HELP US PROVIDE AID TO TEXAS WILDLIFE!
WILDLIFE RESCUE & REHABILITATION FACTS
There are two licensed rehabilitation facilities in Brazos County, & only one licensed to care for a
Paws & Claws Wildlife Rehabilitation is the sole provider licensed to care for all species of injured and orphaned wildlife in Brazos County. In fact, Paws & Claws provides wildlife rescue & rehabilitation to 5 of the 7 counties encompassing the Brazos Valley. These include Brazos, Burleson, Leon, Robertson, and Washington counties.
Opossum Town is also available for rescue and rehabilitation of Opossums. They currently accept animals originating in Brazos County.
We work with both licensed rehabs to assist with veterinary needs of animals in their care!
There are more than 1000 wildlife rescue cases annually in the Brazos Valley alone.
There is an exceptional need for wildlife rehabbers across the state. They provide shelter, food, water, medicine, and husbandry to each of these animals for months at a time until they are ready to release. Rehab facilities also play a key role in Public Health by often serving as the first line of defense in cases of potential zoonotic disease.
You must be approved by the state to rehabilitate or possess wildlife of any kind
The process of being approved and maintaining a wildlife rehabilitation permit is complex and time consuming. It requires the State of Texas to approve each person and/or facility for licensing each calendar year. It also requires an approved rehab to be licensed for each individual species. This means, rehabilitators are only allowed to provide care for the species they hold an active permit for.
Wildlife rehabilitators are NOT funded by the state
Rehabilitators in the State of Texas are considered VOLUNTEERS and receive NO financial support from state or local governments. This means all caging, food, and veterinary care are provided directly out-of-pocket.
Financial donations are the number one resource for successful rehabilitation of animals. The number two resource is volunteer hours from community members!
WILDLIFE & VETERINARY HEALTH FACTS
Emergency rescue and veterinary care for wildlife is NOT funded by the state
State and local governments do NOT reimburse animal hospitals for the cost of medical treatment of wildlife. This means, any injured or orphaned wildlife taken to a veterinary clinic will only receive care if the finder pays for intervention or the clinic is able to provide pro bono services.
We provide care for wildlife as part of our mission
Aggieland Veterinary Services is dedicated to the sustainability of our native Texas Wildlife... which is why we offer alternative services for wildlife rarely found elsewhere.
To uphold our mission, we strive to provide:
- Community outreach and education
- Services as a resource for those with questions regarding injured or orphaned wildlife as well as facilitating remote triage
- Emergency intervention and care of injured wildlife brought to AVS by the public (within Federal & State legal statutes)
- Pro bono services for capture and rescue of suffering wildlife requiring immediate intervention (at doctor's discretion)
- Cooperative partnership with local wildlife rehabilitators
However, all of this is done without financial assistance, and time dedicated to these services is often done on a volunteer basis by our staff members.
Veterinary clinics are NOT wildlife rehabilitators
AVS is not a registered wildlife rehabilitation facility. Which means, we are not permitted to accept or provide care for healthy/uninjured wildlife. We are, however, happy to assist you via the phone to "triage" situations and determine the best course of action for the animal.
Veterinarians play a crucial role in public health
Veterinarians are a primary contributor to the ONE HEALTH initiative.
A primary role they play is in prevention and identification of zoonotic diseases. What is a zoonotic disease? It is a disease that can be spread from animals to humans! The best way for wildlife veterinarians to assist the community is to be actively involved in wildlife care and rehabilitation.
You can learn more by visiting the link below.