Wildlife Rehabilitation: From Rescue to Release

We’re so excited to have Dr. Peregrine Wolff and Sarah Sirica on the show. Dr. Peregrine Wolff is the Executive Manager of WDA, and Sarah Sirica is the Treasurer of WDA and the Veterinarian for City Wildlife in Washington, D.C. In this two-part discussion, we do a deep dive on the Wildlife Disease Association, which turned 75 this year!

Resources:

Wildlife Disease Association

WDA Upcoming Events

In this episode, we chat with John Griffin, the Senior Managing Director of Urban Wildlife Programs for Humane World for Animals. We discuss principles of rescue, how to assess scenarios to plan your approach for both rescue and exclusions, recommended tools for building a beginner's rescue kit, and more!

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources:

Choosing a Wildlife Control Company for Ethical Animal Removal

Humane World for Animals — Resources & Tools

Wild Neighbors Pledge

Humane Wildlife Conflict Resolution Guide

This is part two of our conversation with Cindy Daily, Ryan Law, and Jessika Madison-Kennedy about how we connect with the people who bring us injured animals. We share our experiences and lessons learned about meeting Finders where they are, building trust, and turning these moments into opportunities to help people feel more connected to the natural world.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

The first two episodes of our sixth season are about how we connect with the people who bring us injured animals. We discuss how we can use empathy, patience, and intention not only to help the person in the moment but to foster a lifelong interest in the Finder toward the natural world.

I really like this relatively easy way to remind myself of how to approach people in and out of the wildlife rehabilitation realm. The EarlE. Bakken Center for Spirituality and Healing developed P.I.C.K. So take a deep breath, let it out, and remember:

P = Patience.

There is someone on the other side

I = Intention.

Think about what you want to say and the outcome you want your message to have

C = Clarity.

Mindfulness regarding how you communicate and to be concise yet clear

K = Kindness.

In a world where you can be anything, choose to be kind

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Previous episode with Partners for Wildlife’s Chad Caruthers

We close out our fifth season with the second part of our discussion with Dr. Julia Ponder, the Director Emeritus of The Raptor Center, on lead toxicity in bald eagles. Join us in taking a close look at the treatment and care of bald eagles with lead exposure and the changes that can be made for a lead-free future.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Sporting Lead-Free

North American Lead-free Partnership

Eagles and Lead - SOARRaptors

Lead Toxicity in Bald Eagles _American Eagle Fdn

Bullet Fragmentation and Lead Deposition in White-Tailed Deer and Domestic Sheep

Effects of lead from ammunition on birds and other wildlife: A review and update

Lead from Spent Ammunition: a Source of Exposure and Poisoning in Bald Eagles

We welcome Dr. Julia Ponder, the Director Emeritus of The Raptor Center, back to the show to discuss lead toxicity, particularly in bald eagles. In this episode, we explore the differences between acute and chronic toxicity, the range of clinical signs associated with each, methods used to diagnose, ongoing education and outreach efforts, and common sources of exposure. In part two, we’ll take a closer look at treatment and care.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Demographic implications of lead poisoning for eagles across North America

The Raptor Center Research on LeadToxicity

Sporting Lead Free

USFWS lead free initiative

Lead Free Partnership

Go Lead Free for Wildlife

Examining the effect of the Hunter's Choice: Alternative Ammunition project on Minnesota deer hunters' knowledge, attitudes, behavioral intentions, and behaviors regarding lead ammunition

In this episode, we’re joined by Scott Diehl, Director Emeritus at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center with the Wisconsin Humane Society. We discuss methods and programs implemented at the Wildlife Center to keep wildlife in our communities safe, helping to prevent unnecessary fear, injuries, illness, and even death, so that fewer animals end up needing rehabilitation.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center - Wisconsin Humane Society

We continue our series on what’s going on behind the scenes at Partners For Wildlife with Chad Caruthers, the Partnership and Community Engagement Coordinator. In this episode, we learn about P4W’s public outreach initiatives, what is currently in the works, and plans for the future.

Special thanks to our guest, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Partners for Wildlife

Subscribe to PACE's Substack here

We discuss what’s going on behind the scenes at Partners For Wildlife with Program Manager Rob Kulhanek—diving into the collaboratively designed Wildlife Rehabilitation Knowledge Exchange (WRKE), a peer-to-peer message board platform for wildlife rehabilitators, veterinarians, and other wildlife care professionals hosted by the Veterinary Information Network (VIN), a long-standing networking site for veterinarians.

Special thanks to our guest, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

About WRKE

WRKE sign-up form

From a logged-in VIN account to WRKE

In the second part of this conversation, Gail and this episode’s co-host, Julia Ponder, a clinical wildlife veterinarian with a background in public health, continue speaking with members of the Wild Alert team: Rachel Avilla, President, Co-Founder, and Executive Director of The Wild Neighbors Database Project; Terra Kelly, an epidemiologist and wildlife health specialist; and Pranav Pandit, a One Health epidemiologist. They discuss how Wild Alert functions at the state level, describe the individual user experience, and outline their future goals for the system.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

https://wildalert.org/

http://www.wildneighborsdp.org

https://www.usgs.gov/centers/nwhc/science/whispers

Interested in learning more about WRMD?

“Every single wildlife rehabilitator is important, big or small…” - Rachel Avilla

In this conversation, Gail and her first co-host, Julia Ponder, a clinical wildlife veterinarian with a background in public health, speak with members of the Wild Alert team: Rachel Avilla, President, Co-Founder, and Executive Director of The Wild Neighbors Database Project; Terra Kelly, an epidemiologist and wildlife health specialist; and Pranav Pandit, a One Health epidemiologist. They discuss what Wild Alert is, what it does, and the projects they are currently working on. In the next episode, they take a deeper dive into how the system is used.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

https://wildalert.org/

http://www.wildneighborsdp.org

In the second part of this conversation, we speak with Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie, the founders of Austin Bat Refuge. We add to our previous episode by doing a deep dive on the Eastern Red Bat, specifically, orphan babies.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Austin Bat Refuge

The Rehabilitation and Captive Care of Insectivorous Bats

In the first part of this two-parter, we speak with Dianne Odegard and Lee Mackenzie, the founders of Austin Bat Refuge. We hear recent rescue stories, and learn about radar projects, Free-tailed bats, and how Austin became known as “bat city”.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Austin Bat Refuge

In the second part of our conversation with Amanda Nicholson, Senior Vice President of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, and Dr. Karra Pierce, Director of Veterinary Services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, we discuss the offerings (books, courses, and beyond) through the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) and how you can get involved from becoming a member to joining a committee and even the board.

NWRA’s 2026 Symposium takes place February 24–28 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To learn more about the symposium, please see the links below.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

NWRA's 2026 Symposium

NWRA website

We welcome Amanda Nicholson, Senior Vice President of the Wildlife Center of Virginia, and Dr. Karra Pierce, Director of Veterinary Services at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, to the podcast to chat about the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA). In the first of our two-part conversation, we discuss NWRA’s annual symposium, exploring what it takes to bring it to life and offering advice for first-time attendees. In part two, we dive into the other resources NWRA offers.

NWRA’s 2026 Symposium takes place February 24–28 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. To learn more about the symposium, please see the links below.

Special thanks to our guests, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

NWRA's 2026 Symposium

NWRA website

In the second part of our conversation with Kai Williams, the Executive Director of the IWRC, we dive into the classes offered, how they are helping folks outside of North America with wildlife rehabilitation, and the organization’s future. Be sure to keep an eye out for the organization’s upcoming publication on nutrition!

Special thanks to our guest, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

IWRC courses

Become an IWRC member

About WRKE

WRKE new user registration form

We speak with Kai Williams, the Executive Director of the IWRC, about the organization’s mission, value statements, structure, and touch on the resources they provide. In part two, we discuss the classes offered and how the organization is helping folks outside of North America with wildlife rehabilitation.

Special thanks to our guest, Partners For Wildlife, and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

IWRC

We continue our discussion with Minnesota wildlife rehabilitator Jessika Madison-Kennedy on Northern Cardinals. We go into rehabilitation techniques and pro tips from shelter, diet, and how to tell when they’re ready for release.

Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Hand‐Rearing Birds (Second Edition) Editor(s): Rebecca S. Duerr, Laurie J. Gage

Passerine Fundamentals by Veronica Bowers

Songbird Diet Index by Marcy Rule

We’re kicking off Season 5 with Minnesota wildlife rehabilitator Jessika Madison-Kennedy to talk all things Northern Cardinals. We cover everything from their natural history to the rehabilitation techniques that help these iconic birds thrive.

Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Hand‐Rearing Birds (Second Edition) Edited by Rebecca S. Duerr, Laurie J. Gage

Passerine Fundamentals Written by Veronica Bowers

In the second part of a two-part conversation, we dive into operant learning, definitions, and concepts related to working with ambassador animals with Melissa Moore, the Curator of Behavioral Husbandry and Ambassador Animals at the St. Louis Aquarium, and Jackie Kozlowski, the Senior Trainer at Tracy Aviary in Salt Lake City.

Special thanks to Partners For Wildlife and The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine.

Resources mentioned:

Dr. Susan G. Friedman – Behavior Works

NWRA – Education and Programs

IAATE – Conferences

Ken Ramirez – Clicker Training

Natural Encounters

Barbara Heidenreich – Force Free Animal Training

Cassie Malina – Awesome Animal Solutions

ABMA