Newhouse Wildlife Rescue

12/16/2024

It is with a heavy heart that I share the sad news that our Norwell Fox passed away yesterday. When he arrived, his blood count was already very low, and in just 24 hours, he lost half of the little blood he had left. There were no visible cuts or injuries that would explain that much blood loss, so whatever caused the loss occurred internally.

To better understand what happened to him, he is being sent for a full necropsy and testing for rodenticide poisoning, which we believe may have been a contributing factor in his death.

I’m so sorry to have to give you this sad news. We were really hoping he would pull through. Thank you for caring about his story and for your continued support of the wildlife we strive to help.

12/15/2024

I found an old journal today. I wrote in it some 30 years ago. I was only 13 years old, but determined to be a veterinarian when I grew up.

That was a goal I set at the age of 4 and, years later, I would land a full scholarship to a college that offered a veterinary program. In year two of med school, I gave birth to a beautiful special needs child named Sarah. It became clear, within weeks of her birth, that tending to her specific needs and going to med school just couldn’t happen at the same time. Something had to give and, of course, I chose my baby. Many of you have likely seen the tattoo with her name across my wrist in pictures.

I was fortunate to have six years with Sarah before she would leave this earth on December 21st 2010. Those are six years I will cherish for the rest of my life. Her medical needs pushed me to move from Georgia to Massachusetts, so she could seen by the best children’s hospital in the country. She taught me so much during her few years with me.

Clearly being a veterinarian wasn’t in the cards for me. Fate would have it that I would take a different course in life. But fate would also see to it that I would meet some incredible veterinarians along the way - and I would need them and cherish them immensely.

I was in middle school when I wrote that journal and now I travel to middle schools all over Massachusetts to teach. Many of the students tell me they want to be veterinarians when they grow up. It makes me smile every time. I see that gleam in their eyes. I recognize it. Once upon a time, I was them….and it’s a privilege and an honor to help them along their journey.

I am exactly where I am meant to be doing exactly what I am meant to be doing in this life. ❤️

12/15/2024

While triaging our newest fox last night, we were distracted by a sound…

12/15/2024

Many people will have trouble with rodents getting into their homes or places of work this winter. We want to make sure Massachusetts residents know who they can trust to call for help.

Rick Banner with Banner Pest Control and Mike Theriault with Call of the Wild Animal Control are two companies Newhouse Wildlife trusts and supports.

Both these men have sworn off of second generation rodenticides because of their love and appreciation for our wildlife. They are both very good at what they do and have other very successful methods to keep rodents out of your home. When they tell you they aren’t using SGARS, you can believe them. They really mean it.

We are proud to share their names and we hope that their business flourish as many Massachusetts residents value our natural world and are looking for pest control companies that share in their beliefs. Make sure your friends and family know who to call! Let’s keep our foxes, owls, eagles, etc safe so they can keep helping us with the rodent population!

12/14/2024

It was a 2 1/2 hour drive in the ambulance to save this red fox in Norwell today, but well worth the trip. He wouldn’t have survived the night. He was hypothermic and severely hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) when we rescued him.

He has a slurry of other problems - including a significantly delayed clotting time, so much missing fur from mange, and anemia.

It’s hard to look at him and see his body in this state. He is so thin and his skin is in such rough shape from these parasites.

I peeked into the room our Lowell fox was in, after we triaged the Norwell fox. Our Lowell fox stared right back at me with big eyes, full of life. He was chewing on a bone and seemed quite content. Not so long ago, looking at him was hard for me…but gazing at him now warms my heart.

We will be up all night with our new fox to make sure his glucose levels don’t dip dangerously low again and that he responds to treatment. I am so relieved to know he will be in a warm incubator tonight. It will be the first decent night of sleep he has had in a long time.

12/14/2024

Some of you noticed that we were attacked by a pest control company on yesterday’s post. It’s not the first time it has happened and we expect it to happen more frequently as we are certainly making some enemies by informing people about the damage rat poison is doing to our non target wildlife. These poisons are a very profitable solution for many pest control companies, so we negatively impact their wallets every time we ask people not to use it.

And I don’t care….

The next meeting for the Pest Control board subcommittee is this Tuesday December 17th at 9 am. It is a zoom meeting. We will provide more info in the comments.

At the last meeting, the chair did not allow a single member of the public to speak, despite the fact that the meeting adjourned early. I have sent him three emails asking why and he has not responded. I don’t imagine he will allow any of us to speak at this meeting either. In fact, one of the things on the agenda is whether or not to allow members of the public to speak in future meetings. The fact that this is up for discussion is concerning to me. Citizens have a right to be heard.

We will attend, whether or not we are permitted to speak. It’s important that they see the number of people in the state who have genuine concerns - whether or not the chair cares to hear what we have to say. We still stand together.

Below is our fox from Lowell, being treated for mange and secondary rodenticide poisoning. He is feeling so much better. He can’t tell the world what happened to him, but we will.

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”
– Martin Luther King Jr.

12/14/2024

Nope. It’s not our educational groundhog, Stanley. This young male groundhog was found circling in the middle of the road in Lowell.

Did you know, when an animal moves in circles, it often indicates brain trauma on one side? Usually the brain trauma is on the opposite side that they are circling. This groundhog was circling to the right, which indicated that he potentially had an injury to the left side of his brain. We’re guessing he was hit by a car. That was three days ago and he is responding well to treatment.

It’s odd to see a groundhog out and about this time of year. Most of them are hibernating. We aren’t sure what he was doing in the middle of the road but we are very thankful to Lowell animal control for bringing him to us.

12/13/2024

12/13/2024

I’m excited to share some of the incredible milestones we’ve achieved with your support.❤️

Since launching our educational program just over a year ago, the Newhouse team has conducted more than 40 public events, bringing valuable information about our local wildlife to over 7,000 people. We didn’t charge for a single event!

Since founding our rescue in 2018, we have also facilitated over $60,000 in funding and supplies to support other wildlife rehabbers across Massachusetts, strengthening the community of wildlife caregivers.

This year we reached a new record number of intakes. We provided care to almost 700 wild animals in need!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in making this impact possible—together, we are making a difference for wildlife!

(Picture is of Dr. Vasilakis holding baby Nibi during her first veterinary exam)

12/12/2024

Can I just brag on our followers for a minute???!!!
When you heard about the oil spill and semi aquatic birds that needed help, you came together and raised over $10,000 to help New England Wildlife Center with rescue efforts!

When you heard that Salvatore Wildlife Rescue needed help reaching their goal for much needed supplies, you donated thousands in a matter of hours that BLEW THROUGH her original goal.

How awesome are you guys?!? Do you realize all the good you have done and all the animals you have helped to save? I don’t think you will ever fully realize how much you are loved and appreciated.

We are so grateful for all of you! Thank you. I am full of the Christmas spirit today. This is what this season is all about isn’t it? It’s all about giving. And what better gift than the gift of life. 🙏❤️🙏

12/12/2024

You probably didn’t know about this because she wouldn’t tell you. She is perfectly fine working behind the scenes and receiving no credit whatsoever. Salvatore Wildlife Rescue is the wildlife rehabber who rescued Adam when he was found dying outside a shopping mall suffering from mange and secondary rodenticide poisoning. She drove about an hour out to us, at 9 pm and helped to triage him. She wasn’t done after that. She would advocate for the businesses in that mall to stop using that poison and to use other methods - and she succeeded.
She works very hard to help our local wildlife and it saddens me to see her fundraiser hasn’t made much progress. She needs our help so she can continue to support our local wildlife. Can you help her reach her goal this Christmas? Check the comments!

(Before and After of Adam the Fox)

12/11/2024

Nibi isn’t digging the weather today and insisted on being let inside. When I came in the rehab room, I noticed Thaine made sure our queen had a bed, a stuffy and a meal fit for royalty… 🙄😂

12/11/2024

I would much rather be on the floor of my rescue trying to save a dying animal than be dressed up, make up on and driving into the city. Until this week, I don’t think I ever fully weighed how the latter could save far more animals…

I was granted the opportunity to advocate for our local wildlife and our rehabilitators during two very important meetings this week.

Admittedly, I was nervous. The outcome of these meetings is of the utmost importance to many people and I didn’t want to mess it up. I was far outside my comfort zone in an office setting, all dressed up and sitting at a table with powerful decision makers in our state.

I kept thinking, my place is out in the field. I belong wrangling oil-covered ducks that need help, catching that smelly, mangy fox, or jumping in a pond to try to help that trapped beaver. These tables made me more nervous than any wild animal. The stakes were much higher…

Monday I sat down with the Undersecretary of Environmental Affairs and the Commissioner of Mass Wildlife to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing wildlife rehabilitators and the animals we care for. We talked about the need for a Wildlife Rehabilitators Advisory Committee. I mentioned the recent oil spill and how an advisory committee would be helpful in efficiently rallying as many experienced and trained professionals as possible during future wildlife emergencies.

Yesterday I met with the Commissioner and Director of the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) to discuss the devastating impacts of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (rat poison) on wildlife as MDAR has the power to ban these poisons. I did my best to convey how these poisons affect, not only the animals, but the ecosystems we all rely on.

At both meetings I was treated very well. Everyone I spoke to was friendly, kind and seemed to have a genuine interest in hearing what I had to say. The discussions were thoughtful and productive, and I’m very grateful for the opportunity.

I want to say a special thank you State Representatives Simon Cataldo and Jim Hawkins for attending these meetings with me.

In the end, I realized my feelings of inadequacy were in my head. I certainly was not treated like I was less than. It made me think - maybe people like me have a place at these tables after all. In fact, maybe what we need is more people with muddy boots sitting at these tables. Maybe we need more people who have bore witness to the suffering of our wildlife to tell their stories during these important discussions.

I anxiously await word that some positive changes will be made. I am very hopeful after these meetings.

Thank you all for standing with me, and with our local wildlife.

12/09/2024

Please help. There was an oil spill in the river in Brookline today. Many geese and ducks were covered in oil when we went to check on the situation. Oil affects the natural waterproofing these birds have, which exposes them to the elements. These birds are likely to succumb to hypothermia and other issues if they do not receive help. New England Wildlife Center is working into the night to collect as many of these affected geese and ducks as possible. Please show them your support, if you can. 🙏

12/09/2024

An oil spill today in Brookline is affecting the ducks and geese…
New England Wildlife Center is heading rescue efforts. Please send your support if you can. We were there today and these birds definitely need help.

12/07/2024

Daphne trying to be seDUCKtive.
I’ll see myself out….

12/07/2024

We put this together in hopes of giving you that warm holiday fuzzy! It’s been an amazing year!
Governor Maura Healey

12/06/2024

People want to know when we are going to be introducing our male fox from Lowell to our female fox from Plymouth so they can cuddle the winter away…

The answer is - we’re not. 😳

The reason? Foxes start breeding in January and generally have babies in March/April.

We aren’t trying to start any families here and a family would only add extra stress to our foxes who are still in recovery.

We just can’t take the risk. If we receive foxes of the same s*x, they can be paired together right now, but foxes of the opposite s*x need to be separated during mating season for fear they will consummate their relationship without consulting us first…. 😉