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You can make a disposable heating pad by putting a cup or two of dry, uncooked rice
in a plastic bag or old sock with a knot in the end and microwave it for 45 seconds.

Think Before
You Litter

A large number of waterfowl rescues is a result of fishing hooks and fishing line litter. The waterfowl get tangled in the line causing injury to feet, wings etc or get hooks in their eyes or mouth making it impossible to eat. Eventually infection or starvation will overcome them.

Please teach your children and remind the adults not to leave their tackle after they have gone.

Injury Center

Small mammals may need help for a number of reasons. They are attacked by cats or dogs, injured by weapons, collide with windows, or poisoned by eating food contaminated by pesticides or fertilizers. Occasionally a well-meaning citizen will find a baby bird or other small mammal, raise it by itself, and release it when it's grown. Tame wildlife lacks the skills to find food and is unprepared to live in the wild. They either starve to death or create a nuisance begging from humans. If you have found an orphaned baby, keep the youngster in a warm, dark environment and call a wildlife rehabber. To find an East Valley Wildlife rehabilitator call 480-814-9339.

Here are several common examples of preventable wildlife injuries we encounter.

Cat and Dog Attacks

Any wildlife that has been in the mouth of a cat or dog is likely to sustain contaminated puncture wounds and is in danger of developing a fatal infection. Cats and dogs easily cause large cuts and broken bones in birds.

If your pet has brought home a small mammal or bird and it is still alive, remove it from the animal's mouth and prepare a container for it. It should not be let go, even if it appears unhurt.
Line a suitable container with soft material such as paper towels or clean cloths without loose strings, and place the animal inside. Put a heat source in the container--a heating pad on low setting is ideal.
In all situations the wildlife needs to be kept warm, dark and quiet.
Keep pets and curious onlookers away from the animal to keep its stress at a minimum. Call a rehabber.

Poisoning

Sick wildlife may have been poisoned by pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers or other chemicals by drinking or bathing in contaminated water, or eating contaminated seed, plants, or insects.

Line a suitable container with soft material such as paper towels or clean cloths without loose strings, and place the animal inside.
Put a heat source under the container--a heating pad on low setting is ideal.
In all situations the wildlife needs to be kept warm, dark and quiet.
Keep pets and curious onlookers away from the animal to keep its stress at a minimum. Call a rehabber.

Weapons

BB guns, blow darts, arrows and other devices cause devastating harm to wildlife. If you find a wildlife that has sustained an attack, prepare a container for it.

Do not try to remove anything from the animal. BB guns, blow darts, arrows and other devices cause devastating harm to wildlife.
If you find wildlife that has sustained an attack, prepare a container for it. Line with soft material such as paper towels or clean cloths without loose strings, and place the animal inside.
Put a heat source in the container--a heating pad on low setting is ideal.
In all situations the wildlife needs to be kept warm, dark and quiet.
Keep pets and curious onlookers away from the aninal to keep its stress at a minimum. Call a rehabber.

Window Strikes

Windows without screens reflect the image of the sky and birds collide with them with surprising force. Sometimes the bird will just be stunned; keep pets and curious onlookers away and observe him for about 15 minutes and see if he recovers on his own. Make sure there are no predators around and that he is not in direct sunlight.

If it does not fly away, line a paper grocery bag (not plastic) with paper towels and place the bird inside it, leaving the top open.
Place a heat source under the bag--a heating pad on low setting is ideal.
It may need additional time to recover, as a concussion can last anywhere from a few minutes up to several days.
If it doesn't recover within an hour, call a rehabber.

Released Tame Wildlife

Baby birds raised alone will imprint on humans. Without having spent time learning skills from other birds, they will not adjust to living in the wild with members of their own species. A tame bird, when received into rehabilitation, will be grouped in an aviary with members of its own species and will be released when it demonstrates appropriate bird behavior, including fear of humans and animals. If you find tame wildlife:

Line a suitable container with soft material such as paper towels or clean cloths without loose strings, and place the animal inside.
Put a heat source under the container--a heating pad on low setting is ideal. In all situations wildlife needs to be kept warm, dark and quiet.
Keep pets and curious onlookers away from the animal to keep its stress at a minimum. Call a rehabber.