The Giaquinto Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

01/06/2024

We’d like to graciously thank the Marlborough Police Patrol Officers Association for their generous donation. We can not thank them enough for this amazingly, kind gesture.

Whenever the Marlborough Police Department calls in need of assistance with wildlife, we are always happy to help them. However, we are so grateful for their kindness with this donation. With their donation we are much closer to being able to build our new waterfowl enclosure for the spring.

Thank you to the brave men and women of the Marlborough Police Department for their generosity!!!

01/04/2024

We have been asked about sweatshirts and we will be putting another order in tomorrow for some sweatshirts. We will do another order in two weeks if you are undecided now!

The sweatshirts are $40 and are a 50/50 cotton/poly blend. They are snuggly and will feature our wildlife logo in the front center. The colors of sweatshirts will be listed in the comments. You can choose from a white or black logo. They are unisex sizes.

Please DM me if you’d like one and what color sweatshirt and logo, as well as the size you’d like!

Thank you so much for all of your love and support! ♥️

01/04/2024

We’ve said it before and will keep saying it again, please stop using poison to kill rodents.

They kill much more than rodents.

RIP poor puppy. 🌈

These animals deserve better. Mice and rat poison is killing domestics pets and our wildlife. Please use other options for rodent control.

Nora - Forever 4 Months Old 🌈
She was a baby. She has her whole life ahead of her. And it was all taken away because of carelessness and irresponsibility by the humans who were supposed to care for her.
Nora ingested a lethal dose of rat poison that was kept in a place accessible to a puppy.
We knew when we welcomed her into our rescue family, that the odds were not in her favor. We knew that she was fighting for her life. But we had to try. She was just a baby. She had a team of Dr’s ready to do whatever they could to keep her alive. She fought. The Dr’s fought.
Only hours ago, we were feeling cautiously optimistic. Then, in a literal instant, it all came crashing down. Nora began to seize. The poison took over. Her body could not fight back anymore. We promised her that we wouldn’t allow her to suffer and she didn’t. She is forever 4 months old. Rest easy, baby girl.

Nora’s death must not be in vain. We must use her passing to educate the public. Nora is gone because she ingested a lethal dose of rat poison. It was completely preventable. PLEASE STOP USING THIS FORM OF PEST CONTROL!! Dogs, cats, children, and wildlife, fall victims to the poison by ingesting it or by ingesting rodents who have eaten it. Death is painful. It is slow. It is horrific.
Nora is one example of what can happen when Bromethalin based rodenticide is irresponsibly left out. There is NO antidote. Her tiny body could not fight the toxin. There are other types of rodenticides, and ALL come with collateral damage. We need to protect our pets, our kids, and unsuspecting wildlife. There are alternatives to poisons. Please do better. Do it for Nora.

Hug your pups tight tonight. Thank you for praying for Nora. She should be here. We will not forget the impact she left in such a short amount of time.

01/02/2024

Happy New Year! As we plan ahead for our busy season in the spring, we are hoping to raise some money to put towards a new outdoor waterfowl enclosure. We typically do not like to ask for donations, but are always thankful and humbled when we receive them.

With the new year upon us and the cold weather coming, we would like to sell some winter beanies with our logo on it to help raise money.

*For 2024 we are selling beanies for $24!*

We are offering them with either of our wildlife center logos. Below is a sample of one of the beanies, I am wearing. This shows our heart logo with various footprints. You can also chose from our Giaquinto Wildlife logo as well.

In the comment section I will post beanie colors and patch samples and colors. The patches are made of leather and sewn on. The hats are very thick and warm.

Each winter hat will be $24 and free local pick up or drop off in the greater Marlborough, MA area. There will be a $5 flat shipping fee added to the order, if you do need it shipped.

Please DM me if you’d like one and let me know which hat color and patch preference you have.

Thank you so much for supporting us and your head will thank you for keeping it warm this winter!!!

Happy New Year! Cheers to 2024!!! ♥️

12/24/2023

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year!

12/19/2023

As 2023 comes to an end and we are starting to fill out our annual year end forms to file with Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife, it’s nice to look back on all the animals we helped this year.

In 2023 we were able to aid in the rehabilitation and rescue of 106 different animals. Many of those were orphaned wildlife that we gave a second chance at life to.

This year, I completed my mandated 100 ours of hands on training and was able to officially apply for our federal migratory bird rehabilitation permit. As we await our license from the US Fish and Wildlife, we get ready for a busier 2024. Being state and federally licensed, will open up new opportunities to rescue and rehab new species including migratory birds, raptors, and owls. It is also a great feeling that we will be recognized by the US Fish and Wildlife with a small amount of other amazing federally licensed rehabbers in Massachusetts. I was very lucky enough to train with some of the very best. You know who you are. 😉

In 2024, we will focus primarily on orphaned waterfowl, specifically mallards, but as always will help any animal we can.

A big thank you to our local Animal Control Officer for always helping with any wildlife rescue she can. Also, a huge thank you to Framingham Animal Hospital, for your help as always!

Happy Holidays everyone and here’s to a happy and healthy 2024 and saving as many wild animals as we can.

“The message is simple: love and conserve our wildlife” -Steve Irwin ♥️

12/01/2023

Want to help wild deer survive the harsh winter? Don’t feed them!

During fall, a deer’s digestive system slowly changes to have a perfect combination of microbes and enzymes to digest its winter diet, which is mostly low-calorie woody vegetation. This amazing adaptation enables deer to survive long, lean winters with very little fresh food.

When suddenly fed supplemental foods like fruit and corn, the deer’s winter-adapted digestive system simply can’t adapt fast enough to properly digest these foods, and it will quickly succumb to acidosis, similar to what people with diabetes experience.

Some particularly healthy deer might survive being fed during winter, only to die later. Foods given by humans will disrupt the sensitive balance of the deer’s digestive system, making it unable to digest its normal winter diet, so it may die very slowly after several weeks of being unable to thrive on its ordinary winter staples. It may become weak, slow, or confused, or may suffer from bone deformities, or may grow skeletal and die of starvation.

Feeding deer can also encourage them to congregate unnaturally in one small area and to share a lot of germs, including those responsible for chronic wasting disease. Your good intentions could create ground zero for an epidemic!

Please don’t contribute to this problem. Enjoy your deer neighbors this winter without giving into the urge to “help” by feeding them.

11/11/2023

11/10/2023

Today we got a call about a beaver that was stuck in a storm drain. When I arrived at the location, I could see that this poor guy somehow got through a pipe when the water was high, and after the water level lowered, he could not get back out.

Thank you to the Marlborough Police Department, the Marlborough DPW, and especially our amazing Animal Control Officer who all came to help with the rescue of this big fella.

After the DPW took the storm drain cover off, Animal Control and I, with lots of muscle power, were able to safely pull him out of the storm drain and return him back to his pond where he lives. He was very feisty, but seemed very relieved to get out. He was certainly a heavy one!

Great work everyone!!! 🦫

(Full video of his release in the comments)

11/09/2023

Please be kind, this winter, to the only native marsupial of the United States.

Virginia Opossums do not do well in the cold and may seek shelter from the cold wind in our sheds or behind trash bins. Please be kind to them. They mean you no harm and are nature’s best pest control!

If you see an injured opossum or one that you feel needs help. Please give us a call!

Let’s all try to co exist with these beautiful creatures. ♥️

11/09/2023

🦉 ♥️

10/22/2023

Even the smallest creatures need compassion too. ♥️

🐿 Seeing chipmunks scurrying around? You might be tempted to catch and relocate them to prevent the little holes they might make in your lawn. Please don’t! Relocation isn’t a humane solution, especially this time of year. A chipmunk spends the entirety of fall collecting an enormous stash of nuts and acorns for its underground larder. When winter arrives, it retreats to its burrow and eats only food it was able to store in the preceding months.
🐿
When you relocate a chipmunk, you take it away from its hard-earned stash of winter food, leaving it to starve. Chipmunks relocated to new areas are also often chased away by competitors and left without any space for warmth and safety.
🐿
Please leave your chipmunk neighbors in peace! They mean you no harm and are simply trying to survive.💞

10/09/2023

It's that time of year again - when people yell at strangers on the internet about proper pumpkin care and wildlife health. 🎃

There’s a lot of misinformation out there, so your favorite wildlife nerds at USFWS are sharing a friendly PSA below with key facts and considerations this spooky szn.

✨ Remember: Critters will likely eat (or at least nibble on!) your carved jack-o’-lanterns. Squirrels, raccoons, deer, moose, foxes, mice and insects might feast on the delicious orange porch snack you leave near your front door. “How nice of you!” they probably think as they eat their weight in slimy pumpkin goodness.

✨ Painted pumpkins can make for an easier way to create a fun or creepy jack-o'-lantern. However, a painted pumpkin can potentially be toxic to wildlife if they eat it. If you choose to paint your pumpkin, please keep it indoors and away from any critters who might feast on its painted flesh. You can also explore nontoxic paint options made with natural ingredients when possible.

✨ In recent years, social media users have posted various “tricks” to keep a carved pumpkin from rotting so quickly. Keep in mind that letting nature take its course is always an option. Carved pumpkins are eventually going to decompose one way or another. Always follow the directions of any product you’re applying to a pumpkin for your safety and others’ (including wildlife!).

Photo courtesy of Danielle Brigida

10/03/2023

Don’t use illegal leg traps. They are just cruel. 😞

“I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself.” - D. H. Lawrence

My heart sank... Within 24 hours of removing the illegal leg hold trap from this young fox’s leg, it became obvious his foot could not be saved.

Despite no bones being broken, the blood flow did not return to the foot. The tissue was beginning to die…

The decision of what to do next was not made lightly. We sought advice from many experienced parties. The better part of yesterday was spent on the phone, writing emails and getting as much information as possible to make a decision about what to do and to get the proper permissions to do it.

I know he would likely not tolerate permanent placement, as he is old enough to know he is supposed to be free and fears people. He either needed to be humanely euthanized to end his suffering or go into emergency surgery for an amputation.

But would this be fair to him? Could he live a good life despite being down a leg? We know that domestic animals often do just fine, despite amputations, but how do wild animals fair?

It’s not a simple answer. It depends largely on the animal and which leg it is. There are articles that suggest that quadrupeds (four legged animals), frequently adapt well to three legs, in the wild.

“The natural world is filled with examples of three-legged deer, lions, tigers, and other animals that thrive in the wild, even without human intervention.” - National Geographic

We ended up deciding on the surgery and it was determined that the entire leg would need to be removed, as leaving a stump would not benefit him in any way and was more likely to cause him problems in the future.

We are very fortunate to work with dedicated wildlife rehabilitator and veterinarian, Dr. Leef. She has experience doing amputations and was comfortable taking on the task of the emergency surgery he would need. He was rushed in for surgery yesterday and the team at Heal Veterinary Clinic did an incredible job. We are so grateful for them. 🙏❤️🙏

He came back to the rescue for close observation through the night. We kept him in an incubator to keep him warm and comfortable. At 3 am, he made it clear he wanted to get out. I opened the door to the incubator and stepped back. I gave him run of the rehab room to observe him. I wanted to see how mobile he was.

I was blown away by how well he is already moving around. He has quickly, and seemingly effortlessly, found a way to balance himself. I read that long tails are very helpful as a counter balance for three legged animals. Maybe a fox’s tail makes the transition that much easier.

He didn’t appear sad. He didn’t even look tired. He was wide awake and clearly on a mission. He didn’t seem to even notice the missing leg. He paced the room and sniffed around. Turns out he was very hungry.

No one told him he is supposed to be upset about this. No one explained to him that this situation wasn’t fair. No one informed him that his life was supposed to be easier than this.

Watching him this morning, I am very optimistic about a successful rehabilitation. I don’t get the feeling he really cares about how things were supposed to be. He seems focused on moving on with today and what lies ahead.

I feel like we could all learn a lot from him. He’s inspired me already.

09/27/2023

https://patch.com/massachusetts/marlborough/marlborough-pond-duckling-graveyard-wildlife-rescuer-speaks-out

Wildlife rescuer Alyssa Giaquinto wants the public to stop leading ducks to their deaths. Here's what to know about the problem.

09/24/2023

We were proud to attended the first annual “Run for Wildlife” this morning with our friends at MA Fish and Wildlife. They raised over $10,000 to help with the conservation of endangered species in Massachusetts.

Nova was the youngest runner today! We had fun in the kids fun run to start the race events! There was a 5k and a 10k that followed! 🦅 💚

09/15/2023

If I’m not rescuing wildlife, I’m rescuing domestic ducklings that someone dumped at a pond. This poor baby was all alone and crying at the local duck pond. He or she is probably only a couple weeks old, as she has no feathers, only baby duck down. I spoke with someone who goes often to the pond and they said there were originally two and one disappeared the day before. 😞

These poor ducklings are domestic and not intended for the wild. After a couple attempts, some knee high wading boots and a net, I was able to snag this guy today. He is safe with me now.

Please let people know that dumping domestic ducks at a pond is just plain cruel. They do not live long, even as adults, but ducklings barely make it a day or two on their own. I wish people understood this and were not so cruel. There are other options on surrendering a pet.

09/11/2023

Here is a great video from our good friend Jessica Zorge at Raptor Tales Rescue. We get so many calls about injured raptors and how to safely contain them. Jess does this with such ease and you can see how calm the injured red-tailed hawk remains during the entire capture.

Sometimes wildlife rescues are done so quickly, we aren’t able to get them all on video and I am so glad Jess was able to record this to show everyone. ♥️

09/07/2023

Migration Alert! Tonight thru Saturday, expect over 300 MILLION birds to be in the air each night, guided by the moon and stars. Sadly, bright lights can confuse and disorient them, leading to collisions with buildings and windows. It's time for us to step up and make a difference! Turn off non-essential lighting at night. You can make glass safer for birds by day, too with simple window treatments. . Learn more here: https://birdcast.info/science-to-action/lights-out/

Here's our Top 4 Lights Out tips:
1. Turn off unnecessary outdoor lights: Every light that's not needed can be switched off to create a more natural, darker environment for these travelers.
2. Use motion sensors or timers: If you need outdoor lighting for safety, try motion sensors or timers to ensure lights are on only when needed.
3. Close curtains and blinds to prevent indoor light from spilling outside.
4. Spread the word: Share this message with your friends and, neighbors. The more people who know, the bigger our impact!

08/23/2023

Come join us at the “Run for Wildife”! Run to support endangered species conservation in Massachusetts! 🦅 🏃‍♀️

08/17/2023

Quick update on our local foxes in Marlborough that are suffering from mange. Animal Control and our center have received many calls about several foxes in the city that look skinny and are missing fur. These foxes are suffering from sarcoptic mange. It is a parasite infestation that presents itself as fur loss and severe itching in animals.

You are seeing these foxes out during the day because they are simply trying to keep themselves warm. Sarcoptic mange causes the animal to have trouble regulating their body temperature. They are also coming closer to residential areas because they are lethargic and looking for food.

We are aware of just a few that are currently suffering with mange and are monitoring their situation. Right now these foxes are very mobile and unfortunately, that makes them impossible to catch. We can not trap, or leave medicated food for them, as both of these options are extremely dangerous to them and other wildlife and domestic pets.

Animal control has attempted numerous times to catch one particular fox, but since this fox is so mobile, it is an impossible task. Unfortunately, until these foxes have declined to the point they are immobile, it makes it almost impossible to catch them.

If you do see a fox with mange, please stay far away from it. Please do not chase it or try to catch it yourself, as this will stress the animal out. If you notice the local fox with mange, is wandering into your garage or shed for shelter, and you feel comfortable doing this, you could close the door behind it and call a professional for help.

I want to make it very clear that we care and Animal Control cares deeply about these foxes. We all care about wildlife, which is why we do what we do. However, catching a fox with mange, is extremely, extremely difficult. Please do not think that we do not care. We do. The best thing you can do is keep your distance and not stress these vulnerable animals out anymore than they already are.

Thank you for caring about these little guys. 🦊

07/15/2023

Three more mallards back into the wild…

Ever hear the term “Like a duck to water”? Well these three did not get that memo. I have never seen mallards not want to go into water, until now.

These three were a bit of a challenge. They were found at one day old, drowning under a waterfall. The rest of their siblings drowned and their mother was no where to be found. I can’t say for sure if this traumatic incident led to them being hesitant to go into water during their rehab time, but these three were certainly different.

Since these are dabbling ducks and often feed out of the water, I had to physically place them in water each day and make sure they could swim and eat while swimming. They all can swim just fine and are fully capable of finding food on the water.

After I released them, I watched all three swimming and eating in the water and I knew they’d be just fine.

Wishing them the best of luck in the wild! ♥️🦆

06/22/2023

Young Joeys sometimes fall off their moms back and can't keep up, if you find a small opossum 7 inches or less in size, please carefully pick them up and put them in a warm box and call a wildlife rehabilitator.

Opossums also often get hit by cars. Stop and check to see if there are babies in female opossums pouches. You could save lives!

https://wraminc.org/home/find-a-wildlife-rehabilitator

06/16/2023

First mallard release of the year! These six took their freedom ride early this morning and are now enjoying their new pond.

These babies lost their mom to a car strike at one day old, now they have a second chance at life. Shortly after I took this picture, they splashed around their new pond and found some food on their own and were later seen preening in the water having fun!!!

Be free little ducklings! I’ll miss you. ♥️

06/11/2023

Some weeks are tougher than others. Wildlife rehabilitation can certainly take a toll on you and we do not often post about the animals in our care that we lose. This week was extra tough, we lost some orphans that were brought to us a little too late and I also have been helping a friend go through the very painful and tragic loss of their beloved puppy.

Sometimes animals break our hearts and sometimes we see a picture of a mother and her newborn fawn in your parent’s back yard and you enjoy wildlife again. This mother was nursing her baby right before my mom snapped this photo. (It’s very much zoomed in, as she took it from inside the house.)

I feel so fortunate that this mother deer chose to have her baby here and trusts the peaceful and calmness of the backyard.

This does not erase all the heartbreak I had this week, but it makes me happy to see wildlife thriving so close to home. ♥️

06/01/2023

Babies are still rolling in. More mallard ducklings came in today. Somehow these poor babies lost their mommy and siblings shortly after hatching. They were found trapped under a waterfall trying to stay above water. If it were not for a brave and kind DCR worked, who waded up to her chest to save these babies, they would not be here and have a second chance at life.

Meeting kind and wonderful people like this always restores my faith in humanity. ♥️

05/31/2023

We’ve been very busy this spring with lots of orphaned baby animals. However, it has been particularly busy with orphaned waterfowl. We are currently in the process of applying for our federal permit and that means putting in the hours training and working under other federally permitted facilities. This spring we were able to care for orphaned waterfowl here at our facility while working towards our federal migratory bird rehabilitation permit.

After our application is accepted, we will have our U.S. Fish and Wildlife Federal Migratory Bird Permit. This means that we can start fundraising asap for a larger outdoor enclosure for our waterfowl for next spring.

In the next few weeks, we will be doing a couple different fundraisers to raise money for this enclosure. We will be selling t shirts and hats and also a general fundraising page.

With your help, we hope to build another large 10x12 waterfowl enclosure so that we can help many more orphaned ducklings, goslings, and cygnets for the 2024 baby season!

Please keep an eye open for our posts about fundraising and we would really appreciate any donations you can make. Every single penny goes to helping these orphaned babies. 🦆 ♥️ 🐥

05/26/2023

Hope everyone has a nice and safe weekend. We are shutting our phones off and will not be taking any phone calls or triaging any animals this weekend.

05/24/2023

***Update***Sad update on this red-tailed hawk. He suffered from a humeral fracture, multiple fractures, and was beyond saving. He was humanely euthanized and had a peaceful passing.

Unrelated was an old injury that healed. X-rays showed this poor hawk was shot and had healed from this injury. I’m glad he is no longer suffering.

It’s hard to think that anyone would shoot these raptors, but this happens quite a bit. I wish we could all just be good people, but that’s not the case. Rest easy buddy.

Teamwork makes things happen. When a kind couple found this poor Red-tailed hawk in the middle of the road, they scooped him up in a towel and brought him to the nearest vet, which happened to be about 50 feet from the downed hawk.

The vet coincidentally enough was my own vet who signs on for my wildlife license each year. She gave me a call and told me what she was brought. I immediately called Tufts Wildlife clinic, as the specialize in raptors, and they said to get him there ASAP.

A huge shout out to my dad who stopped everything and drove to my vet to pick up the poor injured hawk and rushed him over to Tufts Wildlife Clinic! Helping these animals takes a team and I’m so thankful for my team and family that never hesitate to offer to help anyway they can!

Prayers this poor guy makes it. Car strikes on hawks are extremely dangerous and wing injuries are devastating for these raptors. ♥️ 🙏

09/22/2021

Please stop using rodenticide 😞