Hello my dear friends!
It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I have been busier than I ever could have imagined, and have had such incredible adventures since I last posted a few months ago. Where do I begin???
First: I found a squirrel! His name is Buddy...
Here's a pic of him, (nicknamed "Buddy"), moments after I found him. Before I even noticed, a client's dog had picked him up from the middle of the street, where he perhaps had fallen from the nest. When I heard squeaking coming from the dog's mouth, (yes, they really *do* sound like squeaky toys ~ guh!), I quickly got the dog to drop the squirrel where she had picked him up. I was so overwhelmed with concern for the little guy, having heard that mothers often abandon their young if another animal touches it. I felt so conflicted, knowing that the dog had already swallowed him up in his mouth. Would my touch further combat any chance of a mother and child (squirrel) reunion?
I couldn't leave Buddy potentially suffering internal injuries and stumbling in the middle of the road. So, without much forethought, I scooped up the little guy, and pretty much had him tethered to me for the next week while I nursed him back to health. During that time, I called around to various rescue leagues in the DC metro area to find professionals that could intercede. Luckily, I found such a group called "Second Chances Wildlife," in the suburbs of Maryland.
It was the longest six days of my life, where I found this intense parenting instinct that I thought had long been dormant within me. I toted this little guy in a teeny military satchel a friend gifted me years ago, and fed him diluted kitten formula (should have been puppy formula), every few hours from a puppy-sized baby bottle. It was infinitely cute, and insane to witness firsthand.
This little boo was 4 weeks old when I found him, and still all bumbling and clutzy in the cutest of ways. His vision was still rough, as he most likely just opened his eyes, and developed fur covering his entire body. He was teeny! (My baby!) And oddly enough, neither my crazy pit bull, nor my still feral cat, seemed to notice him, or be bothered by his presence. It was crazy.
It was tough to say goodbye to this little Buddy, but the right thing to do for his sake. I missed him sleeping over my heart every chance he got, or his bursts of energy and mounting courage, as he bravely began to explore the world that surrounded him. It was incredible to help one sweet little being in the world, and find this enormous reserve of love and nurturing of which I never knew I was capable. Maybe I'm not such a mess after all!
I've called the rescue league several times since I dropped him off, and he was getting stronger and healthier every day. We're all crossing our fingers, and hoping that he gets the chance he nearly missed out on, and finds his way back to the wild and wilderness that's calling his name!
But it was amazing just how many people came out of the woodwork to cheer for the wee creature! I started a group page on Facebook for Buddy so folks could follow his updates, and within a few days over 80 people joined. Friends recommended other friends, who recommended other sites, blogs, articles, and personal stories. Not to sound ridiculous, (as I do so often), but I learned so much about myself, and ultimately about humanity, through this wonderful, intense experience. As concerned as I have been for this little guy's well being, and scared I was that he might not make it, I saw so many people rally around, well wishing for this wee fellow they had never even met themselves. So many strangers forged connections with me to offer their insights, their consolations, their *hope* above all.
Hope... It wasn't until I found it that I realized just how much of it was missing in my life. And despite not getting the luxury of having Buddy cuddle with me every day, or seeing his ridiculously cute face from dusk til dawn, he helped me find what I needed most. I miss the little guy, but I'm relieved at this new found sense of hope, and this faith in humanity, that even when things look bleak, we can try our damnedest to turn them around. Buddy's wobbly health has made a recovery, and this process has turned around my sense of cynicism and disbelief.
Maybe it can really work out in the end.
(If you want to see more pics & video of Buddy, the Wonder Squirrel, check out this other blog on him: __)
http://buddylovesquirrel.blogspot.com/
I hope you enjoy! All the best, Will
It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I have been busier than I ever could have imagined, and have had such incredible adventures since I last posted a few months ago. Where do I begin???
First: I found a squirrel! His name is Buddy...
Here's a pic of him, (nicknamed "Buddy"), moments after I found him. Before I even noticed, a client's dog had picked him up from the middle of the street, where he perhaps had fallen from the nest. When I heard squeaking coming from the dog's mouth, (yes, they really *do* sound like squeaky toys ~ guh!), I quickly got the dog to drop the squirrel where she had picked him up. I was so overwhelmed with concern for the little guy, having heard that mothers often abandon their young if another animal touches it. I felt so conflicted, knowing that the dog had already swallowed him up in his mouth. Would my touch further combat any chance of a mother and child (squirrel) reunion?
I couldn't leave Buddy potentially suffering internal injuries and stumbling in the middle of the road. So, without much forethought, I scooped up the little guy, and pretty much had him tethered to me for the next week while I nursed him back to health. During that time, I called around to various rescue leagues in the DC metro area to find professionals that could intercede. Luckily, I found such a group called "Second Chances Wildlife," in the suburbs of Maryland.
It was the longest six days of my life, where I found this intense parenting instinct that I thought had long been dormant within me. I toted this little guy in a teeny military satchel a friend gifted me years ago, and fed him diluted kitten formula (should have been puppy formula), every few hours from a puppy-sized baby bottle. It was infinitely cute, and insane to witness firsthand.
This little boo was 4 weeks old when I found him, and still all bumbling and clutzy in the cutest of ways. His vision was still rough, as he most likely just opened his eyes, and developed fur covering his entire body. He was teeny! (My baby!) And oddly enough, neither my crazy pit bull, nor my still feral cat, seemed to notice him, or be bothered by his presence. It was crazy.
It was tough to say goodbye to this little Buddy, but the right thing to do for his sake. I missed him sleeping over my heart every chance he got, or his bursts of energy and mounting courage, as he bravely began to explore the world that surrounded him. It was incredible to help one sweet little being in the world, and find this enormous reserve of love and nurturing of which I never knew I was capable. Maybe I'm not such a mess after all!
I've called the rescue league several times since I dropped him off, and he was getting stronger and healthier every day. We're all crossing our fingers, and hoping that he gets the chance he nearly missed out on, and finds his way back to the wild and wilderness that's calling his name!
But it was amazing just how many people came out of the woodwork to cheer for the wee creature! I started a group page on Facebook for Buddy so folks could follow his updates, and within a few days over 80 people joined. Friends recommended other friends, who recommended other sites, blogs, articles, and personal stories. Not to sound ridiculous, (as I do so often), but I learned so much about myself, and ultimately about humanity, through this wonderful, intense experience. As concerned as I have been for this little guy's well being, and scared I was that he might not make it, I saw so many people rally around, well wishing for this wee fellow they had never even met themselves. So many strangers forged connections with me to offer their insights, their consolations, their *hope* above all.
Hope... It wasn't until I found it that I realized just how much of it was missing in my life. And despite not getting the luxury of having Buddy cuddle with me every day, or seeing his ridiculously cute face from dusk til dawn, he helped me find what I needed most. I miss the little guy, but I'm relieved at this new found sense of hope, and this faith in humanity, that even when things look bleak, we can try our damnedest to turn them around. Buddy's wobbly health has made a recovery, and this process has turned around my sense of cynicism and disbelief.
Maybe it can really work out in the end.
(If you want to see more pics & video of Buddy, the Wonder Squirrel, check out this other blog on him: __)
http://buddylovesquirrel.blogspot.com/
I hope you enjoy! All the best, Will
