute, picked her up off the ground. Trimmed and filed her feet--she is walking like a new cow. A friend that has a large dairy farm stopped by tonight to see what we were doing and he was amazed at how great Claire looks ... actually said she was fat ... I think I would like to see another 100-200 pounds on her yet. I think that she has earned a home, her job is to make lots of noise with her cow bell, give my kids rides, and follow us around like a dog ... she is a keeper.

Chris, Bob and I worked out the details of the new cage that arrived yesterday compliments of our friend John at Unadilla Game Farm. We have to pour some concrete, get the cage set on the pad and build a roof over it. I want to get all of that done by our Open House. Maybe that is optimistic but it is possible. All it takes is time and money, which is slow coming in. It is a great cage, I am going to dedicate it to raccoons and skunks so that we can keep our big corn cribs for foxes and the bobcats. I do have an empty corn crib that I designed for Black Bear cubs but we didn't get any in this year so I could always let Oscar use that when he is healed enough to go out in something bigger.

I have a long range vision for our facilities, right now I want to finish what we've started. Your donations are crucial to keeping the construction going, I don't like to beg ... dig deep and please send a donation ... anything will buy some boards. The concrete will cost around $1000- , we are doing it right but money is tight. I can afford to feed the animals, pay my bills and keep things going. I can not afford to continue to expand our facilities nonstop to properly house all of the animals that are coming in. Your help is needed.

The Open House on Saturday, July 18th from 4-6 pm, would be a great opportunity for you to visit New York Wildlife Rescue Center. I am very proud what our BOD, Our Volunteers and our limited budget has accomplished thus far. We have to find the funding through your donations to finish the Raptor Flight. I have already contacted Bush Lumber (our local lumber supplier), Morton builders and Fingerlake Construction. Once we get enough donations to buy $5000- worth of materials, I am hoping that the local Telephone Company will help me set the poles. I am hoping that we can do an Amish-style building blitzkrieg. I bet 20 volunteers could build the entire flight in a day if we set our minds to it. We have the resources within us to get it done. I am hoping that Brooke will come through for us on Utility Poles and have her husband help us put in a pond for our waterfowl as well but that will be another bridge to cross.

Two blogs in one day, it is almost 2am ... I have a bat to feed. Tell everyone in your address book about us. Tell them about our website and our blog. We also have a nice selection of domestic animals looking for great long term homes. We have llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, chickens, and lots of rabbits that all would love a new home. I really can't wait to wake up every morning, even when I go to bed at 2am every night: I want to share my excitement about what we do here with everyone.

Till tomorrow,
Wes

I'm Back

2009-07-09T14:10:00.001-07:00

I know that a lot of people read my blogs daily and I try to keep up with one daily but it is hard to do when you don't have a computer for a couple of days. Figured out the problem and we are back online again. I had a great 4th of July, I actually left the facility long enough to go to a friends house for a BBQ and to watch the fireworks. It was actually nice to hangout with the wife, kids and friends without the phone or an animal hanging off of me.

The beginning of the week we had a reporter from the Mountain Eagle here to do a story on Oscar and New York Wildlife Rescue Center. I've met some really nice reporters lately and it has been great sharing the story of Oscar the Bobcat and what we do for the animals here at our facility. I really think that we are a very unique place. We are licensed, inspected and regulated, many "rescue facilities" are not . Ive been thinking a lot about it lately. I really think that some State Agency (such as Ag and Markets) should give accreditation and license facilities that want to call themselves an animal rescue place. There have been a lot of well intentioned people that have saved animals, called themselves a rescue and are basically animal hoarders that can't afford to feed what they have. I have been personally involved with several "big" rescues at other facilities that have more animals than they can feed and end up becoming a rescue case themselves.

People send donations and give their support here because they can see what we do. I think all rescue facilities should be open for inspection. Should be licensed by DEC, Ag and Markets, USDA or the US Fish and Wildlife Service. All facilities should be Open to the public, even if on an appointment basis. There should be a budget, program of veterinary care, sufficient facilities for an appropriate number of animals ... I have a list . I would be more than happy to sit down with anyone from any government agency to come up with a way to do a voluntary licensing program to become an accredited "Rescue Facility". It would make it more difficult for just anyone with a good heart and a lot of animals to call themselves a rescue facility (enough of that vent).

Been very busy here. We had another great photographer and reporter from the Daily Gazette come yesterday to do an article for the Sunday Gazette. I will put links up for these articles and news reports as I get them. They were both awesome reporters, I am really looking forward to seeing these articles and really appreciate the attention that a lot of reporters have given Oscar and our Open House on July 18th. Enough of my complaining about animal hoarders calling themselves rescues. Lets talk about animals. That is what we are all about.

Since my last blog on July 6th, we have had several cottontail rabbits come in. They were all good sized so they have been relatively painless to feed and wean soon. I also had a fawn come in from another wildlife rehabilitator. Something has bitten her up pretty good. I think that she will be ok. Last night, I had another little baby bat come in. So far, so good. The bat was very dehydrated but has started to come back to life great. I have to run, have to go to Barber's to get veggies for my animals. I will try to do another blog later.

Justin, Chris and I have been working late trying to do the finishing work on the Raptor Center (phase one) for our Open House. Tell everyone you know about the Open House.... I hope the weather cooperates and we have a good turnout.

Wes

Oscar on Local News Program

2009-07-06T17:19:00.001-07:00

Capital News 9 | 24 Hour Local News | TOP STORIES | Oscar the bobcat recovering at Wildlife Rescue Center

Channel 9 News were at the Center recently, filming a story on Oscar the Bobcat. The above link will take you to the story page and a brief news clip.

Enjoy!

NYWRC on News 9 - Albany

2009-07-05T15:31:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone, I am going to write a short blog about a News 9 (Albany) visit that we had today to do a segment about Oscar our Bobcat and our facility in general. Hopefully they also mention our Open House on July 18th from 4-6 pm also. I look forward to seeing the segment and will link it to here as soon as they send it to me.

Been relatively slow here today, not that I'm complaining. Friday I had a nice visit with Patty and her folks. She is the woman that brought me the starling. She sent me some great photos and also wants to try to find some grants for us. A past student that located me through our Facebook page, also offered to look for some Grant money for us.... Thanks Fields, we are "crusin' along" as she likes to joke I used to say all of the time in my Social Studies class.

Besides for 3 baby cottontail rabbits yesterday that came in all is well. I have to run to Barber's Road-stand and get the veggies that they didn't sell today for our animals. Jim and Cindy barber have been great about letting us have all of the day old veggies, it really helps cut down some of the grain costs. Hopefully by the time I get back, the news 9 segment will be available for all of you to click on and watch.

Till then,
Wes

Open House July 18th

2009-07-04T05:52:00.001-07:00

That is right folks, the moment that you have all been waiting for. You are all invited to our Raptor Center (phase one) Dedication on Saturday, July 18th between 4-6 pm. Bring your family and friends to see what your support and donations have helped build. Meet the animals and tour the facility. We might even have some cookies and punch. I am really proud and excited what a bunch of friends have done after work and on weekends.

Your continued generosity will keep the construction going on our Raptor Flight (phase two) addition to our 100 feet of individual species aviaries. None of this would have been possible without you. I am just a guy with a dream of building one of the largest not for profit animal rescue facilities in the Northeast. I've dedicated my life to achieving that goal, if you have been here you know what I'm doing. If you haven't seen it for yourself, now is the time. I also have another favor to ask: forward this blog to everyone in your address book. Tell your friends and family to check out our website www.redmaplefarm.net. This doesn't cost a dime and getting the word out about us is key to our mission.

What a great day at NY Wildlife Rescue . I had a Starling come in this am. They are fun to rehab. I also had another baby Kestrel falcon come in, this fledgling ate 3 mice almost instantly and went right out to join the other Kestrels in the Raptor Center. We had lots of BOD members stop by. Our great friend and Times Union blogger Teri Conroy stopped by to see the alpacas that I brought in a couple of weeks ago. Teri and her daughter Hannah took one of the alpacas home in the back seat of her truck. Teri and Hannah have been long time supporters of my animal rescue efforts, all the way back to when they got their first llamas from us ... back when we were just saving domestics and exotics. Teri is a great friend and it was great to put her first alpaca in her barn.

I am going to cut it short tonight. It is already pushing 1 am and I still need to try to figure out how to get on Facebook and send out a blanket email to everyone in my address book. I wish that I wasn't so computer illiterate.

Till tomorrow,
Wes

I'm Still Alive

2009-07-03T05:26:00.001-07:00

I'm still alive, I know that a lot of my blog readers get nervous when I vanish for a week at a time. All who know me realize that I have probably fallen to sleep in the chair with some small critter.

It is AWESOME being out of school for the summer. July and August are definitely a great perk of being a teacher. New York Wildlife Rescue Center hasn't slowed down much in the last week. Since last time I blogged a lot of new animals have found their way here.

Cornell contacted me this am. They are going to release the story about the bobcat Oscar to the media. I think that it is a great human interest story. It isn't every day that a bobcat gets hit, lays along the road and gets a second chance on life. Oscar continues the slow rehabbing process. He doesn't like me any more than he ever has but I think he has started to realize that when I check on him a couple of times a day, there is always food associated with my visits. I try not to make eye contact with him. Most "cats" don't like that, he is a lucky kitty.... I feel honored to be his caretaker and one of the dozens of people who have cooperated to rescue him.

Since last blog (sorry), we have taken in baby robins, fawns, skunks, kestrels, hawks, cottontail rabbits, raccoons, a kingfisher, pigeons, and a squirrel. Ray Baitsholts sheared the alpacas that I picked up. As soon as they get gelded, they will be ready for adoption. I am having a lot of fun with the baby robins, they are a relatively easy bird to rehab. I normally do not rehab baby birds while I am teaching at school. It is too hard to teach and feed them every 15-25 minutes. :) I do like to do a few during the summer when I am home.

I have had a couple of fawns come in this past week. One was horribly torn apart by some dogs. I notified some great DEC Officers about that situation. I've already given you the lecture about domestic cats in a prior blog. Supervise your dog(s); when left to amuse themselves unsupervised, dogs often develop a pack mentality. They are capable of some horrible things to wildlife. Wildlife gets killed, your dog can be shot and you can get some expensive tickets. No lecture, just use common sense. Do the right thing.

I had some more skunks come in. I love skunks, they have such a Napoleonic attitude. They act fearless and it is always fun watching them grow up into little stink pots. I love it on release day. They usually just wander off and rarely look back or acknowledge anything that you have done for them at all. That is the best part of rehabbing wildlife: if done well, they can't wait to get away from you and do what they do to survive day to day in the wild. If you know what you are doing, you don't usually get sprayed.... :)

I've had a few Kestrels come in. People often call them Sparrow Hawks but they are actually one of the smallest members of the Falcon family of raptors. It is VERY Important that you do not try to feed animals while in your custody unless properly trained. I had a Kestrel come in that I lost and I believe that feeding it a bunch of gypsy moth caterpillars didn't help it any. I got fluids/a lactated ringer into it but it was too far gone by the time it got to me.

The Kestrels are loving one of the 8 newly completed aviaries in our Raptor Center. Justin and Chris have been coming nights after they are done working to try to help me get it finished for our upcoming Open House and dedication of the Raptor Center. I will hopefully have all of the details of our Open House tomorrow. It will be a great chance to tour our facility. We do NOT let the public see animals that we are rehabbing that will go back into the wild but we do have some great non-releasable educational animals here that will love to see you.

Another new resident of the Raptor Center is a Red-tailed Hawk. I got a call early in the morning a few days ago. The man informed me that he had a baby juvenile Bald Eagle which got my attention quick. Upon pick up, I happily let him know that it was a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. Why it was sitting in the road I haven't been able to figure out. It will be going back into the wild as soon as it is ready.

Cottontail rabbits, hmmmmmm. Lots of them coming in. I am in a good mood: when your dog or cat brings one home for you -- don't wait until the whole litter is on your porch (or eaten) before realizing that you should keep your dog or cat inside for a while.

Coons, I cant wait until "Coon Season" is over. DON'T TOUCH THEM and I encourage everyone that is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to go to the Conference in Lake George this November. Take the courses, get your shots, build a facility, get it all inspected and GET YOUR RVS license! There are not enough licensed people doing Rabies Vector Species and those of us that are doing raccoons, skunks and bats are usually full to capacity.

The Kingfisher bird that came in was a first for me, awesome bird but unfortunately had a wing that was so badly broken that it needed to be euthanized. I took in some pigeons. One of them is hysterical. If you are outside here, it will dive bomb you and land on your head to ride around.

My kids have never spent so much time outdoors. People that come to our facility must think that we are all nuts, as my kids are walking around the yard with a pigeon on their head.

Speaking of crazy stories ... one more then I have to catch up with 147 emails ... I got a call from the Pastor of a local church. He had heard that if an animal needed to be caught to call me (wonder how I got that reputation). He said that they had a feral cat, it was living under the church and if I could humanely deal with it, I would get a donation. Now you are talking. I packed up the kids and live traps and off we went this am. Got to the church, saw the hole in the foundation and all sorts of great visions came to my head about all the cool animals that could be living under there..... I was making up a irresistible kitty platter to put in one of the several live traps when I noticed that there was a very cute blue eyed Siamese long haired cat sitting by the shrub several feet away watching the whole production. We had a short mental conversation about what was happening. I walked several feet away, the cat walked over and walked right into the live trap. I do not need another cat but she has taken up residence in my basement until she realizes that life with us isn't so bad -- that is unless I find a great home that wants her (hint, hint)....

Till tomorrow, act young, have fun.

Wes

Oscar Makes the Newspapers

2009-07-02T16:09:00.001-07:00

Injured bobcat 'Oscar' treated at Cornell | theithacajournal.com | The Ithaca Journal

Oscar the Bobcat, who was so wonderfully helped by Cornell University, has been given a story in the Ithaca Journal. Please visit the article through the above link and enjoy!

Oscar thanks everyone for their good wishes and support!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-22T06:39:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting here, listening to my new ipod that I got today from my kids. If I start writing the lyrics to Johnny Cash or one of the other great 438 songs on this thing, dont take it personal. I love this thing, tonight when I was giving bottles to 10 screaming Coons, I didn't hear them at all. I was singing along and it made it really pleasant, God I cant wait until these 10 are weaned. I am getting really burned out on coons, I hope that I don't get anymore.

I am not even going to try to catch you all up on the animals that have come in since Thurs when I last blogged. There are too many and each has a cool story. I am going to try to focus on Oscar and facilities. Oscar is doing great. He got the surgery that he needed. Cornell University and the folks that work there are first class and I am in debt to them. Oscar came through the surgery like a champ. It is all too complicated to get into but he got the best medical care that a Bobcat can get after being whacked by a car. He got the expensive surgery he needed and Cornell has agreed to work with me. It was not free, there is still a bill, please send checks. Write in the memo "Oscar" and I will dedicate all of that money to him and Cornell. He has a long way to go, long time to heal and most likely a life in captivity but he is alive and he wont have to worry about anything for the rest of his life. I am still taking everything with him one day at a time. He is in good hands and is still being worked on at the Cornell Wildlife Health Facility.

The other great thing about this ipod is that I cant hear the phone ring.:) Keep calling, the kids will bring me the phone if it is important. We've been busy but I notice that the orphaned and injured wildlife that is coming in is looking a lot older. The one eyed coon has almost completely healed her eye up, I am hoping to put her in with some other coons by the end of the week. I really appreciate the nice donation that the woman that brought her to me sent to cover that surgery. This is my last week of school and then things should be a little less hectic for me as I try to keep everything fed around my school schedule.

Sat. am, Tim and Kristen came up to volunteer at the farm. They had brought me a skunk a few weeks ago and came up to volunteer at our facility for the day. I thought that it was only appropriate to build a skunk pen complete with a hollow log since a baby red fox is in the pen that I made for skunks. We got it built and I ran down to the Negro Cemetery rededication at 2 pm Sat.. Middleburgh has a segregated negro burial ground used up until the early 1900's. When I bought this facility above the Middleburgh Cemetery 10 years ago, I found the Negro Cemetery off in the bushes. For the last 10 years I've been working on getting it cleaned up with my Schoharie County History Class at our High School. The Middleburgh Historical Society helped get a new stone, on it they had engraved "We cannot change the mistakes of the past but we can make right by it today" a saying that I tell my students all the time, esp. when I have them working in the cemetery.

Tim, Kristen and I came back up to the facility after the ceremony to put some skunks in that great new cage. After one sprayed me, they ate their food, one got out. We had to catch that one, triple enforce the sides....I just don't get why nothing is ever easy. I still like skunks a lot right now even after one used me for target practice, I am really tired of baby coons. I like the fawns a lot now also. They eat their bottles out of their bottle racks and wont even come out of hiding if they see me...that is good considering how easy they imprint. It was a long day Sat..... I fell to sleep on the couch in the living room watching a movie with the kids and was pissed when I woke up at 2 am and had to come out and do coon bottles.

The phone started ringing at 630 this morning. I scowled at the caller, "NY Wildlife Rescue Center, it is 630, I'm tired, what do you have".....Friend of mine in North Carolina, wanted to know if I wanted some cigarrettes, they are cheaper down there......gotta quit those things, who will feed all of these darn coons if I die of lung cancer. Every wildlife rehabber should be required get their RVS license because there is not many people doing coons, skunks and bats...
I really want to get this cage, It is seven hundred dollars but it has 3 different compartments...it would be great for sorting coons (of different ages) while they wean until they get big enough to go in the big community cage. I need it. It isn't a want, it is a necessity.

By 730, I got a call from one of our new volunteers. Melinda was wondering what I was doing (not sleeping) and she said that she had several friends that were handy at building things and wondered if they could come over (I like people that can build things), wish I had a connection with a lumber yard....They all arrived just as I was finishing am rounds with bottles. I told them that I had to pick up two loads of hay and a donated bunny cage. I told them to go look at the Raptor Center, look at exactly how we had built the finished sections and if they wanted to tackle it while I did what I had to do they were more than welcome to work on it. After I got done with a cup of coffee with the wife so I could explain that what I do everyday is exactly what I wanted to do today on my day....off I went. With all of the help I had today, My Summit, NY gang actually almost finished the remaining framing and construction on what was left on the indoor half of the Raptor Center.

We got the hay in. I got everything fed, done and actually took the wife and kids for an ice cream. I like days like today. Besides for a Kestrel that came in, it was a slow day. If you have never been here, you need to visit. I hope to have an open house soon. Ive had a dozen people tell me in the last week that they didn't realize the magnitude that we were helping animals. This is one of the largest not for profit animal rescue facilities in the northeast and we do NOT get any STATE or FEDERAL funding. I repeat, we survive entirely by your generosity. Any body good at grant writing out there? I need someone to take the initiative to start sending our name to Extreme Home Makeover, Animal Planet (would make a great series) or anyplace that can get us the exposure we need to get some donations.

The Raptor Center is half done, the best part is the outdoor flight, which needs to be built yet. Does anyone have a Lumber Co. connection, someone call Curtis Lumber, Stock Builder, Home Depot????I think that I will give a lumber list, everyone that comes to the Open House can bring a board or send a check and we will get it for you. Geeez, I will even build it if I keep getting some help like today. I like volunteers, raccoons too, esp when they are sleeping....maybe I cant hear them, I love this ipod.

...thanks kids,
Dad

Cornell University

2009-06-19T08:11:00.001-07:00

Oscar the Bobcat has made it to Cornell, it is 100 pm and I still have bottles to do so I am going to try to make this a quick blog (yeah right). Susie and Kristy came back to the Cornell Wildlife health Center to open the place up for the bobcat delievery after hours. I wish that I could be everywhere at once but I cant. Since I last blogged I have been unbelievably busy. Lots of new orphans have come in this week. From baby bats the size of my thumb nail, cottontails, baby birds and a kestral....lots of happy and sad endings, Ill catch all of my readers up to speed tomorrow night. Tonight is Oscar the bobcats lucky night. My readers all know that I am against naming wildlife but this bobcat needs one and it fits. The vet that originally was planning on doing his surgery couldn't. I was really left without many options besides euthanizing this young bobcat. Euthanizing him may still be an option but I wont consider that option unless it is the last choice.
This cat has used 8 of its 9 lives. Our association with Kim Punchar and all of our wildlife rehabber friends downstate are to get my first thanks. They got the cat off of the road, in a crate, got him to their vet and then transported him to New York Wildlife Rescue Center. The bobcat would already be dead if they hadnt gotten him off of the side of the road. I want to thank Trish from Northcountry Wildlife Rescue for meeting my wife halfway between us when I was too busy to get off the mountain to get the xrays to their vet. When that didnt work out, she got the xrays photographed and sent to Cornell. Kelly Martin, President of NY Wildlife Rehab Council and a BOD founder of NY Wildlife Rescue Center has been instrumental in helping me after the bobcat came to our facilty. She is a great friend and shows up daily, usually when I am on Raccoon overload and about ready to lose my mind. She props me up, puts the bottles back in my hands and gets me going forward again. My wife Darcy, besides for being a wildlife rehabber is a saint for picking up the slack for me with the kids, household chores and for putting up with being broke all the time because the animals always come first...... I never thank the people that are part of daily life at New York Wildlife Rescue Center enough, I couldnt keep this place going without them.
It is regents week at school, I miss being in the classroom but am looking forward to summer vacation. I hate the fact that my students have to pass one 3 hour exam on the entire history of the world in order to graduate HS. In between proctoring exams, grading exams, etc....I try to check the computer. I was out yesterday to teach the MCS Elem. school kids from Mrs. Scotts Pre-K classes and Ms. London's 2nd grade students all about wildlife all day....I got the email from Susie that Cornell would take the bobcat (after hours) for surgery tomorrow am. I got out of school (I love the 6 history teachers at MCS) and ran home to meet the USDA vet for our inspection for one of our licenses with them. Oscar was loaded in the truck and waiting for the roadtrip. It is a 6-8 hour round trip to Cornell from where we are, I was falling to sleep driving so I called a friend that owns Unadilla Game Farm (that rescues a lot of exotic animals) and he met me off the exit to ride with me so I didnt fall to sleep. I dont have time to visit with friends, it was nice talking to someone that doesnt want a bottle or that poops on me.
We got to the Cornell Wildlife Health Center. I know Cornell University well. I was going to Cornell's pre-vet program after I studied in South America as an exchange student upon graduation from HS. I decided to go into teaching instead but Cornell has always been a University that I cant say enough good things about. I wouldnt have time to be a vet being Director of New York Wildlife Rescue Center.......:) The bobcat is where he needs to be, he is in the best hands in the USA. After surgery tomorrow, he isnt out in the woods yet. It will be a long healing process with a lot of roadtrips back and forth to Cornell for follow up visits. None of this is going to be easy or cheap. Surgery estimates could be as high as $5000 which I am hoping that we can get some help with through Cornell s networks, our loyal donors and through publicity/press releases that I will start putting together for Northcountry's newsletter, The Release/NY Wildlife Rehab Council's newsletter and newspapers. I do not have the resources to keep paying for construction on the Raptor Center and these additional expenses. WE ARE REALLY SPREAD FINANCIALY THIN. The bobcat is getting the care it needs, we will figure out all of the bills as we go along. I want to keep this positive and I dont want to waste amy of the 3-4 hours I sleep a night thinking about it tonight.
I will blog tomorrow afternoon as soon as I get word how the surgery went. On the way home I stopped quick at Johns Zoo to get a large mammal container made out of aluminum that goes on the back of my truck that he didnt need. He also has a 3 unit steel cage that would be ideal for rehabbing all of these coons that I would really like to get to our facility if anyone out there knows of anyone with a flatbed trailer that wants to help us out. It is about 20 foot long, I will get the exact dimensions. I REALLY NEED SOME HELP in a variety of ways.....email me privately if you think that you can help us. Wes

Busy Weekend

2009-06-15T11:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't blogged all weekend, been really busy. Let me catch you up to speed. Friday I had a baby raccoon crash, got him jump started and still alive. RVS is tough, if it dies you really have to look at the intake forms carefully. If there is "exposure" it needs to be tested for Rabies. People lie, they touch the animals and it is foolish to lie about it. People need to be honest with how long they have had their "wild" pets illegally. I just picked it up yesterday is often actually a week and that is vital information when trying to save them after a week of care that often is very detrimental. Two RAPTORs moved in to the first two aviaries of the raptor center on Friday night. The first is a Red Tailed Hawk, which is hopefully releasable with some flight time. The other is a Great Horned Owl that will most likely be unreleasable.

Saturday was a busy day trying to get caught up with the "Must Do" list and I tried to get some of the "Need To Do" list done as well. Had a fawn come in that was in really bad shape, worked on her for a long time but she died. Then I got a call on a Bobcat that had been hit by a car downstate. A good friend that is a Licensed Wildlife Rehabber picked up the cat, got it to the vet for xxrays. The young male cat has a broken upper femur, in the ball that goes into the Pelvic bone. Not a good prognosis but can be repaired by a good vet with surgery. I would love to see this cat go back into the wild but that may not be a possibility either but we need to focus on today, getting it fixed and healed....Then we can cross the other bridges when we get to them.

I have a great set up for him to heal. Our friends at NorthCountry are helping us get into the same vet that put the plate in the fawn. The bobcat will hopefully be going up today for an exam and getting surgery today or tomorrow. Check out the photos, pretty angry at the world right now but we will hopefully be able to get him patched up. I love challenging cases like this one, I love tackling the tough critters that a lot of other rehabbers won't, can't or are not licensed to take. I love to do it "First Class--not half-#@^*" and can't wait to see Raptors getting flight time for release in our new facility. Check out the photos of the Bobcat, he is worth saving and I will do what needs to be done to do so.

It was a relatively slow weekend with wildlife intakes. I had calls on a bunch of critters, most of which were dealt with over the phone. I had a Robin that came in Sunday that died almost before the guy left the driveway. Sunday I was on the road, Helped our BOD Linda and her husband on an Alpaca Rescue. These alpacas will be available for adoption to perfect homes once gelded. Their owner was very nice, she lost her husband was taking care of them and knew that it was time for them to go. She did the responsible thing by having Northeast Llama Rescue come in to pick up the animals. Most will be staying permanently with Linda and her Husband Dan. Some of the males will be up for adoption, I will probably keep the gelding that has no ears due to a dog attack to use as a PR animal at our llama events. I will try to blog tonight on anything new that happens.

Till then,
Wes

Spring is in the air

2009-06-12T07:05:00.001-07:00

Spring is in the air, along with the smells and noises of little animals demanding my attention. Busy night, last night. Had a Cedar Wax Wing come in with a wing injury. Had a Downy Woodpecker fledgling come in that was being attacked by squirrels on the ground under a big tree. Had 8 raccoons come in from two different people.....I have 20 now, I am really hoping that the Raccoon surge slows down now.... Black Eye Susie tore out her eye stitches last night, now I can wrestle around with her to keep the socket lubed with antibotic ointment. Sometimes I just wish that they could cooperate just a little bit. No rest for the wicked, while I take my nap every night they are plotting their destruction of our facility...I love coons but I do hope that no more come in. I had a call on 3 other coons last night also but they went to another RVS facility.
I also dealt with a lot of calls yesterday. Got a chipmunk away from a cat and back into the wild. Got a call about a 3 foot wide snapping turtle at Warners Lake on shore dragging fishing lure behind it with hook through the mouth. Got all of the fishing gear off and got her back in the lake. Turtles are on the move, watch for them in the road. I got another snapper picked up out of the road yesterday by a person that didnt want it to get hit. That snapper got released into Looking Glass Pond. A friend of mine sent a photo he took yesterday of a snapper laying eggs in his yard. I will put the photos on the blog, do not touch these turtles if you are trying to help them. They will bite your fingers right off and usually dont let go easily once they get ahold of you. I carry a rubbermaid bin with 2-3 inches of water in it this time of year on the back of my truck. I pick up turtles and relocate them near water without roads, if you toss a turtle out of the road this time of year, it will usually crawl right back onto the road to get where it was going after you leave. I dont like to relocate them but I do so they dont get hit. I try to keep them where they are, just on the other side of the water that they leaving to lay eggs, where there are no roads.

Photos by Paul Taylor Imaging. Thank you, Paul!

Things are busy. Hope to finish the first half of the Raptor Center this weekend. Have to rescue some alpacas on sunday....... I will try to blog about the rest of my day later. It is "Classday" at school and I need to get ready to beat my students in the hotdog eating contest. I plan on winning at the expensive of my gastro intestinal system. Wes

Got Sheep?

2009-06-10T13:53:00.001-07:00

One of our adoptable Jacobs Sheep. We still have quite a few sheep and llamas for adoption ... do you have the room and love to care for one of these lovely animals? Email us through the email link at the bottom of our main website, http://www.redmaplefarm.net , if you are interested.

Original photo by our good friend, Paul Taylor,
of Paul Taylor Imaging (thank you, Paul!)

Would you like to help, but don't have the room to adopt? You can still send a donation through the same website! Our finances are dwindling and there is still so very much to do. The rescues, both wild and domestic, continue to come in, taking up our time, our money, and our love. The love we have in infinite supply, the time is stressful but doable, but we could sure use your financial support. Visit our Sponsorship Levels Page on the website for more information about our various levels of support.

SPECIAL DONATION OPPORTUNITY: we just had a little raccoon baby come in who needed emergency eye surgery. Would you like to help Pay Her Vet Bill? Visit RedMapleFarm.net and send a donation now!

Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary, Inc / New York Wildlife Rescue Center is an IRS 501(c)(3) organization and all donations are tax deductable to the extent allowed by law.

Grand Central

2009-06-08T05:31:00.001-07:00

Another busy weekend. Already blogged about Friday, Saturday was
busy with visitors. Had lots of folks stopping to check in on animals
they had previously brought to NY Wildlife Rescue Center got a couple
of donations to keep us in formula. Had 3 Great Students from
Cobleskill HS come over to help volunteer, many hands make light work.
I got 11 of the sheep adopted out into their new home, a great one I
might add. Still have a few really nice Jacobs and Shetland sheep
looking for homes. Sheep numbers are a lot more manageable now. Found
homes (that look long term) for both Great Pyrenees that were returned.
That was the highlight of my weekend, I so want those dogs to get the
good life on a farm that they deserve. I made it clear that a chain on
the side of the barn was not what I had in mind. I had 2 coons come in
on Saturday, 1 fell two stories out of a roof. The other was in the
road, both are younger coons than the ones that came in last weekend.

This morning I was exhausted, I planned on sleeping in until
8 am. Day started at 7am with a phone call from a concerned woman about
English Sparrows messing with the Tree Swallows in her Bluebird Box. We
decided that it was best to let them sort it out for themselves or put
up more nesting boxes. Had another very tiny finch found by a shrub. We
decided that that little guy would be better off back in his shrub and
sent him back home. Another fledgling Morning Dove came in, that one is
getting fixed up to go back out in the wild soon. Had some great folks
stop by that want to adopt 2 llamas. I am loving seeing these llamas
get matched up with perfect homes slowly. I am going to deliever some
of the llamas next weekend to their new homes, I also have to pick up
the 8 alpaca males next weekend. Speaking of domestic animals, I had a
guinea hen and a pair of great turkeys come in today also.

... Falling asleep at the wheel.

Also had a cottontail baby, a baby
woodchuck that was dodging cars but will be alright. Also had a very
old Opossum come in. Took a class on Possums, 3 yrs old for an Opossum
is ancient. This one is pushing it, poor old gal has lost most of her
sight, is skin and bones and will get some TLC. If her injuries from
being hit by a car don't do her in, she will get lots of TLC.... I'm
tired, it is my usual one am, Thanks to everyone that visited this
weekend, I enjoy it when you visit the animals you have brought, your
donations and the kind words.....everyone seems to be amazed at what I
am doing here....sometimes the kind words are all that keeps me going
to the next day.:) My only regret for this weekend is that one board didn't get put on the Raptor Center,

--Wes

Link: article on animal hoarding

2009-06-08T05:22:00.001-07:00

This is a link to Gayle's recent article on animal hoarding, a disease that seems to be on the increase today:

http://www.gazehound.com/animal-hoarding/

Birds Everywhere

2009-05-27T11:59:00.001-07:00

Mother nature has set her clock. Right now it is saying half past get out of your shell or you will never survive winter. We have been getting lots of fledgling birds in. Last night after school I had to run to the vets office to pick up a starling that was a toy for someones cat. Got the poor bird settled in, hydrated, stabilized, started feeding (ever 20 min's) ... didn't look good, went to bed warm, content and full of food ... died in the night.

I try not to focus too much on the animals that die. Learn from your mistakes, realize that you can not save everything and be humble. I learned this the hard way with a bunch of merganser ducklings last spring. I thought I could save any animal brought to me ... they are really tough ducks to keep alive. All Wildlife Rehabbers that have ever had a box of the adorable little time bombs brought to them knows exactly what I am writing about.

I have 2 robins coming in tonight after school. I found (caught would be a better description since the bird was probably completely fine on the ground, being fed by parents after flying out of the nest) a baby robin when I was around 8 yrs old. I kept it alive (illegally, I didn't know any NYS/Federal laws) ... and then my cat ate it upon release.

I like our cats, you probably like yours. Do you know that they are the biggest predator to wildlife there is? Feral cats kill more songbirds every year than anything else. Please supervise your cats time outdoors or keep them indoors. This time of year is when the baby birds are fledgling, leaving the nest and are very vulnerable on the ground. If your cat brings one home or is playing with one in the yard. Take the cat indoors, check over the bird for serious injuries, leave alone in a safe spot out of the sun and observe to see (once things calm down) if the parents continue feeding it.

I didn't have much time to help Chris on the Raptor Center last night. I received a phone call on a Turkey Vulture near Delhi, NY that was found in a hedge row in bad shape. Its wings do not appear broken but it looks like both legs are: possibly shot. Lots of maggots. By the time we got him transported, splinted and stabilized it was pushing midnight.

The vet will determine the fate of this bird. It is often more humane to put a raptor (hawk, owl falcon) to sleep than it is to keep it alive with a very serious disability. A lot of people target vultures because they are "ugly". I was watching 27 vultures the other evening soar around the Schoharie Valley. They were not even flapping their wings, they were just riding the wind thermals for hours ... very cool and FEDERALLY protected by law I might add.

I am sure that something else besides the robins will come in tonight, I will let you know tomorrow.

The little coon is doing better. She doesn't nurse like the other kits I have had for weeks. She rolls around, plays with my hand with her back feet and often nurses on her back. She is a noisy little character which still amazes me that she survived. She isn't out of the woods yet; if she survives she will find herself back in there one day.

I also want to remind everyone that feeds the Hummingbirds that they need to change their feed often. Every 3 days at the most on hot days the nectar solution needs to be changed. Old solution will make them sick. If you are lucky like us and get so many Hummingbirds that they empty your feeders every 1-2 days, it makes keeping it fresh easy.

If you wish to make your own hummingbird food, follow the instructions of the National Audubon Society and be sure to boil well to destroy bacteria, then cool the solution before feeding:

http://www.audubon.org/bird/at_home/bird_feeding/hum_feeders.html

Fill the feeders with sugar water, made by combining four parts hot water to one part white sugar, boiled for one to two minutes. NEVER use honey, which promotes the growth of harmful bacteria, or artificial sweeteners. Also avoid red food coloring.

Till tomorrow,
Wes

I Feel Drained

2009-05-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

I feel drained should be my motto from this holiday weekend. Three days were spent working on the plumbing to the house. The drains carrying the gray water away from the kitchen sink, wash machine, dishwasher and the basement sub-pump collapsed. I spent all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday getting the old lines opened up and new lines installed. I think that I have finally found something that I hate worse than painting. The worse part of the whole weekend was that friends came up this weekend to help finish the construction on the indoor part of the Raptor Center. We could have easily finished the six remaining aviaries with the 3 days that we spent playing human backhoe in the backyard.

It was a very busy weekend of people coming to see llamas for possible adoption and wildlife coming in that needed my immediate attention also. PLEASE read the blog on emergencies. Click on the link to the NY Wildlife Rehabilitation Council Website. Go to their toolbar, click on find a Rehabber close to me..... I received a call on a duckling in Albany this weekend. If I personally went to pick up every animal that needed my help I wouldn't be home to care for everything else that came in. Remember we are volunteers, we do not get paid, you will have to drive to drop off your wildlife in need right now because most wildlife rehabbers are very busy right now.

We had a baby English Sparrow and a Robin come in this weekend. I know that it is tough to find and get ahold of a licensed wildlife rehabber this time of year but try not to hold on to your orphaned wildlife in need. Often hours make a huge difference in saving an animal. I also had an adult House Finch come in this weekend with the eye conjunctivitis thing going on. Very contagious to other birds, often passed at bird feeders. Seems like only the finch species of songbirds are getting it right now but I am sure it is in other species as well. Nasty and I hope that it doesn't spread more. I was amazed that no fawns have come in yet but I am sure that they will be coming in soon. PLEASE leave them where you find them. 90% of the time they dont need your help and are not orphaned. You can tell when a fawn is orphaned by the way it is acting or if you see the dead doe. Fawns by instinct hide in the grass and dont move.

By sat night, I was sick of large holes and plumbing and decided to get away from the facility, the phone calls, and take the kids fishing. We got to a friends farm to fish on his pond (to be sure the kids caught something). I had hardly cast their lines out and my friend showed up and said "Get in the truck quick....there is a baby fox out in the hay field". I grabbed my catch pole and gloves out of the truck. I was expecting a fox with distemper, mnost likely last years kit. Once we got down there, it was a small kit from this year.

The owner of the barn we were near said that he shot a fox recently right by his barn. I dont know why people illegally shoot animals this time a year. Most wild animals have offspring this time of year. When you shoot the parent, you are leaving behind the offspring to suffer a slow death by starvation. I saw the kit, walked slowly up to the kit and caught it with the catch pole. This little female fox was nothing but bones. I went back and collected my kids that were very upset that we only fished for 10 minutes to get the fox back to our facility. I joked with my wife that I cant even go fishing for an hour to escape being a wildlife rehabber without an animal in need finding me. Unfortunately, this little fox had crossed the line into starvation zone. I tried to get him back but he was too far gone and died in my hands sunday morning as I was feeding him. Since I was the only one exposed, he went into the outdoor wood furnace for cremation.

Later in the day 2 great wildlife rehabbers paid me a visit with a little gray fox that they had been working on. They knew that I had some unreleasable foxes and thought that it was time to get the little guy in a spot where he could see other foxes from the safety of his own enclosure. It is very important that wild orphans be raised with species of their own kind. It really helps them from imprinting on humans. As I was showing the ladies around our facility, they got a call that another rehabber had a baby gray fox. They took their fox back home with them so that they could get the other kit later that night to raise the two together. Very cool ladies, great rehabbers.... it isn't about what we want, it is about what is best for the animal. WE cant get attached because we fall in love with something we are caring for, sometimes we all have to make tough decisions for what is best for an animals....regardless how we feel.

Sunday was spent working on the Raptor Center with my friends.....what I really wanted to be doing all weekend versus plumbing. By 8pm, we had gotten almost all of the framing done...we called it a day and everyone went home. I told my wife that I was drained, couldn't eat dinner. I just wanted to take a shower and go to bed after I got the coons fed.

The wife/kids went for ice cream (they brought me back something) and I was going to be to bed early...or so I thought. The Northcountry Animal Hotline called and said that there was a guy with a baby raccoon that he found along side of a road. I called the guy and he agreed to bring me the coon. I got everything set up. He arrived a short time later and I got to work on the coon. She took the bottle well, I noticed that she had some ticks between her toes. The poor thing is nothing but skin and bones....much like the red fox was that died on me because I didn't get it soon enough. As the starving coon was nursing, I started removing ticks. Over 50 ticks later, I have most of them off. I removed almost 20 ticks from the inside of each of her ears. She was amazingly good. She just nursed on her bottle as I removed the blood sucking parasites that would kill her in this weakened state. I am optimistic for her.

The guy that dropped her off did not expose himself in anyway to any of the diseases she could have. He watched me work on her, went to leave around 1130 pm and his car wouldn't start.....nothing is ever easy. I got to bed at midnight, got up at 2 to feed the new coon, overslept but woke up in time to get am chores done and still get to school on time....I feel drained, but I love every second of what I am doing.

...Wes

Like Christmas A.M.

2009-05-20T05:15:00.000-07:00

Staying busy through orphan season is an understatement. I can't complain about any of it. I love boxes, every one I open that someone brings me has an animal in it that needs my help. It is better than Christmas morning,definitely more boxes for me to open. I am sure fawns will be coming in any day now. That will make the sleep deprivation that I'm having with the coons seem like nothing.

This morning I had a great surprise with one of the coons. As I was feeding them before school, I realized that one of them has an eye that is starting to open. When you have spent as much time as I have with them over the last couple of weeks, you get excited on small milestones like that. I cant wait to get them outside, be able to teach them how to find crawfish in their pool, open eggs, etc.... They have lots of things to learn to give them an edge after release into the wild.

I had a meeting at school with Carla Decker and almost 40 students from MCS. Carla is one of the directors of Workforce Solutions. Workforce Solutions runs a great program for students 14-24. They are going to get 170 kids from Schoharie County. working this summer. If you know of any local businesses that are looking to give a chance to a kid to develop some positive work experience it is a great program. I can't believe that more businesses don't participate. Our resident dog groomer Jennifer even takes a kid and teaches them what it takes to run a dog grooming shop here at our facility. I always take several HS students every summer for 8 weeks. Workforce pays them and I teach them how to be reliable and hard working. I have a lot of plans for the summer, a lot of projects that really need to get done.

The phone continues to ring off the hook, I want to remind everyone to keep calling. ALL wildlife rehabbers are running around this time of year and are tough to get ahold of. (See a previous blog on "Emergencies")

I received a call tonight, which I promptly returned, about 5 orphaned baby coons. Remember: animals showing aggression this time of year may just be protecting their young. The guy told me that the 'coons had been transferred to another rehabber but didn't know that persons name. Then he said they had been released, then they were dead.... I don't believe him.

It is very foolish to raise orphaned WILD animals as pets. They are not pets, can have diseases and will often die unless properly cared for.

I also had a baby Morning Dove and an adult male Pileated Woodpecker come in tonight that was hit by a car.

Find the best qualified person closest to you, don't be afraid to ask them if they have experience with the species of animals you have rescued. A quick way to do this is go to the NY Wildlife Rehabilitation Council's website. On the toolbar, there is a link to finding a LICENSED wildlife rehabber near you. Look and see what their specialties are before calling. Remember, many rehabbers have a specialty or may only have the facilities to handle certain animals.

We are volunteers (we do this for no pay and spend thousands of dollars to buy what we need) and we can NOT drive to everyone's house to pick up what you have found. You will most likely need to drive it to us or meet us somewhere and all wildlife rehabbers gladly except donations.

I have a group of Headstart students coming tomorrow morning so I tried to get lawns mowed and get everything ready after school.

The vet came today and gelded the llama that I picked up this past Friday. He can go out tomorrow with the sheep.

Thursday I am going to the Bronx Zoo with my oldest daughter and my wife's MCS 7th grade students. I am really looking forward to it, it is a great zoo and I love zoos. Zoos are vital to the education of our future generations of conservationists and preservation of our world's most valuable resource--our animals.

Time to sign off, it is 12:30 am and the alarm clock (or coons) will have me up by 5:30 ... if I am lucky.

Wes

Short Weekends

2009-05-19T05:18:00.001-07:00

I am annoyed. Just wrote a blog update and lost it in cyber space when I went to put it up on the website. I hate the fact that I am so clueless with technology. The next trick will be seeing if I can remember what I wrote. :)

Weekends are too short. Wouldn't it be cool if weekends were 5 days and you only had to go to work 2 days a week? I would get a lot more done at NY Wildlife Rescue Center but I can't complain; I love my day job teaching.

This past Friday, as soon as I got home from school, Chris and I went on a rescue. We took my daughter Hannah and her friend Katie. Hannah loves going on rescues with me and could easily run the farm since she has been looking over my shoulder for the last 12 years. The first stop was to pick up a donkey, a llama (who is getting gelded tomorrow), 4 chickens and 4 rabbits. Once we got everything on the trailer (which is a story in itself) we got them all back to the facility to get settled in.

BOD Member and fellow wildlife rehabber Linda agreed to send her husband (and animal chauffer) Dan to pick up a crow for me in Schenectady. Linda and Dan are great, Dan has helped me out too many times to count by picking up and dropping off animals where they need to be when I am too busy to get mobile. The crow has a broken wing so we took it from Linda's directly to Kelly's and I helped her wrap it until she could get it to the vets. Linda also sent along a baby field mouse that had gotten dropped off to her. I passed that on to Kelly as well. All Creatures Great and Small ... I guess :)

[Continuation copied here as well, to make it easier for our readers to follow....]

I'm not even going to try to retrieve it anymore, maybe Gayle can piece these together but this will work for me. Saturday was a productive day. We got another (very expensive) lumber delivery Friday so we were ready to go.

Chris Bevins and Paul Gillespie (from the GE Wildlife Committee) were here bright and early to get to work on the inside part of the Raptor center. Chris has been worth his weight in gold to this project. None of it would be done if it wasn't for him. He has been coming up every night after work to help me and has gone above and beyond being a good friend. Paul has donated so many hours here helping us that I have lost track. GE is really lucky to have him as an employee.

The GE Wildlife Committee has been very supportive of our cause both financially and with their volunteer labor. We need monetary donations to keep going but the volunteers are vital for keeping the non stop construction going also.

Joe and Michelle came to help in the afternoon and between the five of us, we got the other six raptor aviaries framed out and just about ready for the slots. It was a fourteen hour day and we accomplished the work of ten people.

I originally thought that the Raptor Center would be lucky if it had hawks, owls or falcons in it by fall. I want to have a dedication ceremony and Open House in June to try to hopefully raise some donations to get the rehab exercise flight construction going.

Sunday was Shearing Day. We had 25 llamas and 40 sheep that needed to be sheared. Chris and Michelle were at the facility bright and early. Our shearer Ray Baitsholts [797-5201] and his wife Cheryl (another BOD Member) were not far behind. Lori Spiers and the Middleburgh Girl Scout Troop 2006 (Destiny, Sidney, Meghan) got sheep catching duty.

The sheep were pre-caught Saturday night before it rained and locked up for the night so they didn't get wet. It is tough to shear wet sheep.

As the girls got the sheep to Ray, once sheared they passed them off to me. Just when I thought that no one ever reads these blogs, Grant and Janet showed up. They said they read on my blog that I needed help on shearing day and they were here to volunteer. We had never met but we got to know one another as we wormed, trimmed feet, banded tails and gave every sheep a NYS eartag for future ID.

We worked right through lunch, finished the sheep, and then set up the chutes to run the llamas through for shearing. We had never done the llama herd this way but it worked as well as I thought it would and by dinner time every animal on the farm (that needed it) had gotten a haircut, worming, manicure, etc.

I really want to thank the Girl Scouts, my high school volunteers, my friends and everyone that stopped by who were put to work. Many hands do make light work and I appreciate everyone who volunteers at the facility to tackle these huge projects that I have taken on. The days of being a one man army are over.

As everyone was ready for a shower and a nap, we loaded 3 llamas into Steve and Karen's trailer for their departure to their new home. I love watching animals leave to go to their new homes. I wish that I could keep them all but that isnt practical or my destiny.

WANTED- Homes with caring and compassionate people that want to adopt llamas, sheep, goats for a long term commitment. You must agree to provide for all of their needs and if it ever doesn't work out, they must be returned to our facility. We have put a lot of time and money into getting these sheep and llamas ready for adoption and they are ready to start going to their new homes as approved. Spread the word.... I would love to see many of these llamas stay together and go to homes with other llamas and/or sheep. Email me, we can schedule an appointment for a visit for "Llamas 101". Grant and Janet, I already have three weanlings picked out for you. I will teach you how to finish their halter training ... I can't wait to put some llamas in your life.

It is getting late and I am hoping that this goes to the blog this time. Till next time, feel free to volunteer, send a check for what you can afford or stop by and have a cup of coffee and enjoy the view.

Wes

New Tenant

2009-05-13T07:47:00.001-07:00

Well as of 10 pm last night, it is official. A new (hopefully temporary) tenant has moved in to aviary number one of the NY Wildlife Rescue Center. My good friends and volunteers Chris and Michele helped me move in a ton of stone dust to level off the floor. Then we put in chain link to prevent anything from being able to dig in and added another foot of stone dust on top of that. It was a backbreaking project. The perching was designed with "U" shaped brackets on the walls where custom cut trees can be inserted without any metal hardware. Replacement will be very easy and quick. I still need to wrap some of the trees with rope and tweak things a bit but our first tenant, the Redtailed Hawk that I picked up on sat night is settling in nicely.

This Redtailed Hawk was picked up in a yard in Troy, NY. Latham Emergency Vet Clinic x-rayed him and he didnt have any visible breaks. He is thin and in poor condition, he is eating everything that I give him--I will keep you updated on his progress.

"Not quite finished" enclosure

This Saturday I am hoping to get the other 6 enclosures framed in. We will be starting around 8 am. I have several guys that have already volunteered to help out for a day and get the other aviaries up. We can always use more help and even if you are not a carpenter (I'm not) we will have something that you can do to finish the first half of the Raptor Facilities. The second half will not be started unless the donations keep coming in. Even with volunteer labor, the materials for the 175 foot long flight addition will cost around $10,ooo . Not a lot of money, but enough that I don't have it without your help. A $5,000 donation will get the largest raptor conditioning/exercise flight named in your honor.

This Sunday I have a local girl scout troop coming to volunteer at shearing day. They will be catching the sheep for shearing. I will need bigger bodies to wrangle the llamas (many of whom are not halter broke yet) into the chute for shearing. Many hands make light work. I usually dread shearing day. With over 40 sheep and over 30 llamas to shear in one day, our shearer Ray Baitsholts will have his work cut out for him. We start at 8 am. If you want to volunteer to get dirty ... see you then.

I am very pleased with the progress and support of NY Wildlife Rescue Center. The word is getting out that we are making a difference. The donations are slowly trickling in--but are coming. People are volunteering to keep expanding the facilities to accommodate the ever increasing numbers of animals. There is so much that I want to do and the "good weather" is so short for construction. My wife asked me last night "Why are you killing yourself to get things done so fast?" I told her ..."It isn't a choice, it is a necessity".

With your continued support, we will continue to expand to help the hundreds of animals that we save every year.

All my best, Wes

Weekend Update

2009-05-11T05:04:00.001-07:00

Been busy since the last time that I blogged. Chris and I have been working nights after school on the Raptor (Hawk, Owl and Falcon) Enclosures. We have made a lot of progress. I am kind of sleep deprived. My baby 'coons are not sleeping through the night yet but I am getting good at giving them their bottles in my sleep.

Friday I took a personal day from school to go to the circus with my daughter Emma's class from school. I got to walk all of the boys in her class to the bathroom before we left for the Pepsi Arena. As a high school teacher, I am not used to the walking in line trick. As they all got out of the bathroom they got in line and I thought it would be cool to teach them how to walk like Elephants back to the classroom ... what an entrance.

The kids were great the entire day, I was impressed. I haven't been to the circus since I was a kid. I know that a lot of circus shows have a bad rap right now but I was really impressed at the Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus production. The horses, dogs and goats looked great. The Elephants looked great and the tigers were what I was waiting for. The actually set up the tiger act during the intermission. I was 50 foot away and watched it all. Very professional, very well done and the tigers were fat and into the routine. I am not giving my endorsement to animal acts, but I didn't see anything that I didn't like and I was looking.

On Saturday, my day started with my 4:30 am wake-up call from the 'coons. Gayle and I got to do something that all wildlife rehabbers love; we went on a release to one of my favorite release sites. We took John and Donna with us, they are the folks that brought us the raccoon that we rehabbed overwinter. I also released the red fox that was brought to me in a trunk of a car one night after the ladies picked him out of the road. Gayle took some great photos of the release which she will add to my blog so you can see what it looked like. Gayle is invaluable to NY Wildlife Rescue Center and getting our message out to you on the web. (Thanks Gayle)

Or you can view the entire photo album here

When we got back to the facility it was a zoo as usual. I had Justin and Shep show up to volunteer to work on the Raptor Center ceiling. Gayle and I got some photos of the Mammal area, the construction of the Raptor enclosures and of course--the animals.

We worked all day on the ceiling (100 foot) and finished it by 11pm. Got a couple of the walls framed out as well. I was thinking that things were going too well and the phone rang. Latham Emergency Vet Clinic had a Redtailed hawk and 7 baby cottontail rabbits that someone had brought in that they wanted me to come and get. While John and Justin worked on framing, I drove the 2 hours to get the animals from Latham. They had everything packaged up and waiting for me, they had done an xray on the hawk for me which showed nothing broken. They donated their services and that is something that every wildlife rehabber appreciates. When we volunteer our time, spend thousands of hours doing what we do, spend huge amounts of our own money, everything--donated helps keep us going.

Got back from the Vet Clinic, finished up with construction clean up and called it a night at 1:30. Didn't hear the alarm in the office go off at 4:30 am but the raccoons did. Glad they got me up because my wife Darcy didn't hear the alarm in the house either. I woke my son Jacob up because Darcy had to run him to the airport at 5am; the lucky kid gets to go to Florida with his Uncle Scott and his Grandparents to see the last launching of the space shuttle tomorrow to fix the Hubble telescope. Little bum is probably swimming right now as I write this.

I called off construction on the Raptor Center today to do the Mothers Day thing. Chris and Michele finished framing out the back walls that we didn't get done last night today. I took Darcy and the girls to the Diner for breakfast once I got a.m. chores done. Then we went on the annual pilgrimage to Guernseys Nursery to buy trees.

I also bought two grape plants to grow up the bobcat and fox enclosures. Once it gets growing I think that it will give great shade and will look cool on the caging. Then we went to Barbers to get some perennials "to feed the damn chickens" as my wife says.

I didn't feel like mowing the lawn with the hour (that I found to myself ) after getting everything planted so my daughter Hannah and I dug out the wisteria that was taking over our house deck and I transplanted that out near the bear enclosure (hope it survives the transplant). Then we planted 25 small spruce tree seedlings around the bear enclosure and the mammal area for a windbreak and more privacy for the animals. It will look great in a couple of years; I've basically planted a forest around the enclosures.

I managed to get my work-boots off and thought that it was amazing that everyone was going to make it to the dinner table at the same time and the phone rang. One of my students from school called. A deer had gotten hit near his house last night. They knew that it was alive and in the ditch--he wondered what I could do. We got the deer moved back to our facility, it is banged up pretty good and is in shock but stands a chance now since it is here.

Gotta go feed some critters and attempt to get to bed by midnight.

Hey Mom, Happy Mothers Day! Sorry I didn't see you; hope you liked your tree.

Wes

My Excuses

2009-05-05T10:02:00.001-07:00

I know that many of you check often and enjoy my blogs. I am going to try to write shorter posts, and do so more often. I have a lot of excuses why I haven't blogged in over a month.

All of my "free time" has been devoted to the construction of the Raptor Facilities. On April 4th, The GE Wildlife Committee helped me get 2 of the 8 indoor enclosures framed out. I am proud to say that a couple of friends helped me "finish" those two enclosures this past weekend. I am estimating that it takes around 30-40 hours to build one enclosure the way that I am doing it. I will get some photos up on the website soon so that you can all see how great that they came out.

As the donations keep coming in, we will keep building. It seems like we are in a never ending state of construction . Combine that with my kids schedules, karate, softball and riding lessons.... I stay out of trouble. I really want to finish these 8 enclosures ASAP so that we will have a species specific cage for virtually any Raptor (Hawk, Owl or Falcon) that may come in.

As soon as the 8 enclosures are done, we are going to have a huge Open House and every donor will be invited to come and see what their (Wildlife) contribution has made. It is beautiful, one of the nicest facilities I've seen.

The second phase of the Raptor Facilities will be a 175 foot addition off of the back of our existing structure. The 8 individual (inside) species aviaries will have doors, so that the birds can be rotated in and out of the huge flight aviary. This facility is desperately needed in our area to prepare raptors for release back into the wild. They must build flying strength to successfully hunt once released or saving them will be a vain effort. Please send your checks to keep construction going and PLEASE stop by and actually see what we are doing. I love giving the 3 minute tour. If I am not at an fundraising event, I am home working at our facility. If you stay longer than 30 minutes I will put you to work.... :)

Michele, Kelly, Gayle and I did two events on April 25th. Michele, Gayle and I took a Red Tailed hawk, Great Horned Owl and a Kestrel to the Maple Festival at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds. Kelly took some of her raptors to the Wildlife Festival at the COBY College Ski Lodge. We all love to educate the public and it is a great chance to get off of our facility and educate the public about what we do. It also helps us with fundraising to keep things going.

We hope you enjoy some photos from the Maple Festival:

NYWRC at Cobleskill Maple Festival

(Click the slideshow once it's running to open it in a new window if the photos don't load properly for you.)

Speaking of donor checks, an update: The llamas (several more have come in) and the sheep and cows are all doing great. I found a home for all 5 of the Great Pyrenees dogs that I took in as well.

Photo by Paul Taylor

On May 17th, a local Girl Scout Troop is coming for Shearing Day. Ray Baitsholts (our shearer) is planning on starting around 8 am to get the 40 plus sheep and 30 plus llamas sheared up. As we shear the sheep they will also get feet trimmed, get wormed again, get their tails (and testicles) banded and get a State of NY eartag for permanent ID. I need Dectomex Injectable Wormer for cattle (if anyone is looking to donate an item). Many hands make light work; if you want to volunteer, May 17th would be a great day to do so.

Speaking of sheep, I received a phone call on another 120 sheep that need to be rescued and need long term homes. There are people that talk about it and people that make things happen.... I try to be the latter but am getting spread thin. If you know of anyone that would provide a great (nonbreeding, no kill) home for these sheep please contact me privately because I can not afford to bring in another 120 sheep without some support. If someone pledges to pay their hay, I'll take them in and find them homes and deal with their problems but I can not open the doors to 120 without some assistance. Please ask your friends that have sheep and call your friends that sell hay to ask if they want to empty out their haylofts for the upcoming haying season. We take donations of hay gladly. Sandy Gordon has been great about bringing us hay when he can. Round Bales (that are not rotten) are gladly taken in also. I want to help these sheep but I need your help.

It is official. "Orphan Season" (as we refer to it as wildlife rehabbers) has started. All of the 20+ rehabbers that work with NY Wildlife Rescue Center have started answering the calls for baby cottontail rabbits and squirrels. I received my first raccoon orphan call last night. The mother had died in a barn, the foxes and farm cats had eaten part of the litter but 3 very tiny "coons", about the size of newborn kittens, came in. I estimate them to be about 1 week old. Their ears and eyes are still shut. I was up most of the night with "Whine, Moan and Scream" (now you know why I don't name my wildlife charges). I am working hard to keep these little guys alive. I bet we get a ton of (rabies vector) calls this year. Most rehabbers don't want raccoons and their licenses do not allow them to take them in. 'Coons are tough, sometimes have rabies and carry a roundworm parasite that can kill or blind you. That is why I built our rabies vector area last year (which we are planting shrubbery in to finish now); an area completely off limits to people for the wildlife we rehab that carry diseases fatal to humans.

My wife (the squirrel girl) has taken in over 10 squirrels. She loves them and we both leave school during our lunch period to run home and feed the orphans rather than eat our own meals.

In the first 4 months of 2009 we've been busy. We've taken in over 150 animals! That is more than many shelters do in a year, and many shelters get some govt funding: we don't. It is going to be a busy year for domestic livestock, exotics and our wildlife. I was hoping to do some bear cubs this year but it looks like it will be next year before that might happen. There is only one other facility in NY that does bear and Jean does a great job at it.

The whitetail fawns will start arriving soon and all of the baby birds will start coming any day. I guess I don't need any excuses for not blogging. I will start blogging more often about what is coming in and going on at NY Wildlife Rescue Center but the blogs will have to be shorter.

You can do your part by keeping the checks coming. I know that times are tight but we can not continue to expand and take in the animals that we do without your continued support. Do you do a random acts of kindness daily? We do. Till next time (soon) Have a great day.

....Wes

When it rains....

2009-04-01T05:23:00.001-07:00

When it rains it pours. I really never have understood why we seem to be the busiest, picking up domestics, when spring arrives. You would think that most people would want to get rid of their animals in the fall, so they don't have to feed them all winter. That is not the case with our current recession; spring is busier than usual.

The 19 llamas that came in are doing well and settling in nicely. 6 of the 7 males that were old enough to be gelded were done last week. Dr. Montero and I have done a lot of llama geldings together; we have it down to a science and work together to get it done as quickly as possible without much stress to the animals. I am happy to report that with the generous support of our friends (see our donor list) the vet bill was covered. There is a long road and a lot of expenses still ahead with these llamas. I received an email today from their former owner, she sent me the names of the males--I like to keep original names if possible. They are very grateful that I helped them. I am very glad that all of you helped me. I received some checks from some of the other llama rescue groups in other parts of the USA and that is very flattering. People are validating what we do as a not-for-profit animal rescue and it is coming at a time when we need it the most ... but I will get to that later in this blog.

On Saturday, Shelly Wood organized our second annual Easter Fundraiser. She does all of the advertising, publicity and takes photos of the kids with lambs and baby bunnies that we bring with us. Cheryl Baitsholts and Michele Segerberg (and her daughter Karen) went with me to help out. When we arrived at Teen Town in Cobleskill, a bunch of my high school students were already waiting for us. The weather was beautiful and the Great Horned Owl, Red-tailed hawk and Screech Owl we brought with us enjoyed the weather as much as we did. We enjoyed a great spring day and raised some money to keep the lumber coming for our new Raptor Center.

On Sunday, we met at the Middleburgh Hardware Store where Rich and Heather Vilegi were our gracious hosts. In addition to the great food, Shelly took lots of great pictures. The kids (while they were waiting their turn for photos) actually got to go on an Easter egg hunt around the Hardware Store. Although the weather looked scary, it didn't rain on us, and we had a great crowd out front. The high school Students sold a bunch of raffle tickets, our donation jar did well and Kelly Martin and I shared a different Screech Owl and a Northern Harrier (Marsh Hawk) with many interested people. We raised enough money over the weekend to buy the lumber to work on the Raptor Center this weekend (with our friends from the GE Wildlife Committee).

The phone and emails have been keeping me busy. I am lining up incoming domestics by priority. All of the animals that come here are not always abused, sometimes just unwanted. I went on a pick-up of some animals that were unwanted yesterday. I very rarely get angry at people that want to get rid of their animals. I actually had an animal hoarder tell me that she had read everything that I had ever published and that she was very pleased to finally get to meet me ... as I was at her house climbing over piles of dead animals (with the Humane Society) trying to get the remaining animals off her place during a blizzard. I couldn't be mad at her. She explained through teary eyes that her husband and son had just died. The animals were all she had left and she cried when every one starved to death. She loved them to death.

I actually respect people that know that they are in over their head. They know they are not doing their animals justice and ask for my help before the law has to get involved. Things change for people. They get divorced, find themselves unemployed, have a variety of problems--that does not entitle them to do wrong to their animals. I felt sorry for that old lady but it is criminal that she didn't ask for help before things got that bad for her animals (she wasn't living much better). She loved them so much she cried watching them starve to death. Humans are complex creatures. People need to know when to ask for help and I will always protect their identity and help them if they ask.

I went three hours away for yesterday's rescue. I was suppose to pick up a cow and some sheep that the owner no longer wanted. One of my friends, Justin, went with me for the ride and to give some muscle if needed. I can't do what I used to be able to do when I was 20. We got to the farm and loaded the most pathetic Brown Swiss cow I have ever seen. She is skin and bones and was in a pen with another cow and her calf. "Claire" aborted her calf 3 months premature around 3 weeks ago. I'm not sure if it is from the huge parasite load, ringworm, or her frail condition but she has bigger problems than being a mother right now. She was too weak to stand on the way home but I will fix her up. She isn't too far gone. We put a panel up against her and turned our attention to the 75 +/- sheep that stood crowded in two horse stalls. We were not sure how many sheep we were going to get on the trailer but we started loading them. They are all Shetland and Jacobs, which, luckily, are not big sheep. Justin and I said our goodbyes to the lady and I told her that I would be back soon for the rest of them. We normally stop for some fast food on the trek home, we didn't this trip. We actually didn't stop for fuel, restroom or anything ... we were already working through the game plan for what we were going to do when we got back to our facility.

We got home in record time and decided to start with the sheep. One at a time, we started going through them. Every sheep got wormed and sexed. Since we are not a breeding facility, any sheep that had testicles got neutered on the spot. Turns out that we had 31 sheep on the trailer with the cow. 8 are wethered (neutered) males now, 23 are Ewes or females. Like the cow, they are on the edge of crashing but I know that I will bring them back from the grave. We might lose a couple on the way but it won't be because I am not keeping an eye out for the ones that have given up. Sheep are pretty hard to screw up. Within an hour of being settled in at our facility with several tubs of water and all of the hay they can eat, they act like they own the place. I do have them locked in the courtyard and barn. I am going to have to do several hundred dollars of fence work to keep them quarantined in the lower pasture, because of their small size. I will do that before they get turned out, as I get donations.

Now this is the crazy part: you would think that a guy that just saved a cow and 31 sheep would be happy for a day but I couldn't stop thinking about the ones I left behind. I called the lady to let her know that I had everyone settled in. I had originally planned on going back this weekend to get the rest but I really don't think a lot of them will last that long. I talked to Justin and we are going back tomorrow afternoon to get the rest of the cows and sheep. I know that I can't help every animal in the world. I don't have the money or the time but I can help these 3 cows and 75 sheep. They are in real bad shape but will come back to life with some good food, a worming routine and ample pasture. I will have the shearer come in May to get them cleaned up at the same time as the llamas. They will get their tails banded then, too. Thank God that it isn't fly season yet or these sheep would be eaten alive by maggots. They will eventually be adoptable; a lot of people like Jacobs and Shetland sheep because they are small and easy to handle. It will cost around $25- a sheep to get them fixed up. Your donations are always put to good use here.

We have crossed the bridge with the llamas but now we are knee deep in sheep. I will let you know how we make out tomorrow. I know I will sleep better tomorrow night when I can walk out to the barn and refill hayracks.

Please tell your friends about what we do, I appreciate your support more than words can express.

Till next time, all my best,
Wes

I Never Thought

2009-03-25T10:15:00.001-07:00

I never thought.... I've been saying that quite a bit lately. I never thought so many people would send me halters, lead ropes, wormer, syringes, and even hay. I never thought that so many people would paypal or drop a check in the mail to validate what I do and help with the gelding costs on these 6 intact male llamas that need to be done immediately. So far, in monetary donations we have close to $750 towards their gelding. I called the vet today, they originally couldn't get the guys gelded until April 8th but they are going to squeeze them in tomorrow for me. Four of them will be able to go out with the herd that they are familiar with by this weekend. The other two studs will probably have to be confined longer to cool their jets before they will go out with the herd and be "civilized". The computer emails and the phone continue to bring pleas for help ... there are sheep, geese, and several more llamas coming in but none are emergencies and I would prefer to blog about what is here--not what is coming.

I never thought that a bunch of guys in their early 20s (most were High School Volunteers here) would want to stand on scaffolding 12 foot in the air and work on the ceiling of the indoor part of our new raptor facility. We have just about 100 feet of the ceiling done. This weekend, between our two fund-raising events, we hope to finish the ceiling and get the 9 posts put in. Once that is done, we can finish individual pens as time and money allows. My goal is to have the 8 indoor raptor pens done by summer. The outdoor flight that is connected to the inside individual species aviaries will be the largest flight aviary in the Northeast (that I am aware of): over 100 feet of enclosed, open free-flight space. It will be crucial for rehabbing raptors (hawks, owls, falcons) for release back into the wild. Everyone has been very impressed with what we are doing here. I have a vision and we are well on our way there. It takes time and money--but doesn't everything? We have gotten a lot of interest lately from people of all ages that want to volunteer at our facility. This is no longer a one-man show and the volunteers have been a huge help keeping the constant facility expansion moving forward, and tackling a variety of other chores. "The guys" are probably not going to read this but if you do, thanks for giving up your weekends to keep the raptor center going.

I never thought that I would get a call to save a Seagull; we are a long way from any substantial body of water. Last night, after dinner, our phone rang (it does that a lot lately) . My daughter Hannah got the expression on her face she always gets when we get a wild animal rescue call. I took the call and the caller said that a Seagull had been hit in the road in front of the convenience store where she worked, on Main St. in Schoharie. Schoharie is not close to a beach but it isn't that unusual to see seagulls in the valley during the spring. I actually await their arrival as a sign of spring. They fly in from the Hudson River (or elsewhere?) and they scour the valley for whatever might be thawing out of the ice, take advantage of the snacks, and leave....

I am anxiously awaiting for my chance to rehab some black bear cubs but I wasn't expecting to do any seagull rehab anytime soon. :) I suggested that they try to get it in a box where it would be safe and told Sue that I would be there in 5 minutes. I actually went to the wrong Mobil Mart, (there are only 4 gas stations in Schoharie) first. I was beginning to wonder which one of my friends was messing with me when we pulled into the right convenience store with a box sitting by the door. The top of the box was open and I peered in to see a seagull looking back at me. It had anexpression like: "Where the hell have you been", and "Don't get any ideas pal". I reached in the box and got a good beak bite--much to the amusement of my daughter. After I got him off my hand, I did a "once over" and was happy to see that they were no broken wings or legs. Other than a pretty bad foot injury, the bird was not in bad shape. We got home and got him settled in; I am pretty confident that this guy will be releasable. I never thought that all of those people would just drive around a hurt gull in that parking lot on Main Street. One woman named "Sue" cared enough to get the seagull safe, call me, and do the right thing. I am fortunate: I get to meet a lot of people like Sue.

I also want to take a moment as I end this blog to thank Joan and Allan for adopting an alpaca. They have adopted a dozen llamas from me and they decided to add a camelid cousin to their collection. They also opened up their doors to 4 muscovy ducks that needed a home. They are great people and it makes it all worthwhile watching animals go home with them .

I never thought when I started saving animals as a kid that it would progress to this. I never thought that we would grow to be the not for profit facility that we are today--with the help of our Board Of Director, volunteers and supporters, I look forward to the next several months of further expansion.

Till next time,
Wes

A Dog Named Casey

2009-03-20T10:41:00.001-07:00

People that know me well know that I have two weaknesses. Kids and animals are two of my favorite things in the world: the ability to be young and have fun; the right to be born free and live wild. In the years that I have been doing rescue work, we have saved thousands of animals. I have an open door policy on just about any animal that needs help. I do have limits on the number of horses, dogs and cats that we can take in. If I had an open door for dogs, cats and horses we would be overwhelmed and bankrupt overnight. There are lots of other facilities that specialize in these areas ... my resources are best utilized on barnyard domestics, exotics and wildlife that most other facilities can not take in.

If you have ever read any of my older blogs, you would also know that I usually travel with a pack of dogs around me. There is Lucky, a Golden Retriever who was abandoned in our kennel while boarding here. Our Great Dane is Cleopatra; Cleo is not the smartest dog we have ever had but she loves to sit in your lap and be loved. Otis "P" Mister is a little terrier mix that a dog warden brought to our grooming shop and asked if we could find him a home. I am sure we could have found him a home if my kids didn't keep him hidden in our house whenever a customer came to pick up their dog. Our last dog is Austin, my Border Collie; I belong to him and he is my shadow. There is not much that goes on at our farm without Austin in the middle of it. I have always had a weakness for Border Collies (read my older blogs) and I love a smart dog that is a challenge. Austin is my best friend and best companion. Austin makes sure that I get up after one hit of the snooze button in the morning because there is work to be done and he has been looking forward to getting it done all night.

I recently got an email from a former student, one of my favorite kids. They have a Border Collie that they need to place. I didn't ask any questions, but they have to leave their house and move into an apartment. She was wondering if I was interested in taking Casey. If it had been any other kid, or any other breed of dog, I would have helped find the dog a good home and gone on with my life. I said that we would talk about it (she emailed back). I told her that maybe I should meet Casey sometime (they came over last night). Casey was not what I expected. As their car pulled into the driveway, it appeared to be heavy in the rear. It had the happiest Border Collie in the world in the back. BC's love to ride and it doesn't matter on what. If it moves they are on it, in it, or chasing it. After brief introductions, the fattest Border Collie I have ever seen in my life got out of the back of the car. Casey is the same size as my Austin but easily 4 times his weight. I was amused. It also amuses me that if I agree to take this dog, my best friend from High School has two sons ... named Austin and Casey. What are the odds? It must be destiny.

Casey didn't realize it but his test had already started. If Casey is going to live at NY Wildlife Rescue Center there are rules. There are lots of them that are loosely enforced.... Our Dogs need to: love all people (even ones that are tough to like), not harass customers going in and out of the grooming shop, put up with my kids, walk past all types of loose animals, stay on our property, be within eyesight of me (that includes when I am in the bathroom or sleeping), be able to sneak into our house (when covered with mud) and go lay down so my wife doesn't yell, and never let my truck pull out of the driveway unless you are in the back seat (covered in mud) and hanging out the window. The rules are not limited to these. I frequently make up rules as I go along but none are too unrealistic. I will put up with a dog being a dog if they can handle the same of me.

Casey said "hi" to me and then we took a tour of the farm. None of the pack really seemed to find anything at fault with him. Casey is smart, like most Border Collies. He didn't seem to be bothered by much on the farm. He responds to verbal and hand commands for: come, sit, heel, down, back-up and would shake or do just about anything else asked of him. I wish that we could have tried him off of his leash but it was too soon for that. Casey might come to spend 10 days with me over April Vacation from school. It is the logical time to "break him in" since he will have my attention 24 hours a day during that time. My wife doesn't know it yet but I think that we are about to get another dog. No, we don't need another dog: but what is one more when I walk with a pack of misfits already?

Wes

Spring

2009-03-19T06:03:00.001-07:00

The daffodils are creeping up. I've seen lots of robins and bluebirds lately. The long, icy winter is over and the "slow rescue season" has given way to my favorite season ... mud season. I love watching everything come back to life.There really isn't a slow season anymore at Red Maple Farm. We are doing rescues every day, all year long, usually around 400 animals a year. We never have a day off. We even had a duck come in on Christmas morning. With our current economic recession, I've been getting lots of calls from good people that are in over their heads financially. I think that it is amazing that these people are struggling to survive yet they care so much about their animals that they know that they can no longer take care of them and want to get them in a better spot--versus a livestock auction ... or watch them starve. Spring is our busiest season of the year and I look forward to the orphaned wildlife that will be arriving shortly. One of my students told me yesterday, at school, that the bears are out of the dens and on the move again. I am hoping this year to have the opportunity to rehab bear cubs. We have started building the second phase of NY Wildlife Rescue Center. Last year, we put all of our time and donations into building a beautiful mammal area. This year, we have already started to build our raptor center for hawk, owl and falcon rehab. We are building the indoor facilities for eight species right now, as donations keep coming in. By fall, I hope to have the 150 foot outdoor flight completed. We rescue a lot of birds of prey. All of the rehabbers that network through this facility do a great job with the animals that we get in. I've always thought that birds with wing injuries should have a place to exercise before being released back into the wild. When completed, this facility will be the largest of its kind in NYS. I believe that many NY State Wildlife rehabbers will bring their birds here to finish recovery and then pick them up to take them back to where they were found for release.

I should probably catch everyone up with 2009. One of my many goals this year is to blog regularly to let everyone know what animals have come in--there are so many stories to tell for each animal. New Years Eve started with a baby lamb born to the Alaskan Dahl Sheep that I picked up last fall from another rescue facility. New Years Day, we received a small whitetail deer that was hit at Crossgates Mall. One of my students saw the deer get hit, thought it was dead and was going to throw it on the back of his truck, take it home and eat it.... The poor fawn must have thought that it was the lead character of a bad horror movie when it came out of shock on the floor in the back seat of his truck. I really wouldn't suggest putting a deer in your vehicle that has been hit by a car. I actually had two women bring me a fox in their trunk last fall (which I really wouldn't suggest either) but that is a story for my book. The beginning of January was busy. I got a call from a guy that had a skunk in his woodshed that he wanted evicted. I set a live trap and have caught a lot of interesting things but still haven't caught the skunk--but I will.

This time of year is when we get a lot of animals hit by cars. They feed and travel by roads since there is less snow and more food. January 5th, we received a Screech Owl that was hit by a car. The student from my school did everything right but, unfortunately, by the time they got it to me it had died. A couple of days later, some great folks brought me a pileated woodpecker (one of the big ones) that had been hit by a car; it wasn't looking too good and died shortly after arrival. It is depressing to see such cool animals check out. Doing what we do, you really need to focus on the "saves" not on the "would have, could have and should haves".

On January 8th, a DEC guy brought me a little Pine Siskin that was sitting by his bird feeder acting strange. I had a Goldfinch come in (no they don't always migrate) that had really bad conjunctivitis in its eyes. Over the last year, we have seen a lot of song birds come in with this eye ailment. It is fixable but it is fatal in the wild since they get blinded by the crust. The same day that the Goldfinch came we had a Coopers Hawk arrive. The folks rushed it to me and it was dead from the collision (by the sounds of things) with their deck sliding glass door. I don't know how close their birdfeeder is to their house but birdfeeders should be a safe distance away, yet close enough to enjoy the birds. This hawk was probably hunting the birds at their feeder.
I love raptors. Talons and sharp beaks: birds that hunt prey intrigue me. On January 28th, I was enjoying a snow day from school and the blizzard that came with it. Right about the second cup of coffee, after am chores got done, the phone rang. It was a call from about 30 minutes away on an owl that was sitting in the middle of a busy road. I returned the call and reluctantly came off the mountain to creep towards the half way mark (where we had agreed to meet) for the pick up. The Barred Owl didn't look too good. It was very thin, lethargic, and I wasn't optimistic. I got it back to the shop and got some fluids into it with a lactated ringer and it started to come back to life. Kelly Martin took him to fatten him up with her Barred Owls and I had the privilege of releasing the owl back into the wild where it was found with the folks that had saved it. The slideshow is on our website: check it out. That is what it is all about; the reason why we rehab wildlife.

We have had a couple of other screech owls come in, and some are still in rehab. One was actually taken out of the grill of a big rig by a trucker. In February, a DEC officer called me to give me the names and the number of some great folks that had saved a hawk. I met them part way, in a convenience store parking lot, to pick up the bird. Once I got up to fellow rehabber Kelly Martin's house we tag-teamed to see what was wrong with the bird. The Rough Legged Hawk isn't something that we pick up often. Part of the wing had been broken and we soon found a huge chest wound as well. The bird was stabilized and went to the vet the next day for surgery and still is in rehab. My gut feeling told me that it was a gunshot wound. It couldn't be proven, but it is a federal crime to shoot a bird of prey. I can't think of any reason why anyone would want to do such a thing. This bird is alive but it will most likely be unreleasable and will need to be put on our educational permits.

The last two mammals that came in were Brown Bats. I think that they came out of their winter stupor a little too early and got cold. They will be released back to where they were found when the weather gets warmer. Do you know that 20% of the earths mammals are bats? I think that they are awesome and they save billions of dollars in agricultural damage by eating all of the bugs over our crops. Two things alarm me with bats right now. The first is the white nose disease that appears to be destroying certain colonies of bats. The second is the huge numbers of bats that are being killed in windmill fields. These are things that make you go "hmmmmmm".

On that note, I've caught everyone up to speed and I can go back to normal blogs from now on. Right now, I need to go to the barn and say goodnight....

I'll be back soon, I promise,

WES

PS: Thanks to everyone that has been sending donations for the llamas that I just picked up. We also still need to raise a lot of money to keep going on the raptor center construction. Please tell everyone that you know about us ... all contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. See our sponsorship levels on our website and donate if you can, when you can. Thanks!

Rescue News: Nineteen Llama Newcomers

2009-03-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

There are good days and there are bad days when you run an animal rescue facility. When I received the phone call from some folks 6 hours away that were having a tough time with the bank and needed to find a home immediately for 19 llamas I didn't think no ... I thought what am I going to have to do to pull this off? I've been on bigger rescues, I've driven longer distances to save animals. The details are always the toughest to work out. The first thing that I started thinking about was: where was I going to borrow a larger trailer to get them all in one trip. My trailer is too small to carry 19. The next thing that I was thinking: what muscle could I get to road trip with me; since there was no way I was going to wrestle 19 wild llamas in the trailer by myself? I found the trailer, Justin and Chris were up for an adventure--plans were made to take off for our mission at midnight on Friday night.

We arrived at 6am as planned to get the llamas. I was hoping that they would be locked in the barn ... we could back the trailer up and be home bound by 7am Saturday morning. Llamas are an amazingly intelligent animal and have the unbelievable ability to foil the best of plans. Due to the fact that we've done this a couple of times, Justin and I had everyone on the trailer and we were back on the road with two heartbroken people standing in the driveway waving their goodbyes. It didn't take me long to figure out that these were not your normal llamas. They were in good shape but over half the herd stood for the entire six hour trip back home; very odd and not something that I've ever seen before. Normally as soon as the trailer starts moving the llamas kush (or lay down) but these llamas were not making anything easy or normal.

We arrived back to the farm slightly behind schedule and really happy to be back. I decided that while the llamas were still on the trailer that they should get their worming shots. That went as I expected it would, it was not on the top of the llamas' list of things to do after a long ride but it had to get done. Now the fun part. I don't let intact male llamas out with the herd until they have been gelded.
Supposedly there were five intact males running with this herd. I started letting them off the trailer and running them down through the barn through a series of locks where I could sort off the males into pens and let the females out into the herd. My daughter Hannah (who is 12 and has rescued more animals with me than most animal shelters have) quickly volunteered for the Easter egg hunt and we quickly had seven males identified and separated. The one six month old male cria got a reprieve and got to go back out with his mom and the herd ... this still left us with six males, not five.

The females with their crias (most likely rebred) have adjusted well over the last couple of days. They like their new mountain view and they are starting to settle in. They do not want to sleep in the barn and prefer to sleep out in the middle of a 10 acre pasture. I am starting to get into their heads and get to know them. You really don't have to be an animal communicator to pick up on their vibes. They know that I won't hurt them and they know that I helped them but they are very nervous and you can feel that they haven't settled into their new home yet. They are confused, don't understand why they are here and really would like to be someplace that they are more familiar with. If they only knew what their fate could have been.
They have a lot ahead of them. They will be given the time that they need to settle in before I start halter breaking them. The first of the biggest two obstacles are over.

The males are the next hurdle. They need to be gelded before they can be let out of their pens to rejoin the herd that they have lived with their entire lives. I need to raise at least another $1000 to cover the vet bill for their surgeries. We have received enough donations to cover the transportation costs. Our facility has grown a lot over the last 10 years. I can no longer afford to pay for everything out
of my checkbook as a teacher. We have to rely on donations because my vets won't come for free. :) I have never been good at begging for money. We have become a not for profit facility now (not like any rescue facility ever makes a profit). The nice thing about this is that people that donate money to us can write it off as a tax deduction. I am hoping that we can raise the money to cover the geldings this week so that I can get the vets here. Once the males are gelded, we can handle the rest of their care, worming shots, vet visits, feed, shearing, training, etc. We have never turned an animal in need away and I don't intend to start saying no anytime soon. I really am flattered that so many of our supporters have sent a check. It really validates what we do that other people support us. As soon as we get the guys gelded and everyone gets settled in, I would love to teach anyone that would like to learn how to halter break a llama a few of my tricks to do that.

Tomorrow I will try to write a blog on all of the wildlife that we have taken in over the last couple of months. It is my intention to get blogging again so that our friends and supporters can see what is coming in on a weekly basis and hear the story of those animals as well. Sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day for the computer when I would really rather be in the barn with the animals.

Till the next update,
Wes

Support NY Wildlife Rescue Center!
Main site: www.redmaplefarm.net
Blog: www.northeastllamarescue.blogspot.com
Giftshop: www.cafepress.com/NYWildlife

Support NYWRC/NELR While You Shop Online

2008-12-04T07:29:00.001-08:00

SUPPORT NEW YORK WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER WHILE YOU SHOP ONLINE

♦ Sign up with Igive. Shop with hundreds of online vendors, all of which will send a donation to NYWRC/NELR with every purchase, at no cost to you. Shops include big names like Ebay, Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, Staples, and many more.

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And don't forget the puppy's stocking!
♦ HelpingUdders.com has a great selection of dog products that you won't find elsewhere on the web, and 10 to 50 percent of profits are donated to rescue causes. Support us by typing New York Wildlife Rescue in the message section during the checkout process.

NY Wildlife Rescue Center 2008 Musical Slideshow

2008-11-24T07:48:00.001-08:00

We hope you enjoy our musical slideshow, celebrating the events we visited, and the visitors who joined us at the center, in 2008.

We're so thankful for all our supporters. Thanks to your help, your generosity, and your good wishes, we've accomplished so much in 2008. One of our "big news items", of course, is that we have achieved our IRS non-profit 501(c)(3) charity status. Thus, all donations to Northeast Llama Rescue and Barnyard Sanctuary, Inc and New York Wildlife Rescue Center are now tax deductible in accordance with IRS regulations.

If you would like to make a donation to NELR/NYWRC, feel free to click the Donate button at the bottom of this page or on our website at http://www.redmaplefarm.net.

We hope to see you soon, at one of our events. Visit the website to keep up with our schedule, or email us using the link on the website if you would like to schedule a visit to the center.

A Wild Irish Time

2008-09-22T09:24:00.001-07:00

New York Wildlife Rescue Center had a great time on Saturday September 20th, as Wes, Michele, Colin and Gayle (and Michele's two great kids) attended the Irish Festival at the Altamont Fairgrounds. Wes, Colin and Gayle left the farm in the morning with a trailer load of rescued farm animals including miniature donkeys, Scottish Blackface sheep, goats, a llama and an alpaca, and met Michele at the fairgrounds for set up.

Michele brought several of her beautiful birds of prey along for the ride: a Great Horned Owl, a Redtailed Hawk, a Barred Owl and an American Kestrel. These birds are all non-releasable birds kept on educational permits, and are wonderful, experienced "teachers"! What a pleasure to have them along.

Michele and her Barred Owl

The weather was perfection itself, and the crowd was just wonderful. We met some really marvelous people, who asked great questions and showed their support for wildlife rescue. Michele's birds, as always, were a huge hit, and we are so pleased that so many people went home that day knowing much more about raptors, and about wildlife rehabilitation in general.

Bam-Bam enjoys being a petting zoo star
(and the grazing wasn't bad, either)

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who dropped a donation in the bucket, and expressed their appreciation in so many other ways.

Our gratitude goes out, as well, to the wonderful people who hosted the festival and not only welcomed us so kindly this year, but let us know that they're eager to have us return in 2009!

And of course, one of the highlights of the day was Wes in his kilts! Yes, it was an Irish Festival, but "Anything Celtic Goes"! There were quite a few kilts and bagpipes present, adding to the enjoyment of the day.

"Scottish Kilts" plus
"Irish Celebration" plus
"American Kestrel" equal
"International Fun"!

Sleepy Barred Owl
A very cool dude after a long, busy day

We really enjoyed meeting everyone who stopped by on Saturday, and we hope to see the rest of you at an event soon! Look for us next weekend, Saturday the 27th of September, at the Wildlife Festival at the Blenheim Power Authority!

Lambing

2008-03-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Seems like just yesterday I blogged, I love having stuff to write about. As I sit here at 1am on a school/work night waiting for bottles to warm up I am catching my second wind....which I will definately pay for tomorrow morning at 5am. lambing every March for the last several years is something that I love. I love the trek out to the barn every 2-3 hours for a couple of weeks. I love the sleep deprivation. It is like Christmas morning every time I find a Ewe contently licking her newborn lamb. I know my sheep so well that I can usually tell when they are going to "pop" and they usually do quite well without me lurking around watching and waiting but it makes me feel good so Im there if they need me. As much as I love lambing, triplets are hell. Ive found that sheep can usually count to two quite well....anything past that usually gets complicated. Lambing is complicated even with my veteran registered Scottish Blackface Sheep. Lambing can also be very sad and emotionally draining . I hate to lose any of our babies.
From my last blog, Tuesday a goat that I am boarding popped. She had great twin doe kids. She was attentive and a great mother. We always seperate the mothers and their offspring in their own pen as soon as they give birth for a few days so the new family can have time to bond without the pressures of the flock. This nubian goat was doing everything right. I watch them closely for the first couple of hours, Ive actually had sheep kill their babies in the past. We checked the goat every 2 hours around the clock. I came home from school on tuesday every free period...things were going too good. At 5 am Colin checked in on them, they were doing fine....By 6 am when I got out to the barn, she had laid down with them to snuggle and smothered both of them. There really wasnt anything that I could have done different to protect them other than take them away from the doe, milk out the colostrum and bottle feed them. I didnt think that it was a necessary option...I feel bad. 24 hours after their birth, they were accidentally killed by their mother.
The ewe that had the triplets on tuesday night also had some problems... They were nursing, she was taking care of all 3....I noticed that the lambs were getting lethargic (not good). The ewe didnt have much milk, we milked the goat and started supplementing the lambs while leaving them with the ewe while her milk came in. One was weak enough last night that I made the decision to pull her, bring her in the house and really work on her. She died in my arms after finishing part of a bottle. The other two were doing great and I just blamed it on triplets and lack of milk. The real shocker came this am when Colin came in to tell me that one of the other lambs had died during the night. Guess we wont know why....It had a full belly when I did the late night feeding. The surviving triplet is doing well with her bottles and mom but I dont want to jinx it. When I came home at lunch time to give her a bottle, I noticed another ewe getting ready to deliever/"pop". By the time I milked the goat, got the bottle and got back she had delievered a great little ram lamb and was happily licking and "talking to him". I had to get back to work. An hour later, I ran back home during a prep period. She had another ewe lamb that was cleaned and walking but unfortunately I was about 5 minutes too late for the third lamb (a little ram) that she was working on but the afterbirth was still on his head and even after I got it off and almost revived him...it wasnt meant to be.
We dont eat our animals at Red Maple Farm. My Scottish Blackface Sheep are part of my Celtic Critters show that I do at Scottish Festivals to generate money for the rescue work we do. They are a rare breed of sheep in the USA...only about 4000 registered SBF here. There are over a million of them in Scotland. When you drive by a sheep farm in the spring and you see all of the lambs frolicking around in the pasture....most people really don't understand what the shepherd has done to get those lambs out in that green pasture. Lambing is one of the toughest things that Ive ever done. I love to complain about it but I love every second of it. It would be nice to go through a lambing season without a single loss but I think that is impossible and unheard of unless your flock consists of two ewes and a ram. I will keep you updated.
I had a pygmy goat come in today. I have 3 geese and 2 llamas and a goat being adopted this weekend. I also have a pheasant coming in this weekend that has been rehabilitated and is ready for a soft release here on the mountain....I like spring, I like lambing....I am the luckiest guy in the world to be going to the barn right now. Till tomorrow, Wes

New Animals

2008-03-11T20:28:00.000-07:00

Lot has been going on here at the farm since the last time I blogged on March 4th. I have had 3 new HS Students volunteer to work at the farm. As soon as I get some time, I will get them started. I really don't know what I would do without their help. My current HS crew is great. They know what they need to do and don't require any babysitting. Colin is at the farm now, living in the apartment and finding his niche around here. Was really busy last week between gymnastics, karate, play practice, appt.'s with the kids....etc. My oldest daughter (age 11) and our rescued Golden Retriever Lucky are both in the school musical "Annie". Hannah is an orphan and Lucky is "Sandy"....Lucky is getting her own bio in the program as the only "real" orphan in the play. Hannah is a natural, I loved plays/musicals in school and she is just like her Dad. Lucky just sits on stage and is thrilled to be surrounded by singing and dancing kids. Colins Great Dane Ally got spayed over a week ago. She gets her staples out tomorrow. She has spent the last couple of nights with him which is great. They need to get to know one another and it is tough sleeping with 2 Great Danes sprawled across your bed.
The 17 ducks that came in last week are doing great. I found a great home for 2 of them already. The same woman wants to adopt 3 of our geese also. Friday the 7th was a hectic day. It was the last day that I had Mr. Martin my student teacher in my classroom at school. He did a great job and I know that he will get a job teaching and be an asset to any school lucky enough to get him. On friday, The Rochester Humane Society (Lollipop Farm)brought out 2 donkeys that had special needs and were looking for a permanent home which Ive agreed to provide. I love donkeys, they are easier keepers and they have a home for life. I am looking for a sponsor that will want to cover their costs and hopefully even want to spend some time here at the farm socializing them (they are very shy). Saturday, we got 3 loads of hay and got a bunch of projects done around the farm.
This past sunday we had a great fundraiser and PR/Easter Photos with the kids at Sweet Temptations candy and coffee shop on Main Street Middleburgh. Colin, Gayle and Linda were there. Gayle took some great photos that we will try to get up on the blogs and the website. Linda got our business cards, banner and brochures. I set up a great display. Over a dozen local businesses donated raffle prizes. I had 2 of my students helping out there. Rich and Heather Vilegi, the shop owners were great. Shelly Wood organized the fundraiser and is donating 25% of the proceeds to our cause from the photos she took with the kids with the bunnies and lamb that I brought. Kelly Martin brought down a Great Horned Owl and a Marsh Hawk (Threatened Species) which she showed to the crowd and talked about all day. I really appreciate everyone that came out to support our animals and our mission in the freezing cold....It was an awesome day and one that I wont forget soon. I will blog more about it on the NY Wildlife Rescue Center Blog. Cheryl got sick and we panicked without a lamb for photos (my sheep hadnt arrived yet). Elaine Jaycox was nice enough to provide us one of hers for a few hours which I also deeply appreciate. The photos wouldnt have been the same without the lamb.
Speaking of babies. Ive been putting in some long hours lately. Colin offered to let the horses out and do am chores. He came in this am to let me know that the Nubian goat we are boarding for a COBY College student had given birth to twin females. I was already up and on my way out so I went out and showed him how to dry off kids and get them in a pen where they could bond with their mother alone for a few days. I came home at lunch time and they were nursing and doing great....I love the baby animals. I checked on the goats again after school before I ran Hannah and Lucky back to school for play practice. When I got back to the farm at 945 tonight, I did rounds of the farm. The goats still are nursing and doing well. I went down to the far end of the barn to check my small flock of registered Scottish Blackface Sheep. I use the sheep at Scottish Festivals for my Border Collie demos. We were blessed with triplets....She had just had them. 1 ram lamb and 2 ewe lambs.... Triplets are not usually fun but they were all up and nursing and Ewe #20 was taking good care of them. When I checked my records....It is interesting that she had triplets on March 11th in 2005 also. (Last year we didnt have any lambs because the ram I borrowed from a friend was too old to get the job done). I figured I would kill some time getting you all caught up with a blog before I go back out at midnight, 3am and 6am. "Lambing" is fun but the sleep deprevation gets to you after a week or two. It is really good practice for May when the Whitetail Fawns start coming in and I am feeding bottles every 2 hours around the clock. This weekend I have a wounded Pheasant coming in that has been rehabilitated and needs a soft (gradual) release site. Spring isnt until next thursday but I know it is coming because things are picking up....Spring is always the busiest time of year at the farm and I can't wait to share all of my experiences with you....Gotta go check on some sheep, Wes

(update: for pictures, see our New York Wildlife Rescue blog)

Back on Track

2008-03-04T17:49:00.000-08:00

Seems like I always start a blog with an apology for not blogging in so long....this one is no different. We are starting to get busy again. Spring is definately in the air and we have a lot to do before the baby wildlife and trailers full of rescues start pouring in. Since last blog, we have gotten Colin's Great Dane spayed. Ally is doing well and will be living with Colin in the manager's apartment by the end of the week. The vet also gelded a friends horse here last week. He also gelded a new rescued llama to get him ready to go to his new home with the Novak family here in Middleburgh. Dr. Baldwin checked the little donkey Boom Boom to geld but lets just say he isnt quite ready to be neutered yet.
I had 17 Muscovy ducks come in this past sunday. I like the Muscovies. They dont quack but they can fly. They are white and black, great for keeping slugs and bugs eaten off around the farm. I also have 2 "special needs' donkeys coming in to be sanctuaried this friday. My friends at Lollipop farm/Rochester Humane Society are bringing them out. We have helped them out however we can in the past and I am glad that I can help them out with these two donkeys as well.
We had a productive BOD meeting this past weekend and I hope to get our new logo up on the blog ASAP. It is with regrets that Jules has decided to leave us as project manager...I hope to continue the blog and I really want to thank her for everything that she has contributed to our mission. I really appreciate it. This sunday we are having our first fundraiser for NY Wildlife Rescue Center. It is on Main Street Middleburgh from 10-1 pm. There will be Easter photos with the animals and kids....a raffle and lots of press....I am really hoping that the weather cooperates. Join us at Sweet Temptations this Sunday, March 9th.
I want to end this blog by thanking my wife Darcy. Today is exactly 20 years since we met for the first time. She is a great woman and has always supported my desire to rescue and help animals....even if quite often it resulted that she and our kids went without. I have almost bankrupted ourselves several times doing what I do. I have no regrets but I want her to know that every day for the last 20 years I have been in love with her. She is my best friend and I couldnt think of anyone that I would rather spend my life with than her....I love you. Wes

Busy Weekends

2008-02-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

I love busy weekends. I am still trying to find a reasonably priced rabies vaccine, if anyone has any ideas....I am open to suggestions. Lots going on at the farm. From my last blog, you know that I sold the Clydesdale Trailer and bought a smaller bumper pulled trailer that would be easier for doing animal rescue work. The old trailer was great for hauling a lot of animals at once but it was so big that it made it very difficult to get in and out of tight spots and driveways.

On friday, I was home from school with 2 (of 3) sick kids. While Colin and Buddy started taping and getting the apartment ready to paint I took a quick ride to the trailer place to get the "new" trailer. Wow, expensive to haul animals around. I sold my trailer for a lot less than I should have but I did what was practical for rescues. The only color that they had left in stock was fire engine red, I hated the color as I trudged home with it following the truck but it is starting to grow on me. I think that if we have New York Wildlife Rescue Center painted on the side of it that it will look very "offical" and less like a home for a family of gypsies.

I spent most of the weekend painting the apartment. I am a very driven person, when I make up my mind that something is going to be done....It is going to be done. It took 36 hours of my time but there were 4 of us painting at a couple of different times over the weekend, I hate to think of how long it would have taken me alone . Good job done. In an effort to finish the money pit, I have decided today that I am going to sell my youngest (and one of my favorite) Clydes to a great friend in Mass.. The ending of an era continues. I will be left with my 3 old guys and in a year or two, most of those guys will probably be gone. It upsets me to think about all of the carriages, horses, etc.. and how much I love all of it but if I am going to focus on animal rescue, I need to make sacrifices.

Yesterday was a very busy day for rescues and I never even left the farm. Due to a foreclosure, I had some really great folks bring me 2 potbelly pigs, 2 rabbits, 6 chickens and 4 geese. I chuckled as I watched their mini van pull in the driveway. Knowing that there van would be a lot worse with geese and pigs in it that my wifes was last weekend with two llamas in it. I think that there will be a lot more animals (and people) affected by foreclosures before we get out of the recession that we are stuck in.

I wasnt answering the phone as I was working around the farm but for some reason I did once. A woman that lives in Blenhiem, NY had a female Downy Woodpecker hit her garage door window. She really did everything right. She observed it for a couple of hours at a distance while making sure a cat didnt get it. She brought it in the house when she realized it was messed up pretty good. Quite often if left alone for a couple of hours, they will "get it back together" and fly off. This little thing has a head issue but it has an appetite for suet and has made it for 2 days and 2 nights. A good sign since most usually die of head trauma and stress within the first 12-24 hours.

I asked if she could run it down to me, which they did and I appreciate. I consulted a friend who specializes in birds. I think that it is going to be a time factor case. As long as we keep her eating suet, peanutbutter, and all sorts of treats she stands a 50/50 chance at the moment. Woodpeckers also require a rope, rough log or a vertical perch. I thought that the Barred Owl had a great chance (he died that night of head trama) while he was being held in observation at another rehabbers house that specializes in Birds of Prey. I wish that I could report back a happy ending on that case. I would like to see the woodpecker make it. I know that a good percentage of rescued wildlife dont make it but this one appears tough. I will definately keep everyone updated on its progress.

I have a feeling that it is going to be a long cold week. On a positive, I'll have a week off of school for mid-winter recess once we get through this week. Wes

Have mini van, will travel

2008-02-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

Hi Folks, not much new here in the last couple of weeks. I know that it has been awhile since Ive blogged so I thought that I would catch everyone up on what Ive been doing the last couple of weeks. I had a great llama come in from a nice couple that Ive known for a long time. He needs to be gelded but he is halter broke and very adoptable (eventually). He has the coolest eyes that Ive ever seen on a llama. He has blue highlights on his brown eyes. Very cool llama and I thank his owners for bringing him up and for their continued support for what we do up here.

I got a call the beginning of the week from another woman that has adopted llamas from us in the past. She is getting a divorce and needed me to pick up a couple of llamas. This is where things get interesting. On sat. AM I sold the huge alumin. gooseneck trailer that Ive had for the last 5 years. As I cont. to downsize with my draft horses. I really dont need a 22 foot long trailer to do rescue work. My trailer is really too big to get into peoples driveways. I am going to get a smaller trailer that will be better for rescue work. By 9 am my trailer was going down the driveway and I was trying to figure out how we were going to get two llama back here. As I stood in the driveway looking at my wife's mini van I got the idea.....well you know where this is going....Before she realized what I was doing, I had the back seats removed and off I went to pick up the two llamas that needed to come back to the farm.

Hauling llamas in a car, minivan, truck with a cap, etc. is not a new idea. Ive done it for years but this mini van hadnt been "soiled" yet...I arrived at Julie's house and we caught the llamas, I was feeling confident that I was going to give a good show on Llama Transportation 101....As usual, nothing is ever easy and the llamas had other ideas and didnt hop in the back of the van like I thought that they would. Actually they parked their feet, put their ears back and looked at the mini van as if it were the entrance to hell. I rolled my eyes and said ok, lets do it the hard way.....upon which they started spitting all over the inside of my wifes mini van much to my displeasure. I eventually got them in, the spitting continued as we made our departure and I rolled down the windows to keep from gagging on the smell. Both llamas eventually laid down in a kush and (from all the spitting) drooled all over the van for the next half an hour until we got back to the farm.

Just when you think that you understand llamas, they do something that is completely unexplainable. The same mini van that was now redecorated with green blobs of spit wasnt so bad. When we got back to the farm they refused to get out for almost 20 minutes....Llamas, go figure....The funniest part of the whole trip was watching peoples expressions in cars following us....I really need to get a new trailer...and soon.

Today I went to a meeting of Dog Control Officers, Animal Control Officers, and Animal Rescue folks at the Bethlehem Town hall. It was a great meeting and I thought that they had some great ideas to network and organize ourselves so that it doesnt feel like we are working alone most of the time. We really are surrounded by wildlife and we dont know it most of the time. Friday night, I had a bobcat cross the road in our driveway....that was a first. I am not worried about it, I know that we can peacefully coexist. Till next time, Wes

LLama Trauma

2008-01-14T17:11:00.000-08:00

Llama Trauma... That is catchy. I should know, it has been my motto lately. I received an interesting phone call from a guy with a poor llama with a broken leg. My experiences with llamas with broken legs has never been good or happy (for the llamas or myself).... We had a long talk, Im still surprised that his vet just vet wrapped it and left (I am not a vet nor do I second guess them). I suggested Cornell but they had to decide what was best for the llama since they were there with the animal.

The phone calls and emails have started to pick up lately. Lots of interested peoplein adoptions, lots of llamas looking for homes and lots of people with questions or problems with their animals. I love the education aspect of what I do. I would much rather "fix" a problem for someone than have them call me up and ask if I want their animals.

I am still very happy to have passed my USDA inspection. I am working on trying to come up with the funding to get my rabies shots to finish off my DEC requirements. I also would love to take the Chemical Capture course in Lake Placid but dont have the $700- to go.

I picked up a Barred Owl yesterday.... pretty exciting. See the Wildlife Blog for the story on New York Wildlife Rescue Center Blog. Ive lost my voice (my students probably love that). We have gotten a lot done around the farm over the weekend. Colin has been a great help along with my barn kids. We set up a new Bunny area, A new huge quarantine pen and set up a proper place for hay storage. I want to design a raptor/hawk pen next for rescues that come in as I do my apprenticeship.
I guess all I lack is time and money....Wes

St.Andrews

2008-01-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

A lot has went on this week at the farm. The weather is great and the mid- winter blues are not a problem. It is hard to believe that a week ago my fuel lines froze solid and I woke up chilly and saw that outdoors it was - 6 degrees. I finally got the furnace going...what a nightmare. I cancelled Ski Club last week because it was too cold, I cancelled this week due to lack of snow. The winds were so bad here at the farm yesterday that it blew my kids trampoline halfway accross the farm and landed the thing on a white board fence...doomed...gone.

My week started out with the federal USDA vet inspection. We passed!!!!! We are now a Class C Exhibitor. We can show our animals in public (legally) and I am very proud. The vet (that inspects) is a great guy and said that we have a beautiful facility and likes what we do here up on the hill.

Tonight I did a program for the St. Andrews Society of Albany. They have a beautiful brownstone on Wash. Ave a block away from the Capital. I talked about my Scottish Livestock, the tours I take MCS students on throughout the world and what I do up here....It was a lot of fun and they presented me with a set of books on the History of St. Andrews Societies. As a Scottish organization, I enjoyed sharing what we do and I hope that I can count on them in the future for support.

One of the advantages of all of the public speaking events, kids groups and animal rescue groups that I deal with is that I get to meet a lot of people. The St. Andrews Society of Albany is a great group. It was really a pleasure to do a program for them. I was pleased that the MCS District Newsletter did an article on Darcy and I. I think that it is really important that the people in Schoharie County (esp. Middleburgh) know what I do. It was a great week, Wes

Happy New Year

2008-01-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

2008....Did you know that the average person writes 2007 over 100 times before they get 2008? I hope I remembered that on all of the checks I wrote today for bills. It is nice to be settled in to the school routine again, I really like going to work every day and I like the routine. I am really glad that vacation/holidays are over.

Not much is new from the last time I blogged. I have gotten a new llama in. An intact male, I have to get him gelded by my vet. He is halter broke and should be very adoptable once he is gelded. He came with lots of support but no money to pay the vet bills..I hope that this one will eventually come back to reward my efforts..

The potbelly pig sow that had piglets (as a baby herself) didnt end in a perfect situation. She was a trooper and tried. Ive gotten so many emails in the last week that it is almost a fulltime job. Ive started getting a lot of emails for advice....I love the educational aspect of what I do...I love telling someone how to catch a llama on the loose. But it still is depressing to know that people are still selling animals that are "wild" and offer no support when a scared animal gets loose. Few "reputable" breeders do what is right and that makes the job of all of us rescue folks that much more difficult.

My day today is going better than yesterday. Yesterday morning, at about 430 am, I woke up feeling kinda cold. When I am teaching, I always wake up an hour before my alarm clock, but this was different....I was cold. I noticed that the Great Dane and my wife were hogging more blankets than normal. I also noticed that my 5 yr. old (Emma) had crawled into bed with us at some point. I looked at my thermometer by my bed and it said that it was negative 6 outside but it felt like it in the house. I got up and made coffee in the 50 degree cold (no one likes a wife without coffee). I went downstairs into the dungeon, a really grim place. Our house is built on a stone foundation, the basement is really someplace not worth visiting. I tried to bleed the lines to the furnace....when nothing came out...I knew I was in trouble. It was so darn cold that the fuel line from the furnace to the outside oil tank had froze. It just is another reason to hate winter...Im not even talking about frozen hoses, water tubs, and life in general.

The highlight of my day today. Gayle (our webmaster) and Cherryl (picking up my son for a sleepover) stopped by. Colin (farm manager) came by on a snowmobile and we had an informal BOD meeting. I really think that 2008 will be the year that people realize what we are doing. I look forward to my program at St. Andrews in Albany next week.

As we start 2008, I try to think about 2007....What we do is a tough thing here but I am really confident that with this group of people ,and with your, help we can continue to help both the domestic livestock that we pick up and the onslaught of wildlife this spring. Wes

Happy New Year

2007-12-31T00:20:00.000-08:00

I really dont know if it is a happy new year....It isnt 2008 yet. My little potbelly pig has been a trooper. She really has. She is the best sow ever, even though she is a baby herself she has tried to raise her piglets. We've lost a few along the way....but my gut instinct to leave them with her has been right. I cant second guess everything I do, but Ive done it several times with her.
I got a great llama in yesterday, he is an intact male. This makes things complicated but I think that I will have him gelded the same time as the mini donkey "Boom-Boom"...just got to get the vet here. This new llama, which I call "Taboo" is a sweetheart. He has really funky eyes,,,they are half brown and half blue. The kids that volunteer up here were kind of freaked out by him. I feel kind of sorry for him, he so wants to be with the rest of the herd.....we just cant do that yet.
I gotta hit the hay, even though we havnt been invited to a New Years Party yet, I know we will. My wife always makes it a point of doing New Years with our children......and I am normally in the barn shortly thereafter...Wes

Happy Holidays

2007-12-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

I dont know really where to begin....I know that I have been neglectful of my blog. I really had writers block between holiday parties, my kids Xmas concerts and lots of food and festivities. We still continue to operate a farm with lots of rescued animals even when the weather is bad or if we would prefer to be inside by the fireplace. My "volunteers" are really great, Colin even came Xmas morning because he knew I would be doing chores alone. Not that I couldnt handle it......it is just easier with some help.

The visitors to the farm this week have been as great as any of our peak weeks during the summmer. We adopted out the llama boys that I picked up about a month ago. These llamas found a perfect home. I walked them in the back of a mini=van.....They dont call me the "Llama Whisper" for nothing (sorry Alex). Very few other animal have been in or off of the farm. It is the holidays and people dont get or dispose of animals during the holidays.

The weather has been good, things have been uneventful...until this morning.
This morning I walked into the barn....did a quick look over, everything looked normal. The HS guys that help me out hadnt showed up yet (they have been great helping out all over break)and I started chores. I ran the hay up on the hill for the horses and let them out of their stalls. I got the dogs out into the kennel.

I took two bales of hay down into the new wing of the barn for the llamas, sheep and goats. As I was filling hay racks, I noticed something moving in the hay below my feet. I thought that it looked like a rabbit with some babies but upon investigation I quickly discovered that it was one of the potbelly pigs that I had rescued a few months back. This pig is literally the size of a large bunny. How this was happening I dont get, she must have been bred at 3 months old. I dont have any male intact pigs at the farm.

This little sow has never been friendly, she quickly took off down the barn, leaving her nest and piglets behind. I quickly built a temp. pen around her nest where other animals couldnt step on her babies and then tried to figure out how I was going to get her into it. Let me tell you one thing about Potbelly pigs, no one wants to adopt them. The second thing, they can run like hell when a large man is chasing them.

Which is what I preceded to do. As the pig (the size of a cocker spaniel) was running she was dropping piglets out. As she was leaving a living easter egg hunt I chased her. I was picking up the piglets, cleaning off their snouts and once I knew that they were fine as I stuffed them into my jacket pocets because they were squealing like....well pigs.

I normally have a small army at the farm of volunteers....where were they now? As I was chasing a pig the size of my cat around the barn.

I eventually caught the pig, got it into its nest with all of the piglets she had there and the ones that I had picked up while getting her back there. They were happy to be there, I checked on them all day long and all refused to move....Then I got thinking, yeah, dangerous. When I rescued that little piglet, she had a sister. I got to thinking that if her sister had babies at 8 months old (or younger), then she was probably going to be pregnant also.

The key here is to remember that I had survived the entire episode myself, alone, no help....Things were different by this point....As I stood haggard, gasping, covered with really gross ambriotic fluids....my HS kids arrived. I quickly built another pen and we (along with a great BOD member that happened to stop by)chased the potential sow down and put her in the pen next to her sister.

All are resting comfortably, along with the 2 new goats that arrived this afternoon. I felt comfortable enough to leave the farm (with my favorite farm daughter/babysitter Kayla holding down the fort) to go see some great friends Bryan and Katie that were visiting from Ca..

December and January are always 2 horrible months for me. December I reflect at all of the horrible (and good) things that Ive seen in the animal world in the last year. In Jan. I try to get psyched up for all of the mid-winter rescues I do. I really do look forward to 2008, new rescues, and new goals for this place.

Hopefully without any unexpected delieveries. ...Wes

The Calm Before The Storm

2007-12-14T21:06:00.000-08:00

The Calm before the storm, I hate it.

It isn't that I haven't known it is coming. We have had 2 "snowdays" already from school and came home early once but this is the big one coming. The animals deal with ice, subzero temperatures and small snow storms. Big snow storms make my life on the farm very difficult. Even though we are not suppose to get the storm until tomorrow night, we started closing things up and preparing tonight.

We got most of the barn closed up tonight. I need to go to the feed store tomorrow. I have had lots of help (Thank God). Three of my "old reliable" HS students came up tonight, Colin had the day off from his day job so he also came up. We got the huge doors on the rear end of the barn sealed up and wind proofed. All of the side doors except for the llama, sheep and goat door have been nailed shut. The front 12 foot door always stays open, all winter long. Even though the barn is huge, the horses will heat the barn up too much if I shut the barn completely up and it is not healthy for the animals to be in a building that is 10 to 20 degrees warmer than outside. The animals just need to be out of the wind and dry...

It seems like when I was a kid that winter was 2 weeks long....it seems like it is 8 months long now. I have done a great job finding the animals that Ive picked up all year great homes. My headcount going into winter is the lowest that it has been in years. I hate going into the heart of winter. Winter poses many problems for rescued animals. Most are thin, weak, have nutritional and parasitic problems. When you toss freezing cold temperatures and snow on them you really have to be in touch with your animals because a small problem quickly develops into a major problem. That is why this time of year I like to be in the middle of everything on the farm.

I am out doing chores before school by myself. I like to observe the animals as they wake up and start feeding. I like seeing where and how they were sleeping....I can often head off many problems before they begin by just knowing the animals and what they "normally" do. It is nice to have "help" but most of the volunteers up here are focused on getting chores done, not on getting to know the animals. One of the kids was amazed tonight....I was walking amongst a herd of galloping draft horse as they were coming in to the barn across the ice. My back was to them and they managed to get around me...I know them, I trust them. I can feel the earth as they approach....I know they wont run me down, I have no fear.

What I do fear is the phone. The phone will not stop ringing all winter. I cant understand why people like to have animals in the summer but when they have to walk through snow drifts 4 foot high to care for them in the winter they seem to lose interest. It really bothers me. Some of the worst rescues Ive ever been on have been in mid winter. I remember my old farm. It was years ago but it used to take me hours to carry water, hay and grain to all of the various barns. We had nothing, just a love for animals.

Yes, I hate the calm before the storm....lets just hope it is just snow.

This week

2007-12-07T17:36:00.000-08:00

Lots going on this week, really haven't had time to Blog. I have been dancing and singing in the dining room tonight to get my daughter ready for "Annie "Auditions. Most of my week has been spent working on blueprints for our new Wildlife Rescue facility. I have the barn, "We" just needed to figure out how we could do Wildlife and "Domestics" in the same facility with a buffer zone...the plans look great. I haven't been this excited about what Im doing in 20 yrs.

I really like doing a blog every day (or every other day) but I can't always do one. What my readers need to understand, is that when they are not hearing about what I am doing on the blog...it usually means that I am into things at the farm to my neck and am falling to sleep at the dinner table and can't do it.

The goats and sheep that are starving to death locally...A trooper that I know looked into it and there were not grounds for an arrest yet. The Troopers are good guys, I know what they deal with because I work with them so much. They might seem tough but they love animals as much as any of us...they (like me) can't always do what they want to do until they have enough evidence to get a case against an animal abuser.

I have also been working with some great people that I know that have several mini horses, goats, pot belly pigs, a cocker spaniel and a basset hound that are looking for homes. Not a case of abuse or neglect, just a case where the need to find homes for all of the above without making their divorce any more difficult. They are good people, I just don't want the animals to get tied up in their personal problems.

The llamas that Jules and I picked up last weekend are doing great. What gentleman. I love to see the way that they watch everything and they are about ready to clear quarantine and go out with the herd.

This week has been one of a great deal of reflection for me. The end of the year I always start thinking about what I've done for the last year. All of the money that I've spent, all of the animals Ive rescued, and all of the things I would like to do. There is never enough time, money or me to go around... This year I found my calling. Anyone can rescue domestic animals.... The Wildlife is my calling.

I sleep 2 hours at a time, I get up without the alarm going off to trudge out to the barn to bottle feed a bunch of wild animals that I am eventually going to reintroduce to the wild....It doesnt get any cooler than that. My vast exotic and domestic animal experiences have given me the background that I need to do what I want to do and do it right. I will never stop domestic animal rescue because I am one of the only games in town but I love doing wildlife.

I have been drawing up plans all week for a "new" wildlife rescue facility here at the farm. The kids at school are working on blueprints, a Boy Scout named Nick is working with me to make some of it happen....I will be announcing all of the new developments in the next few weeks.... Between now and then, I will help Nick out with his Eagle Scout Project by letting readers know about our needs. Right now we need any old dog kennels sitting in peoples yards (that they don't want). We will come and pick them up and it will be a vital part of the new "New York State Wildlife Rescue Center."

This time of year is always tough. Feel free to hit the "donate" Button. I estimate that it will cost 50k to get our new facilities in by April/May to help the orphans that we will be called upon to help....We will talk about this another night, I need to go sing "It is a Hard Knock Life " with my daughter to get ready for Annie auditions...Wes

PS Austin has come home, with a health nurse and IV....he needs to get well enough for surgery...he is a tough little boy.

Not My Trailer Cont.

2007-12-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

Just another day at Red Maple Farm.

As my wife is singing at her Holiday Concert (sorry I couldnt come honey), I am going to take a moment to blog about my day. First, I think that winter has found us. All of a sudden the temperature has dropped 20 degrees, it is downright cold....in the low teens.

I got everything done early this am because I knew that Jules was coming. I had all of the dogs out in the kennel from their beds in the office before Jenn got here to groom. Chores were well under way, Aaron called and saved my butt again by doing stalls while Jules and I talked about technology and paperwork.

Then Jules went with me on what I love to do, go on rescues. I had to meet a couple of llamas in Binghamton. They were llamas without a home. We met at the Cracker Barrel restaurant, we pulled in the parking lot within minutes of one another. I had to write a check for the vet bills on these guys, something I dont normally do. I dont buy llamas anymore, I rescue 50-100 of them a year....but if that was what was needed, I will do it.

These guys were cold, as soon as I saw them pull in the parking lot we exchanged llama kisses over the back tailgate of a very open trailer. I was very worried that they would jump out so I quickly got lead ropes on them and got them on my trailer.

They were shivering and cold but they are snug as a bug in a rug right now in my barn....Happily nibbling on hay and settling in. They are great guys and I am glad that I could help them. They were not abused or neglected, they were in need of a home....I did what needed to be done and now I will look out for them forever.

Jules loves going on rescues with me....It was also a great chance for the 2 of us to catch up on business since she is NELR Project Manager. We got home and got chores done and got everyone settled in. It is important to me that people know that we also rescue wildlife so we modified the blog to add that. We also added a new link to the blog so that I could tell my wildlife rescue stories separate from my domestic wildlife stories. The wildlife blogs wont be as often but they will show our readers the scope of what we do here.

I really want to thank Jules for keeping me in this century with technology...she is awesome. She gets to see what I do when we are out on rescues and I get to see what see does when she is setting up my computer. The best part of the whole day was that she took 4 chickens home with her. I taught her how to catch sleeping chickens in the pitch dark without waking everyone up...It is an art that only a hillbilly would know...:)

On that note, it is a good time to go to the Wildlife Blog and tell mey Peregrine Rescue story... An update on the little boy Austin, They couldnt operate today...keep praying, the infection has to go down, Wes

This is not my trailer!

2007-12-01T15:28:00.000-08:00

Prayers for Austin

2007-11-30T19:10:00.000-08:00

There are few things that I like more than animals, I like kids a lot too....before they grow up and get obnoxious...:) One of my best friends John and Cindy have a Grandson named Austin. He is 6 years old. I have never met him but he has to be cool because my Border Collie has the same name... A couple of weeks ago he went to the doctor with a sore stomach. To make a long story short, his appendix broke yesterday. I didnt think that this crap even happened anymore. He got taken to Albany, they are trying to get the infection down before surgery. John told me tonight that they wanted to wait for surgery but they are "going in" tomorrow to try to patch the little guy up... I wanted to make this a separate blog because there is nothing more important than a 6 yr. old kid . I have a "gut feeling" that this little guy needs some of our prayers.... I am not a really religious guy but if Im doing it because I think that the energy will help him....take a few minutes of your time to do the same...Austin, be strong, you have a lot to look forward to...dont give up the good fight, My thoughts and prayers are with you. The Laraway Family

On the road again

2007-11-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

I usually travel several thousand miles a year doing rescue work, I dont mind doing it but I hate doing it this time of year. It is nice when I leave the farm. Quite often by the time I get back it is in the middle of a blizzard. I can always make it back to Middleburgh but getting back up on the mountain can often be interesting.

One night I was called in by a Humane Society on a horrible rescue. I left imediately after school, the kids always ask what Im doing when they see my truck and trailer in the teachers parking lot (so I can leave right after school) to get on the road. ... I got there and the Humane Society staff was waiting for me. I assessed the situation, told them how we were going to get the surviving llamas and donkeys on my trailer. It was a bad scene. Dead animals, cold as hell, starting to snow. I walked into the barn over several dead animals, broke the several feet of feces down and got the llamas herded down through the barn and onto the trailer.

The donkeys made me work for my reputation. They were also built up on several feet of feces, I eventually got them out of their shed and they all stood by the rear of the trailer in a blizzard....feet planted. I love our donkeys but when they get in their head that they dont want to do something (even if it is saving their lives) they wont do it.

We couldnt feel our toes and fingers but we had to physically lift all of those donkeys on the trailer. To make matters worse, the older woman that had let her situation deteriorate to that point had recognized the "LLAMAMAN" license plate, the lettering on the side of my trailer and wouldnt leave me alone. My celebrity status (for what I do) had followed me, she had read about me online and wanted to explain how things had gotten that bad.

I never have any ill will against people that starve their animals to death. Most animal "hoarders" love their animals literally to death. They are too proud to tell anyone that they cant afford to feed them, are ashamed and to in love with them to part with them. I eventually got away from her, the cops, the Humane Society volunteers and the animals were loaded. Lyn (a farm volunteer) and I were homeward bound.

I have talked about this rescue before but never the end of the story...It was snowing so hard that we couldnt see, a complete whiteout....even with every light I had turned on we couldnt see 10 feet off the truck. We were white knuckles and heads out of windows 10 mph for a long time...We eventually drove out of it to the point we were all over the road but could see. We made it back to Middleburgh....

Now I had a tough choice, park at my parents house and try to care for the animals on the trailer overnight , until the town plow had gotten the mountain road open or "Hail Mary" and hope for the best....It would be nice to get to the barn so we could get the animals into the barn and settled in where I could work on them in the light....I was going to leave you in suspense but I actually decided to....tell you about Recent Developments.. (You know, my last Blog)

Last night I kept working on the case of the goats and sheep that are being left to fend for themselves while their owners are away living in NYC. I called/emailed a couple of other neighbors and Troopers that I know. Tonight I delievered the show cart to the guy that is taking it to the woman that bought it. I am sure Cyndie will love it, I hope she realizes that the money is being spent to keep what we do here going.

After getting home, I ran to get 15 more bales of hay to get me through tomorrow. I have to go get the 2 gelding llamas tomorrow and will be on the road most of the day. The guys will do pm chores for me but I wanted to make sure I had enough hay and then I will get another 200 bales sun morning before the storm hits. The two brothers that I buy hay from are great, I buy every bale they make and they let me pick it up as I need it. I look forward to seeing what the 2 llamas look like tomorrow....I always love the first moment that my eyes hits a new rescues' eyes...It is an amazing moment....Im sure I will have a good blog tomorrow night. The worst part of "being on the road" doing rescues is boredom....and the cost of fuel at $3.82 a gallon. Colin and Jacob rode with me tonight to deliever the cart. It is nice to have someone to talk to although I also like the "alone time" with a trailer full of screwed up , starving animals... Jules is coming out tomorrow to ride shotgun....I need to hit the hay. It is going to be a long day tomorrow, Wes

New Developments

2007-11-27T15:40:00.000-08:00

I bet most of you thought that I was never going to post another blog. I think that everyone on the BOD needed a bit of a break after Thanksgiving Holidays. I spent most of the weekend getting sheetrock up. The phone continues to ring. I need to deliver a draft horse cart this weekend to get it to the customer who bought it. The sleigh also leaves this weekend. I can't believe that the holidays are coming so quick, we haven't gotten our tree, put up our lights or even thought about getting ready.

New developments on the animal front. I have 2 gelding llamas coming in this weekend. I have to drive out near Binghamton to get them. They are not a rescue per say, a really nice woman lost her husband.... can no longer really care for them and asked if I could help. I got a call last night on a bunch of sheep and goats that are about 2 miles from my house. I guess that the city people that own them have pretty much left. The animals are loose, in a major highway often in their quest for food. I told the people that called me that they would have to call the State Police and file a complaint. Once the troopers get called, they will need to investigate. If the animals are being neglected, the city slickers will get a ticket.

Usually the people neglecting their animals have a chance to improve but often they will voluntarily surrender their animals if the troopers tell them they wont give a ticket. I made a couple of phone calls. Most of the people that I talked to didn't want to be involved. The trooper that I talked to said that he would check the complaint log. He said that no one has called in a complaint on them within the last month. I will have to follow up, I think that I might actually take a ride past the place tomorrow during lunch to see for myself what is going on. I don't call in complaints, if I get called in to do the rescue....it is a conflict of interest that could be used against me in court. I've done more rescues than I can count, I don't like to do rescues locally where I live. I usually have their kids in school and I don't want people around where I live "out to get me." I will still do what I need to do, if it is what needs to be done, regardless of my personal risks.

I got 2 phone calls today, one on 3 Canadian Geese that needed some help. I will do what I can do. The other phone call was on 3 potbelly pigs and another small herd of goats that I might have to pick up. I like picking up goats, they are not easy to find homes for but most will end up on a dinner table if I don't. Potbelly pigs are almost impossible to find homes for. I am sure I will get several more emails, calls and requests by the end of the week. As the weather starts to turn bad, a lot of older people attempt to do the right thing and place their animals. It is rough for them to get their chores done in the bad weather. I have never thought less of someone that tries to do what is right by their animals before the situation gets bad.

So there are lots of new developments. It is time to tighten the belt from Thanksgiving and get back to work. It is going to be difficult to get everything done before the snow flies, not that bad weather stops what we do here. I will try to get back on schedule giving you updates on what we are doing and the animals here at the farm. I had a couple of visitors here tonight at the farm.

One woman needed to pick up some wormer for an older llama that she gave a home for. Barbie the llama loves her sheep and has been getting a little stiff lately. I hope that a good worming will straighten her out. Barbie had some Menegial worm problems when I rescued her. I think her new adoptive family is awesome. Another young woman that visited reminded me of how much I take for granted. Her folks were picking up their dog after it was groomed. They saw me leave to run Aaron home from doing chores. They actually waited for me to get back so I could turn on the lights in the barn. She was just visiting her folks from Arizona. She was amazed at what I do and took a bunch of photos as I gave her the tour. As she left, she said that I must be the luckiest guy in the world to have such a beautiful farm with so many great animals. It was a reality slap, sometimes I really do need to slow down and take a moment to enjoy what I do......Wes

Thanks for Giving

2007-11-23T20:45:00.000-08:00

What exactly happens on Tday?

Can't exactly say but I know that Mark and Terry gave Casper a good home. Casper really couldnt have gotten a better home and I am thrilled to death . We waited for Mark And Terry to come up to the farm. Hannah was all afraid that we were going to miss Tday but I wasn't. Watching a happy ending is always better than food for me. I really can't wait until I get some help up here and I can spend the night somewhere else. I love being chained to this place and I love being here. I do occasionally need A DAY OFF.

Dog kennel customers came all AM.( We) Hannah and I left "on time" for dinner. Colin will be living up here shortly......I really need the help, I am really looking forward to him being up here.. Not that Jason and Aaron are not my saviors. They really are going above and beyond most of the time. I really need a resident that is here 24/7...

I can't get my mind off off of Jade. Dont get me wrong, I think that Steve and Karen are awesome...I just can't believe that they bought one of my Clydes. Steve has been up a couple of times..we have driven Jade...It isnt a matter of competence. Jade can teach anyone how to drive... I really haven't been able to "get into the Clydes" lately., I lay awake at night thinking about them once they leave.

Wed. night was just another night, but when I loaded Jade on the trailer for Steve I lost it. Steve and Karen had taken Hannah down to Hubies for dinner, I was worried about her...I was the one that couldn't handle it. I started crying before we even hit the trailer, Jade is a great horse........I felt like Judas putting her on the trailer. I know she will do great. One of these days, I will let everyone know what is actually going on here, what I deal with on a daily basis.

Lets take a second to talk about Lions, Tigers and Bears...With less than 5000 Tigers in the wild, we need to do what we need to do...to keep them alive. I can't stop thinking about what is happening locally. Actually it is the only reason why I didn't blog over Tday. Anyone can rescue a farm animal....who has the abilities to take in a tiger.

I set up a paypal account with donate buttons on my blog. I know a couple of great animal rescue groups that have raised a lot of $$$ for the CGF cats. These cats (locally) should deserve the same. I am willing to do it , should I look the other way? I am all ready to go.....I really want to see what we can do....I REALLY want people to visit the farm to see what we do here. I've always believed that people that rescue animals should be "open to the public." I can't do this on my own. If you are as worried about this as I am, you need to stay posted.

For one night, I am going to bed. Wes

PIGGY

2007-11-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

As I am sitting here, ...I am looking at the animal menu bar. I am seeing my potbelly pigs in my head. and on the computer screen...I am not seeing any homes ..ever..I know that there is the tusk and bristle rescue....The same folks that paid like 20 grand to rescue the warthog and ???? from the CGF? I am not trying to start fight.....I am just wondering...Who exactly wants a pig now a days? The answer is no one...........My piggies can rest in peace, they have a home for life.

Donkeys

2007-11-20T18:55:00.000-08:00

As Hannah loses a tooth, I think of Donkeys. I am really still trying to "blog." Ive always liked donkeys. I like the fact that they are independent. They don't take any crap from anyone. My donkeys here on the farm kick at the Clydesdales but they dont get it.

My first experience with donkeys started about 15 years ago. Mini donkeys were just another pet fad and I got a couple for Darcy. She wasnt impressed, I sold them but I still check in on them. When we moved to the "big farm"....we were llama directed.We were trying to just do llama rescues, but that wouldnt last for long.

I got called in by a "Humane Society." I still work with them today and they are great.....I know that when a humane society callls me they are normally overwhelmed. I know that they are looking for help and they cant deal with the situation. I got the call, I wont even mention her name (because I am so protective over what I do), she gave me the run down, I told her I would be there in an hour. I was there in an hour. I parked my truck and trailer....I walked down the road. I told the trooper in charge who I was, I was in...

As I entered the barn, I was warned by a bunch of people that I had better be prepared for what was behind the barn doors. I told them that I could handle anything, told my volunteers to stay by the trailer and "went in:". I walked over a pile of dead llamas....I didnt even see the live ones...I was disgusted. Then all of a sudden, a Humane Society worker pointed out the llamas that were running through the trusses of the building. Literallly they were 10 ft. in the air... I was looking at lllamas. When you opened the stall door they were above my head.)

I quickly started barking orders. I dug with my hands, I ordered everyone out of the barn. I gave my staff really strict orders. As I climbed up into the horse stalls, I herded the llamas to the hole which they suddenly fell through and quickly went haywire. I got out my wands, I ordered everyone out of the barn........within a minute I had all llamas on my trailer as it started to snow.

I was pretty proud of myself, I am the llama man and I got 5 llamas to jump over a pile of dead animals on to my trailer and my "staff" didnt even walk in the barn. That is when the humane society I was working with said we had another problem. There was a barn full of donkeys and no one wanted to "deal" with it. Now, In all my rescuue experience, donkeys are the last to die. They are so freakin' tough, they literally dont eat for weeks and somehow they are still fat.

I walked over to the barn where the donkeys were. Couldnt get the door open because the crap was in the rafters. I told the "volunters that this was a bad scene. We had no shovels and I was spent. I had brought several panels with me. I kicked down the debri and after about an hour I got 3 donkeys on the trailer....Were were homeward bound. I think that is the only rescue Lynn has ever been on with me with, she was my right hand, now she isnt around. I really miss her so much. We came home that night in a blizzard, Lynn was riding shotgun....I was afraid, I had 8 animals on the trailer, they were the bottom of the barrell. Why could no one else could deal with this nightmare?. I got stuck coming up the mountain, It was another nightmare... but I am still not to my donkey story.

My donkey story starts several months after this. A 'friend" contacted me. She heard that I had been in on the rescue and she wanted to "talk to me". I would rather go to jail then talk about where animals are....she called again. "Marlene" said that she had taken 2 donkeys out of the same place, she said that they had lived in her kitchen all winter....it was 6 months later and I said it would be my pleasure to take them. I picked up "Bonnie" and "Clyde" and they were 2 of the animals that changed my life.

Bonnie and Clyde were the size of a golden retriever,. The had free run of the farm. The kids frequently had them in the house. My wife wasnt amused. We actually had a party. Bonnie walked up the stairs on to our deck, started eating out of the potato chip bowl.. I was watching with amuzement, and then my guest slapped her in the face...I told "my guest" that if he hit my donkey again that I would throw him off my deck by his throat. He said "well she is eating out of the chips....." I said "If you want more there are some on the kitchen counter"...Bonnie and Clyde lived for me for years. Then I found a perfect home. You have to understand, I loved Bonie and Clyde....I wouldnt part with them for a million. Debbie is great, I had to do it, it was a perfect placement.

Then came the complications....Debie called me to let me know that there had been a birth (Boom Boom)...She said that they loved Bonnie and Clyde but they didnt really plan on Boom Boom.....I brought her home....NO ONE will ever mess with this srtain of donkey. I figured if Budweiser could have a donkey as a mascot I could...and BB quickly took over the farm.
I got a call from Debbie last month. It seems before Clyde was gelded he did the dirty with Bonnie. (Again) I was at a wildlife rehabilitators conference....as my wife and I walked out, she said see you home in an hour....I said Im gonnna get a piece of ass......I came home an hour after her with Bam Bam (an accident) riding on the back seat of my truck. (see previous post). Bam Bam and Boom Boom have a place here...their parents are my favorite.

I really like donkeys...they love you if they know you, an they are loyal to the end..Just another rescue story....Im going to bed, Wes

Casper

2007-11-20T17:48:00.000-08:00

You might notice that I cant always "Blog" on a daily basis, as much as I would like to. I normally have a ringing phone and 10 people standing in the driveway at any given time. Thank God I am out or school for 5 days....Thank God for "The boyz" who rose to what was their occassion and helped me plug through chores tonight. (The "Appledumpling Gang")

I've been thinking a lot lately, which is normally dangerous. I have people say to me on a regular basis, you are incredible......I dont think so. I got 3 emails today from people living right here in Middleburgh that didnt know that I even rescue animals....That is not good. I got an email today from a person that knew of an entire herd of animals that need to be rescued, I tried to deal with that. It is really very difficult. I dealt with this, that and the other thing. I really was flattered I have a lot of people reading these blogs (which is amazing to me) but no one really gets it...I am known nationwide for being the Northeast Rescue guy but I dont do dogs , cats or horses....I cant....They would bankrupt me overnight. But the reason why I havnt blogged is a little pup named Casper. (kind of ironic)

Casper is blind and deaf. I mentioned him the other night and I havn't been able to stop thinking about him. I really appreciate Mark and Terry agreeing to take him on . It is a project and they were my pick, he found a great home and I cant thank them enough. I know he will live a long life and be functional...My daughter Hannah will be missing him more than anyone.

As I sit here, trying to write a blog, my daughter and her friend are rehearsing their Christmas Band music on their sax and flute. Darcy is off to Choir rehearsal for her Holiday Concert. I guess that I cant really care how screwed up life is here. I dont even want to go to Thanksgiving Dinner. I cant leave the farm, I just feel that things will get screwed up if Im not here.
Not to mention, a couple of days to "catch up" would that really be a bad thing?

I love seeing my wife's classroom animals home for the vacation. My cousin walked into our house tonight and was probably wondering what the heck all the cages and tanks were doing all over our kitchen. Austin (my Border Collie) was looking at the Chinchilla with evil thoughts in his mind...just another day in border collie paradise.

I really cant write anything in this environment. This place really is a zoo. I cant even go to the bathroom without someone banging on the door to brush their teeth....I guess that an optimistist would say....at least they are brushing their teeth. I guess that my wife would say, at least you had a chance to see what they are like when you are not around...I think I will write some animal profiles..Wes

My Favorite Poem

2007-11-18T16:40:00.000-08:00

Today was a relatively quiet day. Hannah and I drove around the mountain.....looking for hunters....Kind of funny, the deer are safe and I look for hunters. Had a puppy come in today that needs a "special" home....The pup is deaf and mostly blind. Australian Shepherd...I can't talk about it right now but it needs a home...

Read this at my funeral:

I am an Animal Rescuer

My job is to assist God's creatures
I was born with a drive to fulfill their needs
I take in the helpless, unwanted, homeless creatures without planning or selection
I have bought dog food with my last dime
I have patted a mangy head with a bare hand
I have hugged someone vicious and afraid
I have fallen in love a thousand times
And I have cried into the fur of a lifeless body too many times to count
I have animal friends and friends that have animal friends
I don't often use the word "pet"
I notice those lost at the roadside
and my heart aches
I will hand raise a field mouse
and make friends with a vulture
I know of no creature unworthy of my time
I want to live forever if there aren't animals in heaven
But I believe there are
Why would God make something so perfect and leave it behind
Some may think we are masters of the animals
But the animals have mastered themselves
Something people still haven't learned
War and abuse make me hurt for the world
But a rescue that makes the news gives me hope for mankind
We are a quiet but determined army
And we are making a difference every day
There is nothing more necessary than warming an orphan
Nothing more rewarding than saving a life
No higher recognition than watching them thrive
There is no greater joy than seeing a baby play
who only days ago, was too weak to eat
By the love of those who I've been privileged to rescue
I have been rescued
I know what true unconditional love really is
for I've seen it shining in the eyes of so many
Grateful for so little
I am an Animal Rescuer
My work is never done
My home is never quiet
My wallet is always empty
But my heart is always full

Author unknown

I'm too tired, Till tomorrow, Wes

Happy Bunnies!

2007-11-18T15:31:00.000-08:00

Hi my name is Hannah,I'm in 6th grade and go to Middleburgh Central School! I'm a major helper on the farm! I love helping my dad run the farm. I love reading his blogs everyday! He has some very interesting animal stories. I'd like to tell you a little about my rabbits!

My rabbits are pets that I really love! My rabbits work like this: My dad and I rescue them, after I take care of them for a couple of years/months, when they are cured or all better I find them a good home. After a little while I rescue some more, then it goes on and on. I always take care of them by myself! If you are looking for a rabbit you can call (look on my dads blog to find it)me or email my dad!

So back to rescuing rabbits, some of the rabbits I rescue or buy I keep! I have many different rabbits up for adoption right now! Rabbits are very easy to take care of, I'll tell you how I take care of mine: I give them Blue Seal bunny 16% pellets,hay,water, and sometimes vegetables or fruit,and I have to clip there toenails once every two months.Rabbits need to be brushed every couple of weeks! See you next time I write a blog! Bye,Bye Hannah

Geese

2007-11-17T15:01:00.000-08:00

Another day at the farm, another blog.

Today was a realtively quiet day. Besides for the fact that the hills were alive...with sounds of gunfire. I hope that the whitetail fawns that I rehabilitated this year stay on my mountain where they are safe. I got a call first thing in the morning. Barbers Roadstand gives us all of the veggies that they dont sell. The animals love them and it really helps keep some of our feed bills down. I hauled pumpkins all day. The sheep, goats, potbelly pigs, llamas, alpacas, and a wide assortment of birds love them.

When Aaron finished chores, I finished the 4th truckload of pumpkins. A local boyscout came up to further some plans for his Eagle Scout project. Some great folks came up to get 4 geese that I had picked up a while back. Geese are an amazing animal. I rescue a lot of them. They are noisy, crap all over and have a reputation for being mean. The only geese that Ive ever seen that are aggressive are usually protecting their nests or "their farm" from strangers or predators. The geese were out behind the barn. I herded them right around to the front of the barn and right into a horse stall. I showed them how to carry geese, explained that they are not mean but dont like being chased. She had grown up with geese so she knows what makes them tick and they are super people that have taken several rescue animals and given them a great home in the past.

Since my digital camera is on the fritz, he took some photos of their 3 kids and a wire dog crate with 4 geese crapping all over in the back of the mini van (on plastic). Complaining loudly and hissing.....what a visual. They were thrilled to finally have geese and I was thrilled to find them a home. Just another happy ending. With the stipulation if they were ever unwanted that they come back here. They also adopted a rabbit, which is great.

I like slow saturdays. I like it when the phone doesnt ring and I can plug around the farm and get projects done. Austin rode shotgun with me all day. He was afraid to get out of the truck in between pumpkin trips because he didnt want to miss a ride. Im beat....cant really come up with anything whitty, sad or happy....Im just tired.....Wes

Bam Bam and Boom Boom

2007-11-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

Our miniature donkeys, Bam Bam and Boom Boom, are rescued siblings who are permanent residents here at Red Maple Farm. You can virtually adopt one of these donkeys if you wish, by going to the http://redmaplefarm.net website and making a donation via the paypal link on the Virtual Adoptions page. The money will go to supporting their care, and you will receive personal emails from them (dictated, of course!) and updated photos.

Love Those Clydesdales

2007-11-17T10:28:00.000-08:00

We have a number of horses, mostly rescues and a few residents and borders. Jake, our Clydesdale, is king of the pasture, and leads several Shires, a Percheron, and a several of riding horses as well.

Exotics

2007-11-17T08:07:00.000-08:00

In addition to rescuing farm animals and wildlife, we get called on exotic animals, as well. Some of these are actually wild species bred in captivity, and they never really make good "pets". This can lead to disaster -- especially for animals whose humans find that, as they mature, they are unable to keep up with the wild nature!

Outside

2007-11-17T07:38:00.000-08:00

All of our goats and pigs are rescues. Our huge pasture gives them lots of room, with varied terrains, where they can run, jump, and play.

Peacocks

2007-11-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

If you visit, you'll find that various kinds of fowl wander about the grounds, including ducks, chickens, guinea fowl and peacocks.

Special Sheep

2007-11-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

Our Scottish Blackface Sheep often accompany us to petting zoo gigs. We hope you'll get to meet them some day soon.

Piggies

2007-11-17T07:19:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the little piggies crawling in the dirt?

The Potbellied Pig phenomenon has left many grown, not so cute any more, adult pigs in dire need of rescue.

It's Feeding Time!

2007-11-17T07:15:00.000-08:00

Everyone at the farm knows when it's suppertime!

Five Baby Goats in a Station Wagon

2007-11-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

Horses

2007-11-16T16:47:00.000-08:00

Horses have always been a weakness for me.

I love their smell. Their strength, the fact that you have to be smarter than them, gain their trust and take little steps at a time in their training or you are very likely to get hurt. Possibly even killed. My facination with Equines started with a miserable little shetland pony at my Grandparents named Prince (I still have his bridle and brushes). Prince was a miserable little pony. He wasnt really fond of us kids but he kind of liked me. I remember my grandfather, he had emphasema. He couldn't walk so he rode a lawn mower around his farm. He used to chase Prince all over his pasture on it, catch him and let me ride him.

My aunt would normally walk us all over Huntersland. I liked Prince alot. I was probably the only one that missed him when he died. Through my adolecence, I remember all of my friends that had a pony or a horse. I rode a lot of horses in school and as an exchange student to Brazil. I did some really stupid things but never got hurt. The edrenillin was like a rush to me when jumping walls, galloping down the old dirt rodes, and getting to figure out what makes horses tick.

When my wife and I bought our first farm. One of the first animals I bought was a great appy gelding named Oscar. I loved that horse. He would do anything for me. I decided that it would be fun to ride with my wife. I bought a paint gelding off of another teacher at school named Apachie. He was a very strong willed gelding but I rode him like a show pony. The first (and one of the only) times I have ridden horses with my wife was not pleasant. She had ridden trail horses at a resort that she had worked at in Lake George during summers off from college. She thought that she knew what she was doing but didn't.

As we were riding, she became more and more nervous that the horse had a brain and was starting to get really agitated that she was pulling and being really rough on the bit in his mouth. Even when he was doing what she wanted. He started to act up, I tried to tell her what she was doing wrong and she quickly informed me that she knew what she was doing and didnt need my advice. So I rode off and left her, knowing that it wasnt going to be pretty. The only thing that Apachie hated worse than having his mouth yanked around was being alone.

As Oscar and I trotted off to the other side of the field Apachie started to rear and behave poorly for Darcy. She eventually got scared enough to beg for help and I rode back accross the field. She followed me home and that was the last time we ever rode together. After our trail ride, the more I rode...the more my back started to bother me. A doctor eventually diagnosed me with a degenerative spinal disease and forbid me to ever ride again. I bawled my eyes out when the people that bought those horses drove out of the driveway with the horses on their trailers.

I submersed myself in our llamas, pygmy goats and our growing collection of rescued animals. But there was a void. Before we had kids, Darcy and I often went for a ride on the weekends. (Back before the price of gas being $3.50 a gallon). We had one rule,that we COULD NOT leave Schoharie County and we would purposely try to get lost. On one of these rides, we passed an old farm. On the front lawn stood the largest and coolest horse I had ever seen since I had seen the Budweiser Hitch at the State Fair as a kid. Yes, right there....10 miles from our little farm was the nicest Clydesdale that I had ever seen. I stopped the car and against my wifes wishes, I got out of the car and went over to the one strand electric fence. The big horse trotted over and I started petting him and smelling him. With the risk of being shot by some hillybilly I stepped over the fence and threw my arms around this beast. I hung off his side, crawled under him, couldnt get enough of him. We spent about 15 minutes together and I left with regrets. All the way home I was thinking. The doctor said that I was no longer able to ride. He never said anything about driving. I started to think (which is usually dangerous).

That night I was reading our local "My Shopper," a local classified ads newspaper. I turned to the livestock section and right there in print...CLYDESDALE- Gelding, reg., 7 years old, cart and harness. He was a lot of money but I called the number. The woman on the other end explained that it was Bill Gridleys horse. He was a local teamster, he loved his horses and Jake was the last horse he bought before he died. She asked if I wanted to see him, I said I had and I bought him. Well actually we agreed that I could pay him off $100 a month until he was mine. I was in my glory. That horse gave me the Clydesdale fever. He taught me how to drive, he still is in my barn at the age of 24. It will be a sad day when he leaves me but when he does he will be buried here at our farm.

When we bought our new farm 10 years ago. We designed the entire facility for llamas. I had sold Jake for a lot of money to build the llama barn. I kept track of his various owners and what he was doing. It took a couple of years but I bought him back. I had always felt like I had sold that horse out. He was my best friend and I sold him. I did what I had to do for the benefit of the farm. Buying Jake back was one of the best decisions that I have ever made in my life. As our pasture, fences and facilities expanded...so did our Clydesdale collection. I started doing Laraway's Celtic Critters shows at Scottish festivals with our Clydesdales, Scottish Highland cattle, Scottish Blackface Sheep and our Border Collie to make (a lot) of money to support our farm expenses and expand our rescue services. When some men go through a midlife crisis they get a sportscar. I went away for part of a summer to learn how to drive an 8 horse hitch from one of the best teamsters in the country Roger and Linda Thoms. I started to collect equipment, tack and of course more Clydesdales.

We started a breeding program and had a foal (one of the coolest nights of my life). I met Bonnie Jean, one of the best (female) teamsters in the country, she can drive a big hitch better than most men. I bought her hitch wagon,Cooter and adopted two of her old hitch horses that are retired. We spent a lot of money, had a lot of fun and became a name in the Clydesdale World. I loved every second of it and still do.

My vet said to me once..."Wes you need to make a decision. You need to decide if you want to run a rescue facility or raise registered livestock." That question has haunted me from the time it came off his lips. He was right. You really cant rescue 200-400 animals a year and still afford to have thousands of dollars of show quality livestock. There isnt enough time (or money) to do both. To keep the rescue afloat, We have downsized a lot. We went from 22 horses (including boarders) to 7 (including boarders). I have sold most of my horse drawn equipment. Sold my Scottish Highland Cattle to my best friend. We don't have much left of our registered breeding livestock. My 2 girls have their 2 show horses (both are rescues and I love to watch them beat the rich girls on their expensive horses at shows), I still have jake and the 2 old guys that I promised Bonnie I would keep. Everyone else has found a great home and I have kept up with the bills. All except Cooter.

Cooter is one of my favorite Clydes ever. He is 7 the same age as Jake when I got him. He is a real character and has a great personality. I made the decision this week to sell Cooter for the sake of the farm. Several "big " Clyde farms have contacted me. I have a guy coming this weekend to drive with me. He has a mare that he pleasure drives now and then for fun. She lost her hitch mate and is lonely....I have good vibes. The fact of the matter, going through a midlife crisis doesnt always mean you have to buy a sportscar....It sometimes means you might have to part with what you love personally for what is best for your family, farm and future. Going through a midlife crisis is NOT being selfish or self-centered. It is no longer about what makes you happy, it is about the bigger picture.

Good night, Wes

Border Collies

2007-11-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

Just might as well take a moment to tell you about my dogs.

We dont rescue dogs because there are other facilities for that. I do place a bunch of dogs every year with people that are looking for a dog. I helped a Greyhound Rescue Group that has always been good to me place some dogs that they had shipped up after Hurricane Katrina. I always know of a good dog that is looking for a good home. My experiences with dogs actually started with a step grandfather that raised Basset Hounds. He had a bunch. I couldnt get enough of their slobber, barking and smell. My step grandfather was getting older. He was looking for someone to handle his awesome dogs at shows. I was 8, he started training me and I started showing and we won a lot of ribbons. My parents finally caved in and got a boxer. That dog was my life. In our sterile no pet environment, Rosie was my partner in crime.

When my Dad was going to spank us (we usually deserved it) My brother and I would sick the dog on my Dad. Rosie died while I was in Brazil as an exchange student. I brought my folks a puppy out of the Brazillian National Champion Boxer while I was there and ZONA came home with me. Im not sure who they were more excited to see upon our return. Zona was one of the best dogs ever. Boxers are probably one of the best dogs out there....great with kids, short haired, obedient.. They are a great dog.

Upon my return home it was off to college. My fraternity house had a dog but it wasnt the same. When I graduated college, I worked in the Bar business managing a nightclub for a year. I had always thought that English Bulldogs were cool. I found a litter of pups in Peru, NY.....paid $1100- (15 years ago) and brought home my little piglet Maxine. Maxine was my pal. She went out to the bars in Oneonta with me. She slept under the bar that I worked in . With her large spike collar, we were the hit everywhere we went and she was the celebrity of Oneonta. Darcy and I eventually grew up, I took a long term sub job at the school I graduated from. Maxine, Darcy and I moved to a run down apartment in Middleburgh.

Good thing we had love because we didnt have food. We used to eat pasta (no sauce) about 5 nights a week or pop over to my parents house at dinner time to eat. Substitute teaching isnt profitable. Our joint income that year was around 14,000. Looking back at it, we should have applied for "help" but we were too proud for that. I had heard about another bulldog (Maggie) that was for sale. They had spent a lot of money on her, planned on breeding her to make a lot of money but that didnt work out. They had locked Maggie in a pantry. As soon as I saw her, I drove an hour and a half back to Middleburgh to tell Darcy. She was starving, Her ribs were sticking out, she couldnt walk and she was in tough shape. Darcy asked me why I was looking at dogs, asked me why I didnt save her and I drove back an hour and a half the same night to get her. I carried her to the car and saved her life.

Darcy and I were married shortly after that. Darcy bought me a pup out of an American Champion. We named the pup McKenzie and we were a married couple with 3 bulldogs. We tried breeding Maxine. After an artificial insemination, csection and bottle feeding puppies....not fun. I focused my energy on showing McKenzie. We were unbeatable. It is fun showing a dog when you win. That wore off though. People that used to think that Darcy and I with our "cute" little puppy at shows were charming.When we started beating them they were not as nice. I asked Darcy at a dog show one sunday afternoon if she was having fun. She looked at me and said "are you"? That was the last dog show that we ever went to. Maggie went to live with Darcy's brother Scott and McKenzie went to live with her other brother Darren. We were out of the dog show business.

Being so broke, is not fun. I look back at those years now, it wasnt so bad. We had fun and were too young (and dumb) to realize how bad off we were. I was sick of pasta. I got the idea one day that we could actually buy groceries if I got a second job. I told Darcy that I was going to start grooming dogs out of our apartment. I spent our last $300- on the crucial tools and grooming table. I went to train with a professional groomer for a couple of months and I put the word out that I was in business. I started grooming friends and family's dogs for free. I was cheap and I was good. I built up quite a little business in our living room and in our bathtub. I look back on it now and think of how gross it was to be grooming dogs in our 3 room apartment. We didnt care then it was money.

Shortly thereafter, we bought our first home. A great OLD center hall colonial on 5 acres. My Dad was furious at us. He wouldnt even look at it. I always have done what I wanted so I wasnt slowed down. I continued to build my business up and we started to rescue a lot of animals. If it had a heartbeat, we would take it. We eventually "outgrew" our little farm and moved to our present day farm 10 years ago (another story).

Shortly after moving to our new farm with our old pig with hair (Maxine), she had a heart attack and dropped dead at my feet on easter morning following me around hiding Easter eggs for the kids. A friend that is a vet tech at an animal hospital called me a few weeks later. She said that there was a Boxer there and knew that I grew up with them and was "dogless".. She had been horribly abused, her eyeball popped out, the vet had been working on her for 2 weeks and she was so digusting that no one could look at her and the vet had her on the table to euthanize. I told her to get her off the table and bring her over. She wasnt kidding how bad she was. When she opened the door to her truck and I saw Sophie I almost vomited. I got her into the grooming shop and got to work on her. It took me 3 days to massage her eye ball back in. She was a mess. She loved our toddlers and she was "all boxer". She might have only had vision in one eye but you didnt touch my kids. (She got put down by our vet on our front porch in my arms about 2 years ago).

A short time later, a great Golden retriever (lucky) got dropped off in our kennel for boarding over the Thanksgiving holidays. I left my mother in laws early to come home to groom her and get her ready for her folks. They called and told me that they hated her and asked if I could find her a home. I told them that I was a boarding kennel, not a shelter. They never came to get her. I guess that she wasnt so lucky. I called all of my customers with a Golden and a few came to look at her but no takers. Like Boxers, Goldens have to be one of the best dogs ever. At 9pm at night, we sat in the office. I said, "well no one wants you, until I figure out what I am going to do with you, you will have to live with us". We walked over to the house and she climbed up stairs and crawled into bed with my daughter....She is sleeping by my fireplace while I write this.
I had another Golden Retriever (Buster) that was boarded with us for days on end. He moved into the house with us because I felt guilty keeping him in the kennel. He went to camp with Tommy when he came up on weekends. (I put him down, see previous post from a few weeks back).

Then there is Cleopatra (Cleo). I have always wanted a Great Dane. My wife forbid it. Over a couple of years, I kept track of a nearby breeder. After awhile they had a female merle (undesirable color) pup and told me that they would give me a hell of a deal on her. I met them at a park and ride during my lunch break in Cobleskill. They were late and I just got back to school with the pup under my arm. She slept in a box behind my desk. In between classes, I walked up to my wifes classroom and said, "Look what followed me home honey, can I keep it"? She said it looked like a Great dane puppy and she wasnt impressed. Seriously, who can resist a puppy. She couldnt. We have always had adopted dogs in need of a home. I came in from the barn late one night (from lambing), Darcy and Cleo had taken over our bed. She (the dog) takes up the entire bed but I dont complain. I know that no one will walk into my bedroom at night. I love Lucky and Cleo. Cleo is the dumbest dog Ive ever owned but she is lovable. Your probably thinking at this point, isnt this blog titled Border Collies? Yes it is. But I had to give you all my dog background so you could appreciate my relationship with my Border Collies.

I have always thought that BC's are cool. I know that they are the smartest breed of dog. Very high maintenance. I thought that it would be cool to get one when I retired from teaching to herd our sheep but it wasnt in my destinty. Americans herd their sheep by shaking a grain bucket. It works most of the time but you cant count on it. My wife and I took 35 kids from school on a tour of Scotland. It was our 10th wedding anniversary and I had always wanted to check out Scotland. I bought a small flock of registered Scottish Blackface Sheep shortly after we got back to the states. I loved seeing them all over Scotland but didnt realize that there were only about 4000 of them in the USA. My sheep quickly showed me how weak my fences were. They were basically running lose all over the mountain. Darcy loved the Mothers day when I spent half of the day chasing sheep all over the cemetery below our farm, the diner parking lot and Route 145. I still kept working on our fencing and didnt want to neglect a Border Collie by not having enough time for it.

Then the phone rang a few weeks later. My wife always cringes when the phone rings. It probably means that I am leaving and will be off somewhere in the middle of no where saving animals. The woman said that she had a professionally trained Border Collie named Elsie. Her husband had just died and she sold her sheep. She said that she had read about me online and had seen me give one of my Celtic Critters shows. She said that she had to go to Tenn. to update her nursing degree and was wondering if she could board Elsie with me for the summer. I told her that surely there must be a kennel closer to her than me (6 hours away) but she was insistent and I agreed. I told her that when I agreed to "long term" boarding it usually meant that I was getting stuck with the dog. She assured me that that wasnt the case.

The next weekend she showed up with Elsie and I put her in the kennel and tried not to like her. Slowly over the next 3 months that dog grew on me. I started taking her out to chase the sheep on a retractable lead. She was quite aware of what she was doing. I was clueless but we were having fun and I was getting her out of the kennel for exercise. My sheep hated her. They looked at her as a demon, she infringed upon their free run of the farm and they couldnt wait until she left. I was amused.

Like she promised. Elsies owner called me 3 months later. She had accepted a job and was thrilled that Elsie and I were fine. She then shocked me by offerring me a lot of money to keep her. I couldnt say no, although I doubted that she would pay her board or send me her husbands herding books and videos as I requested. Much to my surprise, the check and the herding videos came in priority mail.. There really are good people out there that do what is right by their animals. It was official. I owned a Border Collie and I had visions of what I saw in the Highlands of Scotland. My dog and I would herd the sheep all over my highlands. She would be "my" dog and we would run the farm together. That is exactly what we did. But she had her work cut out teaching me how to herd. We were actually at the Capital District Scottish Festival. Elsie was sleeping under my truck. I had my display of Scottish Blackface Sheep and my Scottish Clydesdales on display.

I was visiting at the fence with one of the event organizers. A woman came up and said "Excuse me, can you tell me when the herding demos are?" The event organizer explained that the older gentleman that normally did the herding was ill and could no longer do it....it was too late to get it out of the program. I said that I just had sheep and clydes, I hadnt been contracted to herd....the woman stomped off swearing and saying something to the nature that was the only reason why she came. I let out a slow whistle and Elsie came out from under my pickup and sat by my feet. The event organizer looked at me, said "Wes, Border Collie, Sheep =SHOW". I asked how much, she radioed to the office and said you have 10 minutes. I told the kids that work for me to break the sheep pen in half, put the other half of the pen in the middle of the riding arena we were doing our other shows in and open up the back of my trailer. I told them that I didnt want to be disturbed for 5 mins. I got into my truck. It looked like a family of gypsies were living in it.

I found the herding book under the seat. I wrote the commands with little arrows on my hand and got out to get my cordless microphone. Elsie made me look like a million dollars. She herded the sheep from their pen to the pen in the middle of the arena. A crowd of thousands formed. She herded the sheep from that pen on to my stock trailer. Scottish Blackface Sheep dont follow orders well, they stomped their feet and protested...She then herded them back into their original pen... After 7 shows over 2 days, I had a nervous breakdown but she never let me down....She was a hit and the new star of the Celtic Critters Show. People saw me everywhere and introduced me to their friends as the guy that owns Elsie....Elsie was my shadow and she spent every minute that I would allow by my side. I even snuck her into school and she slept under my desk during career days and evenings when I worked late. That dog taught me what it was to own a dog. She trained me and as Jon Katz says, "Made me a better person".

Word quickly spread that I had a dog that could round up animals. Usually at the worst times (like when I was dressed up, late for a wedding) we would find ourselves putting in someones beef cows or run away sheep. Elsie and I started to form a bond unlike any Ive ever had with a dog. We were one and she knew what I was thinking and I didnt have to speak to her. ...she knew what I wanted her to do and she knew what I was doing. Elsie was my "barn dog" she initally lived in a kennel by the sheep because my wife said that she wouldnt have another house dog with 3 kids. That didnt matter because I lived outside. This spring I noticed Elsie was getting thin. I wormed her, started some canned food (and table scraps) but she continued to lose weight. When friends started asking me what was wrong with Elsie I took her to the vet. I told the vet that I wasnt leaving until she told me what was wrong with Elsie. We sat in the waiting room, I in one chair, Elsie in the chair next to me (she liked sitting in the chair next to me no matter where we were).

The vet eventually came out. She told me that she had agressive cancer. I could spend lots of money but the dog would die shortly and that I should put her down. I walked out without paying (I paid later) , got in my truck and started crying. I dont remember driving home but I remember Elsie doing the Border Collie thing out the open window. They put their heads out of the window, the wind blows through their hair and everytime you pass a car they bite in the air at it. That damm dog could have cared less that she was going to die. Elsie and I spent a lot of time together that last month. She made it in to our "mudroom" porch. As she got weaker she made it to the side of my bed, although I often slept on the floor with her. She started losing her bowels although she would still follow me around the farm and put the sheep in every night. She wasnt in pain that I could detect, just happy to be hanging out with me. Her last weekend the sheep shearer (Ray Baitsholts) came. This is what Elsie lived for.

She was too weak to work but sat about 10 foot from Ray while he was shearing... just to give the sheep "the look" if they got any ideas. The next morning she couldnt walk. I picked her up and we went down to my buddy Scotts sheep farm. Ray was shearing down there and I had offered to help. Elsie and I sat on a hay wagon and watched. Actually she watched. I was in shock. We didnt say goodbye. I went to my vets church. When he came out from services, I motioned him over to the truck. I had eaten dinner next to him at Rotary for years.

He said" what is wrong Wes"? I blurted out "Will you kill my dog"? I followed him home, waited for him to open the office and carried Elsie in and sat her on my lap. He didnt want me to do that (dogs release their bowells when they die)...I didnt care. Elsie and I looked into one anothers eyes and I watched the life leave her body and felt the wetness on my legs....and on my cheeks.. I feel that wetness on my cheeks now just remembering that look. That look was complete and total love. I composed myself and wrapped her up in my favorite blanket and jacket. Tossed a bunch of money on the table (to his protests) and walked out to my truck. Hannah held him while we came home. A couple of friends came up to help me bury him.

A piece of me died that day. I was a man with out a shadow, I was crushed. As we were burying her, we found an old horseshoe about a foot underground. You cant tell me that wasnt a sign. After several months, I really am not over it yet. Buster's death a couple of weeks ago was tough but nbot the same. Abscense does make the heart grow fonder.

A friend had went to Empire Farm Days and met a lady walking around with some Border Collies. He had her number written down on a piece of paper. It took me weeks to call her. We talked for over an hour, even though she said that had no dogs for sale. As I started to set the tone for good byes, she said...wait...I have Austin...the other dogs hate him....he is yours. I asked how much and she said nothing. I was trying to figure out how I would get to Buffalo to get him, she said dont worry about it...I'll deliever him. As we ate lunch at the diner, Austin bit at cars going by in the parking lot through the window....He looked at us in the diner and looked quite comfortable in Elsies truck. He should be...he is wearing her collar. If you believe in destiny, what are the odds that I would have another Border Collie lying at my feet right now....from Buffalo like Elsie. I often wonder if the two of them are related, not that it really matters because he is "my" dog and he has a home for as long as he lives.

Enough for one night, Wes

Volunteers

2007-11-14T19:03:00.000-08:00

What makes people volunteer their time, money and resources to a charity, cause or project?

I dont know. I know that I've always done it. I am an Eagle Scout, I am always fundraising or selling something for some Club or charity but I have never tried to raise some money for my own cause. No wonder I'm broke, just today I gave 2 kids $20- each that needed it (can't explain). I bought a $20- box of oranges from the senior class. Kicked $5- in the hat for a teacher with a sick wife and another $5- to a help needy people at Thanksgiving fund.

Wow, no wonder why I had to go through the ashtray in my truck to get enough change together to get a Mountain Dew for lunch. No big deal I will survive. I listed one of my favorite horses Cooter tonight on draftsforsale.com...don't worry about me, I'll be alright. I'll do what I need to do. If we are going to do rescue work full time, we will all need to downsize a bit. First class, not half assed....has always been my motto.

My day actually started off great. My son, Jacob met me downstairs as I came out to make coffee. The kids know my morning ritual and Jacob decided he wanted to tag along on my morning chores. Jacob doesn't normally show much interest in the farm. He likes the animals but would rather be playing on the computer....that is fine. I feel that kids should be able to do their own thing. He "volunteered" to help me. Now I must admit, it might have been because he wanted something, did something bad or maybe...just maybe he wanted to tag along with his Pop at 6 am in the morning, in the freezing cold....feeding animals that he doesn't even really care about. No...being a volunteer starts at a young age and you have to want to do it.

I was thinking a lot about the emails, phone calls and animals waiting for me to pick them up. I was thinking about how I would explain to Cooter that he had to go to a great home . I didn't forget that Jacob was with me for no reason other than it was quality time with his Dad and that was cool. I let him drive the Kubota RTV on the easy parts. The farm is huge at 165 acres but it is almost entirely at a 45 degree angle. We finished up in the barn. We got the dogs out of bed in the dog shop and out in the kennel for breakfast. We still made it to school on time. Hannah, my oldest daughter rides to school with me. She is in the "big school" now, 6th grade. Darcy drops Jacob and Emma off at the Elem. school. They are growing up fast, I hope I don't miss a thing that they are doing because I am so busy doing what I do.

It cost me money to go to work today. I wont bore you again with all the cash that I "lost" today. Why do I go to work? My wife actually suggested that I stay at the farm full time and retire from teaching. As much as I would like to do rescue work full time, I can't do that to my students. They love my class (even though I am strict and have a weird sense of humor). I know that I have taught a good lesson when the bell rings and they all look at the clock and go awwwwhhh....finish the story...Hard to believe huh? Most of my free time was spent emailing Northeast Llama Rescue Volunteers. I finally admitted it this past weekend.

After 15 years of doing rescue, I can't do it alone anymore. I have invited several people to be on "our BOD" and help me with things like technology (I'm afraid of computers). I look forward to my emails from my good friend John Palmer from Unadilla. John has Unadilla Game Farm, a small zoo with some really cool animals. John is actually coming out this weekend to take the Wallabies home with him for the winter. He has a heated basement that they will be a lot happier in. We are going to visit another facility that has some big cats......I want to see how they set up their cats. There is a huge demand for exotic rescue and very few facilities to "sanctuary" difficult rescues.

I want to thank Debbie Frey for her work in the past helping me with the 2 websites. I really appreciate your help in the past. Jules and Gayle are really doing a great job right now getting me in the year 2007 technologically. They will both be great assets to Northeast Llama Rescue and have not taken a dime for the hundreds of hours that they have put into the animal rescue cause. I really am not used to people being nice to me or helping me out.....but I am a strong believer in destiny. The members of our BOD that you will gradually get to know through my blogs are my friends, I really couldn't mentally, physically or financially continue what I am doing without their help to save hundreds of animals a year. I really don't give compliments or thanks often so there you all go....you won't get anymore for awhile.

After school, I waited for my little ones to get off the bus at the HS. Hannah normally stays up in Darcy's classroom to take care of the dozens of animals that Darcy has there in her Life Science class (mostly rescues). I help the 2 little ones with their HW and catch up on emails. Aaron came in as usual, to see when we were leaving for the farm. He never wants to sit down and do his HW. He always wants to get to the farm before me....I think it is just so he can drive the Kubota. He rides his bike almost 3 miles up a side of my mountain to get there before I go home at 4 pm. I try not to identify people by name in my blogs, esp. kids (without parental approval, which I have) but you need to get to know Aaron. HE alone had most of the chores done by the time I got home. I could tell that he was running (like I do) and really wanted to prove to me he could do it. In the couple of months he has volunteered up here (I don't pay him) he has come a long way. Now granted he forgot to fill hayracks before he let the horses in but as long as they have grain they will run in and stay in their stalls. The rest of the chores are a breeze, Hannah finished them up while I ran Aaron home (it gets dark early now, I wont let him ride his bike home) and took Jacob to karate. Aaron is a great help and I appreciate his hard work up here and try not to yell at him when he forgets something.

Jacob has karate 4 nights a week. I am designated driver since Darcy stays home to start dinner. Wednesdays are sparring nights. Jacob loves sparring. It is kind of like "ultimate fighting" with kids. They get dressed up in enough padding that they would be safe from most police attack dogs and they get to use the moves they know on each other. A lot of parents might not approve but he is there because he likes it. I had to come up with a way of getting him off the couch and computer. Maybe someday the moves he is learning will save his life.

Upon return to the farm. Dinner was ready. Hannah was quite proud of herself for finishing chores (the way that I like things done) . I had forgot to tell her that the pigs ( that had a party in my garbage cans yesterday ) let their guard down and got locked in the empty horse stall they were snoozing off their good time this am. I would have loved to see her expression when she opened that door. The pigs have been driving me nuts, they chase my Border Collie, they are out of control. No more running around the farm, ripping up my lawn, eating my wifes lovely Halloween pumpkins, mums and cornstalks off the porch. No...they are in big trouble now....no more freedom, until they are big enough that they cant squeeze under my electric fences anyway. They are in piggy jail, better than the freezer I suppose.

I appreciate all of my volunteers. I hope that a lot more people that have enjoyed following my antics running this rescue will get to volunteer to our cause as well. People that cant contribute their sweat are always welcome to contribute their money....My vet bill is over $1500- right now.

If Jules has the photos ready from this past weekend it is time to start introducing to our animals. We have a lot of animals that wont leave here but we have a lot more that are looking for perfect homes. Till then, another day done.....Tune in tomorrow, Wes