Definition of Wildlife Rehabilitation
Wildlife rehabilitation is helping wild animals that are orphaned, sick, displaced, or injured. The goal is to rescue these animals, provide them with medical care, and release them back into their natural homes. For the rehabilitation to be successful, the animals need to be able to live and behave like wild animals. This means they should know how to find food, mate, reproduce, and avoid danger.
At Happy Feet Rescue, we take good care of each animal that comes to us. We give them a thorough check-up, figure out any health problems they might have, and give them the proper treatment. Our vet team creates a unique plan for each animal, which includes things like staying in the hospital, getting the right food, taking medicine, doing physical therapy, and exercising. We also get them ready to go back into the wild by preparing them for release. This includes ensuring the weather, season, habitat, and location suit each species. Our main goal is to make sure these animals can survive and live happily in their natural homes.
A wildlife rehabilitator is someone who does all of these things. In most parts of the United States, you need a special license to rehabilitate wildlife legally. You also need a federal license to handle migratory birds, endangered species, or marine animals like dolphins or sea turtles.
Some people think the state pays for wildlife care, but that's not true. Most of the expenses for wildlife rehabilitation are paid for by the rehabilitator. Happy Feet Rescue relies on the generosity of people like you to help us give proper care to every animal and release them back into their natural homes. Your donations make a big difference in our work.
Wildlife Rehabilitator's Code of Ethics
Courtesy of National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association
A wildlife rehabilitator should strive to achieve high standards of animal care through knowledge and an understanding of the field. Individuals must make an effort to be informed of current rehabilitation information, methods, and regulations through participation in continuing education.
A wildlife rehabilitator should be responsible, conscientious, and dedicated, and should work continuously toward improving the quality of care given to wild animals undergoing rehabilitation.
A wildlife rehabilitator must abide by local, state, provincial and federal laws concerning wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, and associated activities.
A wildlife rehabilitator should establish safe work habits and conditions, abiding by current health and safety practices at all times.
A wildlife rehabilitator should acknowledge limitations and enlist the assistance of a veterinarian and other trained professionals when appropriate.
A wildlife rehabilitator should respect other rehabilitators and persons in related fields, sharing skills and knowledge in the spirit of cooperation for the welfare of animals.
A wildlife rehabilitator should place optimum animal care above personal gain.
A wildlife rehabilitator should strive to provide professional and humane care in all phases of wildlife rehabilitation, protecting the welfare, respecting the wildness, and maintaining the dignity of each animal in life and in death. Releasable animals should be maintained in a wild condition and released as soon as appropriate. Nonreleasable animals have a right to euthanasia.
A wildlife rehabilitator should encourage community support and involvement through volunteer training and public education. The common goal should be to promote a responsible concern for living beings and the welfare of the environment.
A wildlife rehabilitator should work from a foundation of sound ecological principles, incorporating appropriate conservation ethics and an attitude of stewardship.
A wildlife rehabilitator should conduct all business, activities, and communications in a professional manner, with honesty, integrity, compassion, and commitment, realizing that an individual's conduct reflects on the entire field of wildlife rehabilitation.