Salem Wildlife Rescue

09/01/2025

It’s almost the day! The moving truck comes Wednesday to load everything and I’m stilllll packing. Dang, I guess you never really know how much stuff you have until you’re moving 😅 even after donating a few carloads of my things to the thrift store and one full carload of rescue supplies to an animal rescue, I’m still drowning in boxes! If you stop hearing from me, just know it’s because I went missing in the jungle of moving boxes 😂😂😂

I’m going to have to replace 99% of my caging once I’m there, so stay tuned as I may do a small fundraiser closer to the time after I measure out how much space I’m working with.

I’m so nervous to move, sad to leave the wonderful rehabber community in Massachusetts, but I’m excited to have a new start in life and save more animals. It’s bittersweet to leave Salem too; the community here is unlike anything else, but I’m VERY excited to not have to deal with tourists everywhere and Salem traffic just to go what should be 5min from my house 😂 If you ever find yourselves in south-central-ish North Carolina (I’ll be in Pinehurst area), please reach out to come say hi!

08/09/2025

Sharing my big post here again, as I know not everyone has seen it (thanks FB!!). I’m still getting calls and messages about animals, so resharing so hopefully more people can see!

You may have also seen/heard, but last week I was reached out to by WBZ News Radio, GBH, and The Salem News about my closure and relocation. It was so heartwarming to see so many people who care and to have these media sources reach out to want to chat about my story. Very bittersweet of course, but I feel so lucky.

And since posts about it keep getting hidden, I did create a GFM (check c o m m e n t s below for the l i n k) after many people asking me to do so! It goes towards the large expense of having a moving company assist, especially with moving the fragile rescue equipment and LOTS of supplies! I’ve been getting tons of quotes, almost fell for one scam but luckily got my deposit back, but also looking for reputable companies. As of now, R.C. Movers in Peabody will be who is helping me out! They will be loading all of my things up in early September and as they’re a partner with Atlas Van Lines, someone with Atlas will be making the long distance move. I don’t have enough things for RC Movers to make the direct drive themselves sadly! It is more pricey (quoted around $4300 for the move 😵‍💫) so every little bit helps! I’m covering majority myself since my belongings are included, but I gave in and created a GFM to assist with the cost of the rescue things! See below to check it out! Thank you all so much for the love, support, and kind words in this time and every day since I’ve opened 💕

Next step is finding a reputable and good car shipper that meets the delivery window needed, isn’t astronomically priced like some quotes I’ve gotten, and who also isn’t a scam 🙄

Slowly but surely, things are in motion!

PLEASE READ!!! So I have been struggling with how to make this post. It’s been on my mind for a while. Typing, deleting, typing again, deleting again. The thought of making this post has had me in tears and full of fear that people will unfollow me or stop supporting me, so I really hope after hearing what I have to say, you choose to still follow and support me. I am so scared to disappoint you.

For 4 years now, I’ve built Salem Wildlife Rescue from the ground up all by myself. The face behind the rescue is little ol’ me; I don’t have volunteers or staff or family help or anything. It’s just me. I’ve made a name for myself here in Salem and made so many amazing connections that would never have happened if I didn’t have this rescue. Not to mention, hundreds upon hundreds of animals saved. But trying to stay afloat living in Salem, and in Massachusetts as a whole, is very hard as a woman all alone. I just can’t do it anymore and I haven’t been as happy here.

You may have noticed that my intakes this year have been down, social media posts happening less often, attending less rescue events, and my fundraising requests haven’t been nearly as frequent. This is something that I knew was coming but I didn’t know when. It is very bittersweet, but necessary.

Effective immediately, I am no longer accepting wildlife. I will be closing down operations in Massachusetts effective immediately. I may still be able to help with triage and temporary care depending on the situation, but my rehab room and equipment will be getting packed up within the next couple of weeks at most.

Now, why? I am moving to another state by the end of September. Yes, I WILL STILL BE REHABBING!!!! Salem Wildlife Rescue will still be around and rehabbing under the same name, except from North Carolina! In chatting with other rehabbers in my new area, a cottontail rehabber is desperately needed as no one really takes them or even has any success rehabbing them, so I’m excited to be able to fill that void!

I really hope you all don’t unfollow me, stop supporting me, stop showing me love, etc. Each and every one of you means so much to me and I would not be here doing what I do if it wasn’t for you. I will still have the rescue Patreon account and I will be making a special post on there. If you choose to unfollow on there, I understand, but if you still choose to support on Patreon (link to join is in the page About section!), it is a huge help especially as I’m getting situated in another state! I would not have this rescue at this caliber if it wasn’t for your support. I’ll still be saving lives, just not around here. You’ll still get to see my work with the same cute animals! I’m going to miss meeting you at events. I’m going to miss seeing and working with the other amazing Massachusetts rehabbers who I’ve been so lucky to call my friends. All of the amazing local businesses who’ve supported and gotten to know me, I’m going to miss so much. The community here is UNMATCHED and I don’t think I’ll find anything like my Salem community in NC!

I have already talked with the wildlife folks in NC where they will accept a direct transfer of my MA rehab license and therefore exempt me from the apprentice requirements, which I’m so grateful for! As soon as I’m down there and unpacked, I will be open right away for wildlife intakes! I’m scared out of my mind for this huge change, but it’s necessary. Staying in MA and being priced out of everything doesn’t allow me nor the rescue to grow. My mental health has been horrible the last few months so I really need a change. I will be living just under 30min from one of my closest friends and her family, so I will at least have someone physically nearby when I need a friend; I don’t really have that here.

To wrap up, please do not refer any Massachusetts animals to me at this time unfortunately. Please do not unfollow or stop supporting me and the work I do as I still can’t do this without you! And above all, thank you for everything and I hope you understand why I had to make this choice. I am excited to show you the great work I’m hoping to do in NC! My new rehab room should (if my guess is correct) be slightly bigger than my current one AND I’ll have an outdoor balcony where I’m allowed to put outdoor caging for rabbits! Not big ones for squirrels, but hey it’s a start and an improvement!!!!
Thank you for everything, and I hope you stick around to see what I do! And who knows, maybe it’s more of a “see you later” than a “goodbye”! You never know what the world may hold and I may find myself back in Massachusetts one day 😊 I love you all so much, thank you for changing my life ❤️

I may do a small fundraiser later, if I get the courage to even do so/ask, if people are interested in assisting with the costs of moving alllllll of the rescue equipment, caging, and supplies down. I may donate and replace some things, but for the bigger and more expensive items, I have to keep them! No pressure at all of course, and I’ll do that later on if I can put my pride aside enough to ask for help if people want to, but I do have to have a moving company help me with moving EVERYTHING!! If this is something you think I should do, please let me know as I’m on the fence about it!

Edit 8/4/25: Please see my comment below for the GFM!

08/03/2025

I’ll be honest: moving sucks! The rehab room is the first room I’m working on, as it’s the only place I have to store boxes out of the way until the moving truck comes in just over a month! To think this is all rehab room stuff… and I’m STILL NOT DONE! 😵‍💫 I donated an SUV-full of supplies to another rescue today and a few things to other rehabbers and I still feel like it didn’t make a dent! And there’s still the whole rest of the apartment left. LAWD HAVE MERCY GUYS!! Keep me in your thoughts 😂

As I’ve been packing, it’s been hitting me pretty hard. Everything I’ve worked so hard on for the last 4 years, all of the things people have so generously donated to me, items well-loved by many animals, items that helped save lives… being packed into boxes. It’s a surreal feeling. As the apartment empties out with things being packed or donated, it’s going to keep hitting harder. This morning I booked the flights to bring my cats down, the flight back up here that same day, and then the flight the next morning to fly down with Benny and then that’s IT. Crazy to think that within a few short weeks, everything as I know it is going to change. I’m scared out of my mind, that’s for sure! Next step is booking to have my car shipped. The flights I’ve booked allow my pets in the cabin so I’m hoping that everything goes smooth with no issues and my babies have as minimal stress and fear as possible!

In getting rid of a lot of things, there’s going to be so much I have to replace when I get down there! And of course the costs associated with moving down all of the expensive/fragile equipment! I took the suggestions, sucked up my pride, and created a Gofundme to assist with the associated expenses of moving the rescue to its new home in North Carolina. If you can’t donate, please kindly share as posts with links tend to get hidden! Thank you so much, I couldn’t do this without you 💕

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-jess-and-salem-wildlife-rescue-move/cl/o?utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_content=amp13_t1&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&lang=en_US&attribution_id=sl%3Ad321fdd6-740a-43fb-9d41-79b959463c9b&ts=1754264609

08/01/2025

Thank you all so much for all of your kind words and support since I’ve announced my relocation. I was so scared of disappointing and letting down all of you, but I was met with so much love and support that it was unbelievable!

One big thing I saw mentioned in many comments was to create a Go Fund Me to assist with the costs of moving the rescue equipment and replacing some of it. Tonight I took apart just one of my large squirrel cages and that’s when I realized that it really needed to be replaced after years of taking a beating from so many squirrels! I looked at the cost of replacing for a new one, and the price has definitely gone up from when I last bought one maybe three years ago! WOW! At this point, I may need to replace all of the critter nation cages that I use for squirrels, rabbits, and opossums. I will also need to find a veterinarian down there, which I’m having trouble with, so that I can order all new medications and medical supplies. I may have to also replace a lot of of the smaller cages and carriers as well.

Reluctantly, I have created one. I put it in my name and not the rescue, as regardless all of these expenses were going to fall on me anyway; I wasn’t going to use the rescue funds to move. On top of that, I’m still trying to figure out logistics with moving the nonprofit financial piece from one state to another and with no one returning my calls, I’m afraid to do too much fundraising on the nonprofit side until I know what is best to do. So that’s why it is in my name, and therefore it will not be tax deductible. But if you were interested in wanting to help, I will put the page down below. Thank you all for suggesting this, for caring enough about me to want to help even though I am leaving the state. You are some of the most amazing humans I have encountered in my life and I am so grateful for you 🥰

07/30/2025

PLEASE READ!!! So I have been struggling with how to make this post. It’s been on my mind for a while. Typing, deleting, typing again, deleting again. The thought of making this post has had me in tears and full of fear that people will unfollow me or stop supporting me, so I really hope after hearing what I have to say, you choose to still follow and support me. I am so scared to disappoint you.

For 4 years now, I’ve built Salem Wildlife Rescue from the ground up all by myself. The face behind the rescue is little ol’ me; I don’t have volunteers or staff or family help or anything. It’s just me. I’ve made a name for myself here in Salem and made so many amazing connections that would never have happened if I didn’t have this rescue. Not to mention, hundreds upon hundreds of animals saved. But trying to stay afloat living in Salem, and in Massachusetts as a whole, is very hard as a woman all alone. I just can’t do it anymore and I haven’t been as happy here.

You may have noticed that my intakes this year have been down, social media posts happening less often, attending less rescue events, and my fundraising requests haven’t been nearly as frequent. This is something that I knew was coming but I didn’t know when. It is very bittersweet, but necessary.

Effective immediately, I am no longer accepting wildlife. I will be closing down operations in Massachusetts effective immediately. I may still be able to help with triage and temporary care depending on the situation, but my rehab room and equipment will be getting packed up within the next couple of weeks at most.

Now, why? I am moving to another state by the end of September. Yes, I WILL STILL BE REHABBING!!!! Salem Wildlife Rescue will still be around and rehabbing under the same name, except from North Carolina! In chatting with other rehabbers in my new area, a cottontail rehabber is desperately needed as no one really takes them or even has any success rehabbing them, so I’m excited to be able to fill that void!

I really hope you all don’t unfollow me, stop supporting me, stop showing me love, etc. Each and every one of you means so much to me and I would not be here doing what I do if it wasn’t for you. I will still have the rescue Patreon account and I will be making a special post on there. If you choose to unfollow on there, I understand, but if you still choose to support on Patreon (link to join is in the page About section!), it is a huge help especially as I’m getting situated in another state! I would not have this rescue at this caliber if it wasn’t for your support. I’ll still be saving lives, just not around here. You’ll still get to see my work with the same cute animals! I’m going to miss meeting you at events. I’m going to miss seeing and working with the other amazing Massachusetts rehabbers who I’ve been so lucky to call my friends. All of the amazing local businesses who’ve supported and gotten to know me, I’m going to miss so much. The community here is UNMATCHED and I don’t think I’ll find anything like my Salem community in NC!

I have already talked with the wildlife folks in NC where they will accept a direct transfer of my MA rehab license and therefore exempt me from the apprentice requirements, which I’m so grateful for! As soon as I’m down there and unpacked, I will be open right away for wildlife intakes! I’m scared out of my mind for this huge change, but it’s necessary. Staying in MA and being priced out of everything doesn’t allow me nor the rescue to grow. My mental health has been horrible the last few months so I really need a change. I will be living just under 30min from one of my closest friends and her family, so I will at least have someone physically nearby when I need a friend; I don’t really have that here.

To wrap up, please do not refer any Massachusetts animals to me at this time unfortunately. Please do not unfollow or stop supporting me and the work I do as I still can’t do this without you! And above all, thank you for everything and I hope you understand why I had to make this choice. I am excited to show you the great work I’m hoping to do in NC! My new rehab room should (if my guess is correct) be slightly bigger than my current one AND I’ll have an outdoor balcony where I’m allowed to put outdoor caging for rabbits! Not big ones for squirrels, but hey it’s a start and an improvement!!!!
Thank you for everything, and I hope you stick around to see what I do! And who knows, maybe it’s more of a “see you later” than a “goodbye”! You never know what the world may hold and I may find myself back in Massachusetts one day 😊 I love you all so much, thank you for changing my life ❤️

I may do a small fundraiser later, if I get the courage to even do so/ask, if people are interested in assisting with the costs of moving alllllll of the rescue equipment, caging, and supplies down. I may donate and replace some things, but for the bigger and more expensive items, I have to keep them! No pressure at all of course, and I’ll do that later on if I can put my pride aside enough to ask for help if people want to, but I do have to have a moving company help me with moving EVERYTHING!! If this is something you think I should do, please let me know as I’m on the fence about it!

Edit 8/4/25: Please see my comment below for the GFM!

07/28/2025

Tonight this poor big man came in after being hit by a car and found in the road. The left unpictured side of his face is very bloody and he has a wound on the top of his head. He also has some obvious head trauma. Despite all of that, he’s still very feisty!

I’m closed to new intakes at the moment, but when Kim with the Lynnfield Police Department reached out to me desperate for help with the amazing finders on the other line, I moved some things around to accommodate him for the night. Heather from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife also happened to be driving by the scene and stopped to help until I got there! So until another rehabber can take over or he gets examined by a vet for true prognosis, he will be hanging out here warm, medicated, and safe.

Please pay attention while driving, especially at night! Wildlife are active at this time, and opossums are quite slow; not like they just jump out without someone noticing! So please please pay attention for the safety of our wildlife!

07/24/2025

Yesterday this tiny baby bunny came in after being found amongst his deceased siblings. It’s not clear what happened to them, but as of now, this sweet baby is warm and safe ❤️ I came in this morning and saw him laying like this, tucked into a blanket and laying against the side of the carrier as if he was in a little bed! Isn’t he just the cutest little thing?! 😍

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!