Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control Officers can assist with SICK AND INJURED WILDLIFE. Please read through the following to learn more about when to contact the shelter regarding wildlife. 

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WHEN TO CALL 

Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control responds to calls about wildlife when a wild animal is in a person's living space, injured or sick. Encountering wildlife in Fort Wayne is common and in many cases there is not much we can do as an agency. Here are some tips to know when to make the call:

• Observe the animals:  If you can’t immediately tell the animal is sick or injured we ask that you observe the animal for 24 hours. There’s no need to panic right away. If it does not move from the area it’s in give us a call and an Animal Control Officer will come check on it.
• If a wild animal is simply in your yard – that does not warrant an officer being dispatched.
• If the animal is in your home give us a call.
• If the animal is in an out building – open doors and windows and let it leave on its own. If some time has passed trying this method and the animal does not leave – call us.

DO NOT TOUCH WILD ANIMALS

It's important to remember that you should NEVER handle wild animals. Wild animals can carry dangerous diseases like rabies. In Indiana the wild animals at the highest risk of carrying rabies are skunks, foxes, raccoons, coyotes and bats. Rabies is a viral disease that infects the brain and spinal cord. The disease can be spread through bites and when the saliva of an infected animal enters an open wound or the eyes. Even baby animals can be infected, so while they might be cute, injured or need assistance NEVER HANDLE THEM. 

INJURED BIRDS

Calls about injured birds are not uncommon, especially in the spring. Birds on the ground that appear to be struggling to fly are most likely a fledgling bird. These are baby birds that have fallen down from their nests and are commonly confused with injured or sick animals. These birds are actually learning to fly and don’t have the wing strength to fly back to their nests. This is a natural part of their development. These birds will be jumping around flapping their wings for an extended period of time. There’s no need to panic – chances are it’s a baby bird growing up right before your eyes!

If you see a bird struggling to fly – observe it for 24 hours before calling FWACC.

BABY RABBITS

You found a rabbit’s nest in your yard. What should you do?

First, there’s no need to panic. Rabbit’s often build their nests out in plain view and it’s not uncommon to come across one. If you do, simply cover the nest back up and the mother will return. DO NOT take the baby rabbits out of the nest. If your dog or cat found the nest you can cover it with a basket or box that allows the mother to get in, but not your pets.

Mother rabbits only feed their young five minutes a day. They tend to them early in the morning and in the evening. If you find a nest but the mother isn’t around, don’t worry she will be back.

To learn more about baby rabbits click here.

BATS

It's not uncommon for bats to find themselves in living spaces during the fall and spring months. If you find a bat in your home you should contact FWACC immediately. NEVER touch a bat with bare hands. Officers can assist you with removing a bat from your home. If your pets may have come into contact with the bat be sure to notify the shelter as well. 

FWACC does not remove deceased wild animals from private property. 

Many people find pets roaming and never give it a second thought. Others find them and immediately think, "This poor creature must need a home, a family and a warm place to stay!" A pet left to roam is not safe. It could become sick or injured, get attacked by indigenous wildlife, or worse! The truth is a domesticated animal (cat or dog) on the loose is likely lost. It may have darted out of a door when the family went out to start the grill for dinner or slid out of an open gate when a child ran to the bus stop. The escaped pet is terribly missed and loved by their family. So what SHOULD you do if you find a pet? Here are some simple steps you can take to help reunite lost pets with their families:

• Bring the pet to Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control within 48 hours of finding it to have the pet scanned for a microchip and to file a FOUND report.

If the pet has identification, we can contact the owner and get the pet home right away! If the pet is not wearing identification or the I.D. information is not traceable, you have a few options as the finder.

You may choose to hold the animal in your own home. If no one comes forward to claim the pet within 30 days, you can become the legal owner. You can also choose to leave the pet with Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control. This will allow the owner 3-business days to come in and claim their pet.

• (After reporting you found a pet) post the found pet on Lost Cats or Lost Dogs of Fort Wayne on Facebook and other social media to spread the word that you have this pet in your possession or that is has been taken to Fort Wayne Animal Care Control.

Everyone loves their pets and if everyone takes responsibility, our pets can be kept safely at home or returned to home as quickly as possible.