Salem Wildlife Rescue

07/07/2025

Hugeeee shoutout to the neighbors at the top of Albion Street here in the Gallows Hill neighborhood of Salem who did the MASSIVE (ANDDDD ILLEGALLL) backyard firework show in the thickly settled neighborhood on the 3rd, 4th, and the day after on the 5th. Not only is that extremely dangerous and illegal, but due to the stress of the booming fireworks, I have a baby bunny who’s been fighting for their life over these last couple of days and is now losing the battle. Three others came down with diarrhea as a result of the extreme stress and are on the fence as to how they will turn out. This is a different group than the cute photo from the other day. This morning before work, I moved the single baby to a carrier all by himself, surrounded by the most plushy blankets and warmth, as I’m expecting him to pass within the next few hours.

And of course the keyboard warriors/firework defenders out there may say “hOw Do YoU kNoW iT wAs ThE fIrEwOrKs”. Well I spent each night they decided to have the illegal show, in the rehab room trying my best to distract and mitigate the noise. But as it was mere houses away from us, each boom made the babies jump, shake, and be in fear. Of course, I tried to call the Salem police but I’m sure they were so inundated with calls that probably by the time they got out there, they could no longer catch these people in the act. Even photo proof as well as hearing the fireworks over the phone probably wasn’t enough. I do not know for sure if they confronted these neighbors or not. But all I know is that I have babies fighting for their life, one who is losing that fight, because of fireworks.

Fireworks are illegal in the state of Massachusetts, especially in these thickly settled residential neighborhoods, and they have extremely devastating effects on our wildlife and domestic pets. Come on people, if you seriously think a few minutes of entertainment is worth losing the lives of countless animals, then you probably should seek therapy to figure out why you think you are so much better than any other living being on this planet. Every life has value, every life is important, everyone matters, and everyone has a place on this planet. So why do you think your place is above all else?

Birds and squirrels flee their nests of babies and don’t return. Animals and fish ingest firework remnants. Animals have heart attacks and drop dead. My heart aches for all of the animals affected, especially my own baby I’ve raised since he was a newborn who is losing his fight. This photo is of him. Please educate others, get law enforcement involved when you see something happen, and make better choices.

07/05/2025

I came into the rehab room to check on all of the baby bunnies and was met with this…. 6 baby bunnies crammed into one small nest (with the biggest one on top of the pile 🤣) with one sitting all by himself and lonely on the outside. Needless to say, I switched out their nest for a bigger one so all 7 babies in this group can comfortably snuggle together with room to grow. They grow so fast, it’s hard to keep up! Crazy to think that just a few days ago, the first couple founding group members were tiny hairless newborns that had PLENTY of space in this nest 😂😂 Gotta love bunnies!

06/30/2025

Hi friends! So I’m going to be trying something a bit new and seeing how it goes. By recommendation of one of my amazing friends, I’m going to be live-streaming my evening baby bunny feedings on the streaming platform Twitch! I tested it yesterday and today, and ready to announce it so we can start tomorrow! With enough followers, viewers, and interaction I could reach affiliate status also, which would be a cool thing for the rescue as well as myself! So if you already have an account over there, feel free to drop me a follow (username is in the photo) and come hangout around 6-7pm-ish EST tomorrrow evening (and maybe the next few nights) and see some adorable baby buns! At least until they’re off of formula, that is! If you don’t have an account, make one! 😂

Heads up: This is my personal account though, so I may occasionally be on for other things too, fair warning! But if you want to chat with me, hangout, ask wildlife questions, any of that, it would be great to have you! ☺️

06/28/2025

Out of all of the bunnies here, these three have been through so much. The top bunny came in a few minutes ago after being found injured in the rain over at Collins Cove. What exactly happened to this poor baby is unknown, but he is soaking wet and cold. His amazing finder scooped him up immediately and brought him for help. For now, he’s in an incubator to get dry and warm, on pain medicine and fluids, and going minute by minute at this point.

The bottom two’s tale is a little more tragic, but they are otherwise well as of now. Their mother made her nest, as too many do, in a fire pit. The nest was not discovered until the fire was lit. Their sibling sadly perished. The bunny on the left has some minor burns on his nose and the bottoms of all four paws are burned and raw, but the other sibling seemed to make it out unscathed! They smell a little smoky, but are otherwise seeming to be alright.

An honorable runner-up is a bunny whose photo I am not daring to get right now (his comfort is more important than a photo for a social media post), and is the reason why we say that if you find wildlife, DO NOT PLAY WITH THEM, CUDDLE THEM, OR TOUCH THEM WHEN A REHABBER SAYS NO. After explicit instructions to not let the child handle the bunny as the stress can literally kill them, I was still shown video footage by the nanny who brought the bunny of the child holding and playing with the baby, crying over letting him go, etc. When I reiterated that I said not to let this kid near the bunny, I was simply told “he wouldn’t listen”…. Being a parent includes teaching your kids right from wrong, and to listen. Even went so far as asking to be allowed over to visit the bunny. Not only do rehabbers do this out of our homes, but even if we wanted strangers traipsing through our home, it is NOT in the best interest of THE ANIMAL to have more human contact. The wellbeing and best interest of an animal is WAY more important than what a child wants to do with them. So this rabbit, even nearly 24 hours later, is still suffering EXTREME signs of stress. This can be fatal to them. They can and will DIE. But I’m doing everything in my power to create even more of a calm environment for this bunny in hopes that he survives.

I’m adding a donate button to this post here as funds for the care of the babies is getting a bit low, I haven’t fundraised much this year due to so much craziness, and majority of finders do not leave donations for the animals they bring in. Of course, as always, there is zero obligation, but if you wanted to help, a little goes such a long way ❤️ Wishing recovery to all of the injured bunnies here!

06/24/2025

If you haven’t already heard, the wildlife rehab community has faced a devastating loss.
Compassion fatigue, burnout, unkind comments from the public and even other rehabbers can really take a toll on us. We are unpaid volunteers after all.
You may have noticed that I haven’t posted much and haven’t taken in the volume of patients that I have done by now over the years. To be honest, I have been struggling also and have not been in a good place for a while. I’m burnt out from so many facets of life. And to top it off, not taking in as many animals has had the opposite effect where I feel horrible not being able to help save lives of those who need me. It’s a double-edged sword.

Please be kind, you never know what someone is going through and how your words may affect us. We are human after all. We all care about the animals and want to help. Please… just be kind

06/17/2025

Please keep this in mind as Independence Day comes upon us, as well as other summer festivities! Fireworks cause so much harm, fear, and even death for our wildlife!

06/11/2025

😡😡

“It was just one time.”

“My cat only scratched it—it'll be fine!”

“My cat was just playing.”

We hear these words all the time. But if you could spend even one day in our wildlife hospital, you'd see the reality behind them.

When cats are allowed to roam freely, they don’t just catch mice and rats—they decimate populations of local wildlife. Pictured here are some of the patients we've admitted due to cat attacks in only one week.

Animals attacked by cats have a very low chance of survival, even with immediate veterinary care. The injuries are often severe, and the infections caused by bacteria in a cat’s mouth and claws are fast-moving and deadly. Without treatment, survival is nearly impossible.

We don’t hate cats—we love them! But we hate the toll they take on wildlife.

If you own an outdoor cat, please consider transitioning it indoors and encouraging others to do the same. We offer helpful resources on our website to support this transition. And for cats who struggle with life indoors, an outdoor “catio” can give them safe access to the outdoors while protecting the wild animals who live there.

https://wildlifecenter.org/help-advice/wildlife-issues/case-indoor-cats/bringing-your-cat-indoors

06/07/2025

Please give this a read! Very important!!
I received baby bunnies the other day that I was caring for until another rehabber was free to take over this morning. They were kidnapped from the nest by a kid, being “cared for” for days with kitten milk, farther away rehabbers who did have space weren’t contacted, and the babies were severely emaciated, dehydrated, small, and weak. One of them died. I busted my butt for the last two days before they were transferred this morning and they have seemed to turn the corner for the best. Most babies, especially bunnies, aren’t this lucky. Do not EVER feed baby wildlife you find!!!!!

8 STEPS THAT SAVE LIVES IN A WILDLIFE EMERGENCY

They are at the mercy of their finders....
We see lives lost all the time because the animal’s finder lacked either the knowledge or the motivation to help during a critical time.

Be the finder that saves a life.

1. STOP - be willing to stop for a moment and observe the situation. If you think an animal is harmed or in danger, take the time to pull over or stop what you are doing to really take a look at the situation. If you think the animal may be deceased, watch for a minute to see if it is still breathing.

2. BE SAFE - don’t put yourself in a situation where the animal may bite or scratch you. This may not only harm you, but may result in the animal having to be euthanized for rabies testing. This happens more than you think.

3. ACT QUICKLY - If something doesn’t seem right, don’t wait hours or days to contact someone. You can always call a local wildlife rehabilitator and ask if the animal needs assistance if you aren’t sure.

4. CALL AROUND - Don’t give up if the first person you call doesn’t respond. Call your local wildlife rehabilitator, animal control, the Environmental police or the police department. Leave messages if they don’t answer. Be the animal’s advocate. Most state websites have a section where permitted wildlife rehabilitators are listed.

5. WARM, DARK, QUIET - If you can safely contain the animal, keep it in a warm, dark and quiet place until you can get it to someone who can help. Don’t play music in the car if you are transporting it. Don’t keep the animal near pets or children.

6. DON’T OFFER FOOD OR LIQUIDS - Do not offer food or water. In many circumstances, giving food or water can actually make things worse. For example, if an animal is hypothermic, its body can not process anything until it’s temperature is normalized.

7. BE WILLING TO DRIVE - Be willing to take the animal to where it needs to go. Don’t wait until someone is able to come pick it up. That can waste valuable time and could be the difference between life and death.

8. CONSIDER DONATING - We know it’s not your pet and not your responsibility. Wildlife rehabilitators do not get paid by the state to care for wildlife and donate their time to help these animals in need. Often, they use their personal funds to cover the cost of care. The more funding they have, the more they can provide for the wildlife in their care. Consider that the majority of people who drop off animals do not donate. If you can spare it, it will be appreciated. However, even if you can’t donate, wildlife rehabilitators don’t expect it and will still be happy to help an animal in need. Don’t let that stop you from getting the animal help.

PLEASE HELP US GET THE WORD OUT! A finder’s quick response to an animal in need can often be the difference between life and death! 🙏🙏🙏

06/05/2025

I haven’t had much to share lately, as I’ve had to pause most intakes due to going away for a couple of days next week. Tonight I’m taking in a couple of babies for another rehabber temporarily until she can take them, so I’m setting up for that now.

But. I admittedly have slacked off BIG TIME on sharing any updates of SWR’s domestic bunny Benny! So many people were in love with him when I got him, and since there have been so many new friends here, I figured it was time to re-introduce the big guy! Especially since if you go to indoor events that I do for the rescue, he does come with me as I can’t bring wildlife!

Benny has been with me for over a year and a half now. When the Salem police called me for advice on a domestic bunny they found dumped in a park eating with the wild cottontails, I offered to take him in temporarily for the night and bring him to a shelter the next day. I had even set up shelter placement. Wellllll… I fell for his cuteness (and he hid his devilish side 😂🤣❤️), my landlord said I could keep him, he was cleared by a vet as otherwise healthy despite his obvious signs of neglect, and the rest is history! Since he was found in September, my suspicion is that he was gotten as a baby as an Easter pet, and then unfortunately dumped when the novelty of a cute little bunny wore off and they realized how much of a responsibility and commitment rabbits really are. That’s my guess anyway. It’s very heartbreaking!

But since he has been here, Benny has gained weight, gotten neutered, and above all, found a home where he is so so so loved! He has gotten to meet so many people. He has attended events with me every Easter ever since where I speak about why rabbits should not be given as gifts, especially to kids and without proper research, and educating people on the work it takes to care for a rabbit! He isn’t very cuddly, doesn’t often love being pet or kissed, he doesn’t run to greet me like other people’s rabbits do, but he shows his love and appreciation in his own way and I absolutely love this sweet little guy more than anything! He has gotten to meet so many people in our educational talks and events, and I am so happy to share him with all of you. After all, everybody crowd funded when I first got him to help me with the unexpected emergency vet bill that came with him going into GI stasis right after his arrival due to the sheer amount of ticks on his little body that had to get removed.

But anyway, this is Benny the bunny, and I hope you love him as much as I do! And I hope that you can make it to an event I am at so that you also can meet the adorable little bunny who has changed my life ❤️

05/29/2025

For those who saw the post I just made an hour ago, and those who saw this initial post… This sweet baby resting on his fluffy pillow was the one who was lost in the tragedy with the cat. My sweet little pillow-loving baby 😭

Just a spoiled little bunny baby enjoying the plushy pillow bed of his hideaway bed 😍🥰 I felt so bad having to pull him off of it for feeding time, but I definitely sat there for many minutes, teary-eyed from the cuteness, just watching him lay there comfortably and feeling safe without a care in the world! Any day now, their eyes will start peeking open too! The adorableness is REAL

05/29/2025

I’m going to get upset for a minute here. KEEP. YOUR. D*MN. CATS. INDOORS. Gallows Hill neighborhood neighbors, I’m talking to you directly now. I’m saving the gruesome photo so no one has to see it, but you’ll see why in a minute that I shared his ear.

Yesterday I saw a small bunny near the driveway while putting away the trash barrels. “Aww cute”, I thought. “The backyard bunny must’ve had babies who grew up”. He hopped away and I didn’t think much of it. Fast forward to LITERALLY RIGHT NOW. I got done work, went to the store quick, and came back. Getting out of the car, I saw flies buzzing around something. I get close… that baby bunny. I instantly felt horrible… until I got even closer… and noticed his ear. Green dot. My baby. When the babies are little, their ears are marked with nontoxic nail polish to tell them apart. Sometimes it takes a while for that to come off and a baby is released with a residual dot of ear color! That’s one of MY released bunnies. I released him at the park down the street days ago in a thick wooded area…… and he found his way back home… just to be killed.

Now you might be thinking, “Jess you’re being emotional. How do you know it was one of the neighbors’ cats that they stupidly let outdoors like irresponsible pet owners?” Well a fox, hawk, coyote, owl, etc isn’t going to let their food go. They will eat them. A cat hunts to hurt, maim, and kill. Not to eat. The condition of this baby’s injuries and facial wounds is what I have seen from cats. And this is extra personal because this was one of MY BABIES. A baby I raised from a little baby, who survived despite all of the odds of cottontails in rehab, and released him in an area that was beautiful and safe. My baby found his way down the block and back to my yard, just to be needlessly m*rdered by the cat of a careless irresponsible neighbor. Go ahead, share this. Please do. I hope they see it. I have seen a cat or two lurk around our yard in the past and I always chase the dang thing away when I see it. Don’t get me wrong, I love cats. My two girls are my world. But I NEVER let them outdoors to be killing machines.

I’m appalled, hurt, heartbroken, and furious. This was MY baby bunny. And I hope whatever neighbor is also conveniently on the top of this neighborhood’s hill with a cat they let outdoors sees this and knows what their cat is REALLY doing outside. Not that they’ll care because they clearly don’t care about anything if they let their cat out to begin with. But maybe, just maybe, they’ll keep it inside and stop it from killing the rest of my baby bunnies so that I never have to step outside and see the half-missing face of one of my rehab babies covered in flies, only distinguishable by the residual ear paint, in our yard again. He hopped so far to get back home… and I’m a sobbing mess. I am sick of this and always having to tell people to keep their cats inside. Please share this far and wide, especially in local Salem groups, so that it reaches the right audience and neighbor, whoever they are. I hope I never see this cat in the yard again. The last one I saw near my house was a kinda-fat white and brownish cat. Please keep the cats inside…