You GOTTA be kidding me ...

I ran into Dick & Mona at the Piggly Wiggly about an hour ago. They have 80 acres of Northwoods about 8 miles out of the Village. A big part of it is a maple tree stand. They tap the maple trees in early spring season. About 4 acres of it and ponds in the spring, a creek later in season. We built Dory & the orphans release mini-coondo out there in an old gnarly woodpecker tree. Little Arthur, Porky, Little Mini, & YouSoStanky inhabit that section of those woods. Behind their property {about a mile away} many others went on their Big Adventure up the hill into the holler. Watch the youtube videos if you want to see which beautiful coonies that neck of the woods belongs to. It borders DNR land. Dick is having a problem with trappers back in there and the DNR won't come out. They said we have to get the license plate numbers and then call back because he doesn't have enough field help. I'm livid. They are putting up traps on posted private property and the game warden won't come out. We have to catch them first. I can't believe this. I don't feel well. Have had this 'swine flu' for over a week now. Sitting vigil watching for poachers is going to do me in in this rain & bad weather. Wish me luck. Even when there is a safe place there are hoomans that choose to do as they wish no matter who gets hurt. please send me strength ... why can't the hoomans just leave us alone if we are on private property? And why on God's green Earth will the DNR just let them do it?

Say prayers for my orphans will you please?

thank you.

-matz
`

Coleman FFA

The Coleman FFA has a terrific opportunity to be a part of the
Campbell's Soup and the National FFA Alumni Association's Barn Reviving
Project. With the support of everyone we hope to win this contest and
help a local citizen out with rebuilding their family barn. Please read
the following information on this contest and barn.

The Barn Reviving Project is made possible through a partnership
with the Campbell Soup Company and the National FFA Alumni Association.
Together they are raising awareness about the importance of supporting
the future of American farming and the agriculture industry, our
nation's largest employer. Campbell's pledge of $250,000 to FFA is
intended to help ensure that future generations will continue growing
the quality ingredients that go into our food. This special project
provides service-learning opportunities and connects FFA Alumni and
Chapters, Campbell's Soup Company and communities through a common
initiative: sustaining the future of our food sources. One of the ways
they are doing this is by restoring five old barns a year. The barn
Coleman FFA would be involved with, would be the Augie Fudala Farm in
Bark River, Michigan. This barn is one of ten finalists which is
featured on the Campbell Soup website www.helpgrowyoursoup.com
http://www.helpgrowyoursoup.com Beginning October 1st, 2009 the
whole country will be able to vote for their favorite barn. You can vote
once a day everyday through November 30th, 2009. The five winners will
be chosen in December. The barns will be given a complete facelift with
the work being done by the Coleman and Stephenson, Michigan FFA
Chapters, FFA Alumni, family, friends and other volunteers. This is all
made possible with a grant from the Campbell Soup Company. Also, when
you vote, $1 is donated to the Nation FFA Organization.

Your votes will be greatly appreciated, so please help to spread the
word and remember to vote everyday at www.helpgroupyoursoup.com
http://www.helpgroupyoursoup.com for the Augie Fudala Barn in Bark
River Michigan.

Thanks!

`

Phylbert

Here's a little video of Phylbert the baby squirrel that came in the fourth of July weekend with a broken leg. He'd spent the entire weekend alone under the bird feeder trying to eat bird seed. Their dog had brought him home. He was about 5 weeks old. The vet couldn't help his leg so I just nursed him myself. He seems to have recovered quite nicely.


His first day of school was September 2nd like everybody else in the Northwoods Village. He came home that night, but spent the next two where ever little squirrels go. He comes home in the afternoon now, but doesn't sleep in his little pre-release cage anymore.

Have a great adventure Phylbert! And thanks for staying around so I know you're safe.
`

Big Adventure Day August 31, 2009

These three raccoons were released today in the Northwoods. They are smaller than normal for this time of year to begin with {only 17 pounds}. Around the fourth of July, as you know if you've been following the blog, someone decided to throw poison of some type into the enclosure perimeters. 16 became seriously ill. It was buy them daily medication at over $36 per day or get a freezer to replace the defunct one. They got medication freezer can be on the wish list for a bit longer I guess. Some were too small to fight it. Some were not so small but it took them too. This will haunt me forever. Why would someone do such a horrible thing to such precious creatures? You can help by sending gently used items from our Wish List on Dory & the Orphans website -- many items you would probably throw away anyway. Your donations not only help the Raccoon Orphanage in the Northwoods, they help LBA members rehabbing in all the States and Canada.

You know? For the past nine weeks I have been taking care of everything by myself when it comes to chores and taking care of the wildlife here. There are more than coonie babies. There are turles [yes more than one these days], squirrels, rabbit, ferret, ferals, unwanted parakeets and a zebra finch, and of course, the guard dog. I am also a single mother trying to raise fine upstanding children. Tomorrow school starts in the Northwoods and my #1 volunteer helper baby girl will be in her senior year. She's taking three college courses this semester as well. President of Coleman's FFA Chapter, State FFA Honors Band, Marinette County Badger Girl and first flute in the Coleman High School Band.

Tommorrow school will also start for the dozen babies and juvies in Blarnia [my outbuilding]. They will get to move into the Coondo now and hopefully the CoonCam will be back online. I took it offline when it was tampered with and left it down as it was not good to have public viewing sick and dying creatures. It really was [and still is] unbearable to find I couldn't protect them on my own private property.

Some of you local citizens that read my blog should consider organizing a collection drive for baby blankets, paper towels, stuffed animals, toddler toys, things on the wish list that I have to purchase for these wildlife orphans. Baby raccoons need these for developing their sense of touch. In the wild they have trees and leaves, bark and moss. Help me help these creatures PLEASE. What I don't use here is distributed to wildlife rehabbers in all the states. Please help the LBA Maybe you can't hold these wild ones and feed them, but you can help them survive by donating your unwanted gently used items instead of giving them to Goodwill or throwing them away -- even just once is a big help!
`

Mid-July 2009 Rehab Season

In this video you will see me carrying my Hiway. She wasn't well. She had withered away to half her body size due to someone poisoning the perimeter areas of my enclosures. You will see they are all forced to be locked inside the Coondo itself and not be able to dig & climb in the perimeter. Of the juvies in this video that Hiway & I are checking on only 4 have survived the attack.

Northwoods weather

Well. It appears winter is setting in up here in the Northwoods -- or so it
seems. OK call it autumn if you want but it's too freakin COLD! Up to 53 [11.66C] now but it's 6 a.m. and August. It should be HOT. Or at least above 70 [21C] ....

Release day in the Northwoods this week for the ones that escaped the poisoning. Grand total of 3. Kinda makes my stomach sick -- should be an even dozen.

Hiway, Shazbot & Shirley appear to have made a nice recovery. However, since Hiway & Shazbot were separated for so long during their poisoning recovery? They are now arch enemies and cannot be housed together anymore. How sad. After 2 1/2 years of being constant companions, a stupid evil hooman poison has caused them to not know each other anymore.

There is another even dozen little coonies in Blarnia [the out building] that are still very small. Quite unusual for this time of year in the Northwoods -- they may be able to become inhabitants of the big Coondo by this week sometime. They will need several weeks of good weather to prepare for our Northwoods winters. Let's hope Mother Nature allows us that.

Phylbert [the baby gray squirrel who had a broken leg] has made a full recovery and gets to run around outside of his pre-release cage sometimes. He's about ready to go on his Big Adventure any day -- actually -- he can go already if he wants to but he likes to stick around closer to the orphanage. Like on top of my head or in my arms. :^)

Texas please send heat.
`

Raffle tickets

This month William at TruckenTraffic is holding a raffle drawing for Dory & the Orphan. He has some awesome prizes for August and you don't have to be a member of TruckenTraffic to participate. Click Here to get your raffle ticket!






Thanks William! You're the best!!

-Matzo

Poem to the LBA

These creatures in our care?
They may be found most anywhere
Some are wild some are pets
Some won't even be seen by vets
You might see some that are so small
They appear to be nothing at all
Or others immense and very scary
If you look the sizes vary
They purr, they fight, they even bite
some nocturnal, up all night

When you walk into my home
It's only me but I'm never alone
Walk slowly if the dog lets you in
Speak softly, do not wake the ones within
There are rescued ferals, unwanted birds
baby coonies, squirrels, turds
All unwanted by the hooman race
all disadvantaged because of that fast pace
Mothers killed, kidnapped or trapped
left to die -- who cared about that?
"Let Mother Nature take it's course"?
You built the road and drove the cars
Now these creatures are one of ours.

These creatures in our care?
They belong most anywhere
When you walk in my home
you'll find the creatures not alone
Our spirits intermingle we give each other strength
we have today and that is all, we'll do what we must do
for tomorrow never gets here, this morning is half gone
We will go through here and now because that isn't long.

-matz

2009 orphans

View some of the 26 orphans that have come in since Father's Day at
http://doryandtheorphans.com/coonies09.htm

,

Reward offered

Anyone with information regarding the poisoning of the raccoons at my orphanage, attempted arson of my building and horrific death of my daughter's pet rabbit will be offered a reward for the arrest and conviction of the perp.

.

Hiway

My big fat girlfriend Hiway became seriously ill last week. Her 'normal' never ceasing frantic pacing due to her brain damage as an infant ceased. She began just laying in whatever mud she could find to keep cool and quit eating. Hiway is my educational keeper coonie of 2+ years now. She is my bestest girlfriend and the love of my life. I have been devastated for over a week feeling stupid not knowing what to do for her. I can advise just about anyone with a coonie what the problem is and what to do. But .... apparently could not think clearly enough to diagnose my own best girlfriend's issues. Until about an hour ago I thought she was going to cross over Rainbow Bridge and leave me. I have been a basket case. Many many people have been praying for her as they know what she means to me.

This was posted in my group by a dear friend and colleague and thought I'd share with you, as I had truly forgotten.

"Hiway, a few personal thoughts"

Gotta say a coupla things here, or try to. Matters of cosmic reciprocity and such are hard to put in human language, but that has never stopped me from trying before, so i will post this and then i will shut up and wait out the weekend in hope and prayer, too.

For those of you who were not here yet, or were and have forgotten the Hiway beginning a couple of years ago...(i hope Matz will forgive me for sharing this):

Avermectins are a class of drugs with similar properties, Ivermectin being one of the most common...BUT the dose the vet gave Matz to administer, as Doc Sandy said later that night "was about what you'd give a horse. It will kill her," she said. And that pronouncement nearly killed our Matzo; Matzo had mindmelded with this pathetic little bunch of fur and bones, sat through the entire night (or was it two?)picking and flushing maggots from her eyes, held and hummed her in and out of consciousness, clung on to faith in coonies' "amazing recuperative powers", marvelled at her fight to live when she rallied, cradled her when the very Essence ebbed, and suddenly in a stabbing moment saw herself as the instrument of the little thing's demise. She had given the shot that was going to kill Hiway.

I believe she would have willingly followed Hiway right into coma just so the little waif wouldn't have to go there alone. But Hiway didn't die. She knew the Presence was there for her and together they battled back through the dehydration, kidney failure, liver overload, neuro trauma, brain damage...and finally Hiway awoke, somewhat changed, but forever grateful to her Matzomom. And Matzo awoke, also somewhat changed. She had always had "the touch" with wildlife, always had healing hands, but each rehab was a challenge of symptoms, a partnered battle against whatever elements were trying to bring down that particular individual. Some were more endearing and memorable, but for each one the healing and release was the thing. They all got to her, as we all know coonies do, and each release brought days of melancholy and the crabbies, then softened as new needs arose. But Matz said, in the middle of one of the nights of Hiway, "This one's different. There's something about this one". And there is. They reached a place within each other that is usually closed to members of the same species, let alone another. Matz's healing will bolstered Hiway's, and Hiway took that weary little hannie and touched a place in Matzo's heart that even she didn't know needed healing.

So. That is how The Guru of all Things Coonie, who had always, "until that very week, day, hour and moment" lived and breathed rehab and release, and who had consistently proclaimed against "keeper coonies" (believing what Jani did was wonderful, but housecoonies are generally not the thing to do) suddenly had one.

The group responded with great glee and much teasing as phrases like "my best Girlfriend" issued forth from the erudite and clinically correct Ms.Matzo. Well, Hiway didn't truly become a housecoonie, but is, i believe the term is "permitted education animal"...a small(?!) fur ambassador who has moved school kids, day campers and even sportsmen to a different way of seeing wildlife. And she has remained Matz's "best girlfriend".

Perhaps what she is undergoing now is a metamorphosis from her impaired self to a new level of wellness; maybe it took her brain this long and a little fever to remap itself so she could stop pacing and worrying. Or maybe she is just aging (alas, don't many of us move a little slower these days?). Or maybe she is fixin' to move on altogether. Whatever she does or wherever she goes, "Essence" there will be the better for it because she will take a part of Matzo with her. And Matzo will be the better for it, despite her very human angst, because she will carry always, Hiway.

schulz

About an hour ago she "came back" to me from her near comatose state, and is now eating and perhaps with a little more prayers, patience and faith in the amazing healing abilities of the raccoon will grace me with more years of freindship and love.

Thank you to all for your prayers for my precious Hiway!

Poem for my babies

My babies aren't perfect
They all have some little flaw
Some are only orphans
others with a hurt little paw
It matters not they are imperfect
They are little loves you see
They come in sometimes broken
But it matters not to me
I love them and they love me back
We are a sight to see
If ever in the Northwoods
Come visit imperfection and me




















Pics in order:
Crooked Lake babies (4): Hauled up in a boat from a storage locker in Green Bay. Mother was trapped in the boat for a week, finally made an escape hole and found poison to eat. Babies were put in a HavAHart trap in a small cardboard box in an attempt to trap mama. 36 hours later a game warden brought them to the orphanage seriously heat exhausted and dehydrated. 3 weeks of age.

Lac Butte de Morts babies (5}: 7 weeks of age. Highway runs along the water close to the edge and mother was hit by a car and killed.

Phylbert a 6 week old grey squirrel: Brought home by a black lab and left to eat bird seed over the weekend. Arrived 4 days later at the orphanage with a broken back leg. Vet could not fix him but physical therapy is getting him back in shape. He's at a growth spurt due to his age and his chances of survival in the wild in about 6 weeks is looking good.

Arajah the Western Painted turtle. Permanent resident of the orphanage. Arrived a year ago [brought home by a dog - tooth marks still visible on her shell] painted red with hot tar on her head and shell. Serious injury to the head. This has affected her eyesight on one side and she lives in the garden during summer months. She is currently hanging out in one of her favorite positions checking out what's left in the planter.

Wisconsin Citizens & Wildlife Rehabbers -- Urgent

“We, the senior member of the world’s scientific community warn all humanity of what lies ahead. A great change in our stewardship of the earth and the life on it is required, if vast human misery is to be avoided, and our global home on this planet is not to be irretrievably mutilated….Our massive tampering with the world’s interdependent web of life, coupled with the environmental damage inflicted by deforestation, species loss and climate change, could trigger widespread adverse effects, including unpredictable collapses of critical biological systems whose interactions and dynamics we only imperfectly understand.” Henry Kendall, Union of Concerned Scientists, issued in 1992

Do you care?

On April 13, 2009 at 7 p.m. in your county will be a meeting held for the past 75 years and kept away from the knowledge of all the Wildlife Rehabbers and non hunting public. If you want to help regulate what the DNR regulations are for YOUR state wildlife, be at this meeting in your county. If we don't do it who will? Stand up and be counted. Make a difference or suffer the environmental consequences without complaining!!

Info can be found at http://lawbreakersanonymous.com/Wisconsin-Rehabbers.htm

WAKE UP WISCONSIN AND TAKE YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE FOR OUR WILDLIFE!!! IF YOU DON'T WHO WILL?

Citizens & Wildlife Rehabbers

This email came in to the group this morning. It is rather lengthy but worth the read if you have time. It is a situation that is faced by all right now and really needs to be understood and "fixed". We need the help of citizens and rehabbers together if anything is going to be accomplished for our wildlife.

Katherine wrote:

Matzo - did you get my email a couple weeks ago about the raccoon prohibition I am fighting in Colorado?

This ignorant animal discrimination and persecution must be exposed when and where it can be. With the public, we know it requires education to counteract the harm brainwashed into them by the media and governmental wildlife agencies. Rehabbers are the most interested and qualified to do this, but the majority in no way have the time - a real catch-22. The wildlife agencies idea of 'education' is as extensive as saying "secure your trash and do not approach wildlife that is likely diseased". This is completely inadequate, fear based education.

The public only hears that advice, and any further knowledge given to them is to "leave wildlife alone, the mother will come back". They do not know how, or that more than a few hours at most is a death sentence, or they would not do it (most of them). And so many out there still do not know what a rehabber IS, how to find one, or that they even exist.

Rehabbers, justifiably I will add, have become so frustrated by humans trying to help and hurting that they have lost trust in any one not trained and licensed to enable an orphan. They fear any knowledge in such a persons hands will be a knife in a monkeys hand. Sometimes, this is true. But not always.

I know many people that, like myself, found an orphan and did not know what to do. They contacted rehabbers, and SOME (not all!) were so insulting and unwilling to let the person help, that they hung up and refused to bring the orphan to the rehabber. I get the problems with doling out any advice. My situation resulted in mega-googling. It was my first wildlife experience and it changed my life, led me to rehabbing... I think many of us started like that, but we forget. It is SO easy in this industry to begin to lose respect for the public, so many stupid humans... how I understand...!!

It is also a fact that it is too risky to stand up to our state agencies against their actions and reg's when they are the very agency that licenses us to rehab. We know 'black-balling' is real, and for the sake of future animals, we can't risk it. Another catch-22.

State wildlife agencies? Rehab only exists because it must and the agencies only tolerate it because they have to. Their true support, in states like CO, is very weak. They strangled the licensing process this past year and went from over 100 rehabbers to now 46. In this economy this means less donations - and more expenses spread among 46 instead of 100. The amount of animals needing help does not decrease due to economy!! Not good.

My points in all this are... we need to find people who CAN risk standing up to agencies for changes, we need more rehabbers coming along or at least more volunteers to help share the load and expenses, and we need these people to begin more intense educational programs out there for rehabbers and the animals.

If we who love these animals so much become of the same mind-set as the state agencies in believing that the public seeing the cute, intelligent side of these animals will lead to more "Joe Blow's wanting one for a pet" we engage into the biggest catch-22 of all... we are guilty of enabling the persecution and unjust reputations these animals are being given at an exponentially fast pace now.

In the 1980's a couple attended over 300 assemblies teaching wildlife appreciation and living in harmony... at the end of their lecture they brought out their beloved Stanleigh raccoon for a couple minutes and children (now adults) today still tell this couple how HE influenced them so much... not one of them went and got a pet, that they know of. Same for myself and the hundreds of people who loved my Zorra and thus came to see their backyard wildlife and became of the "live and let live" mindset we are losing so quickly as urban life grows and habitat shrinks.

My soapbox is showing, huh? Sorry about that. I have been thinking about all this a LOT this past year and 'interviewing' a lot of public on what they know and don't know... all in preparation for a program that I hope will work and can be shared among others out there. I am coming to the conclusion that a tiny risk of a Joe Blow wanting a pet raccoon is worth it if rehab is to become better supported and demanded, and our growing urban population is expected to have a "live and let live" mindset, as our grandparents once had.

I believe this can be done in a way to reduce the Joe Blow risk. Eliminating that risk? Well, we will always have those who make the mistakes. Judging by our overflowing pet shelters, there are just humans who will never "get it".
We can spew mega info in lectures, books and film slides... nothing works as well as live interaction with a charming (unreleasable!!) young raccoon (or such) ambassador. And years later, like me, they become more like us. As I often say: To love one raccoon, is to love them all - forever.

Exploiters have sadly existed, but -- In all good, there is bad. Letting the bad spoil the good is what happens too often in our society. I feel this has happened and the joy of wild animals among us is losing ground. This is just the tip of that iceberg. There is SO much to teach 'the public', and putting it on a web-site or in a brochure isn't cutting it.


Katherine McGill
[More info about the petition (and Zorra) on]
www.SunChaserWildlife.com

"The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated."
- Mohandas Gandhi

 :

LBA Update

New Orleans neonate {approximately 2.5 weeks old} fell from above ceiling down between walls at a car dealership. The wall was cut open, baby rescued. Mother is still in ceiling & siblings can be heard. Advised to place baby in box tonight where mother has been seen & call if any issues.

Terrell, TX juvie remained on road side & in road for 3 days, was removed from road last night, observed maintaining a circular motion pattern {symptoms of nuerological damage from being hit by car or distemper/parvo}. Was kenneled by citizen & isolated from domestic pets. Result: destroyed by vet for possible distemper.

Central FL: family losing home needs to place 10 year old male pet raccoon. {This issue has been resolved.}