When a rescue is not a rescue

[draggonlaady]

I was given a box of raccoons today. Yay. The people have had them for a month now, which means they're "good and acclimated to people handling them". Also, they were brought in a filthy kennel that reeked of old urine. All of them have sores on their feet of varying severity, probably from standing on a wet/urine soaked towel constantly. They were filthy and covered in feces. Somehow, I have a hard time calling the people who "rescued" them good fosters.

They are now dewormed, vaccinated for parvo and distemper, bathed, and in a larger kennel with clean bedding. Will see how they do.

Comments

[neogrammarian.livejournal.com]

Meanwhile my folks have started an expiatory, if not commonsensical, trimming of low shrubs in an attempt to see lurking coyotes better after having lost one of their 2 barncats...


I donno why I continue being surprised at your stories. Then I consider the house in which I grew up, which cared for animals entirely better than people, and I get it.

[la-roja.livejournal.com]

I think most people don't know what they are getting themselves into when they take on something like that. They have a gut level, "I can't leave these adorable, helpless babies to die" reaction and they bite off more than they can chew. Honestly I am pretty impressed that the folks realized they were unwilling/unable to give the kits what they needed and brought them to you before there was serious illness/death.

As an aside, I didn't know you did wildlife rescue! What animals do you accept?

As another aside, complete and total squee on the adorableness that is a box full of baby raccoons. I do not envy your task in raising them and keeping both the humans and the animals involved sane. Raccoons are so much trouble!

[draggonlaady.livejournal.com]

They didn't want them to start with, apparently, and had a total fit when I told them I would be putting them back in the area when they were big enough to release. And I wouldn't think that changing the towel would be beyond the capability of your standard adult.

I do just about anything; don't have facilities for large carnivores or raptors. Mostly I end up with little birds and/or fawns. Did bottle raise a bat a couple years ago.

[kresentia.livejournal.com]

Moe fun than a box of raccoons? I'm so glad I only had Kate to take care of as a baby - I can't really imagine 3 of them. Good luck!

[draggonlaady.livejournal.com]

4 of them! They are loud, and stinky, and generally baby-like. Thinking I should sell them on craigslist as "rare north american ring-tailed coatimundi" and ask $2000 each. Whatcha think?

[kresentia.livejournal.com]

Lol! Well, if it were legal I'd totally take one for Kate... Esp since they sound too socialized to be good for release.
Though $2000 is pretty steep. I'd go with $700 or so but def under $1000. You can get a kangaroo for $1200 and they cost lots more than a coati. Lol!