What to do if you see an animal you feel needs help:

(The following instructions are for adults only!
Children should not handle any wild animals because of possible injury and exposure to disease and parasites.)

• Watch from a distance and take note of what you are seeing. (is the animal limping, open mouth breathing etc…)

• If the animal is in immediate danger (in the road, was in a cat or dogs mouth) then you may get it contained if you feel comfortable doing so. Please remember to take every possible precaution to protect yourself. Wear gloves. Avoid handling the animal directly. Use a shovel or some other object to gently put the animal into a box. Only do this if the animal is in immediate danger. NN does not recommend anybody handle certain animals without proper training. (Hawks, Owls, Herons, Bats etc.)

• Call Nature’s Nursery. 419-877-0060. (Never email us with any question which needs quick response.) If you get the answering machine, please leave a message and we will call you back as soon as possible. Feel free to call us again if more than an hour has passed since your original message.

• Once you speak to a staff member or volunteer, you will be asked various questions about the situation. We are trying to determine if action needs to be taken. A this point, you will be given instructions either to leave the animal alone and observe, put the animal back for a parent to reclaim, how to properly contain the animal and bring it to our center, or that we will try to get a volunteer who can pick the animal up.

• Please remember, Nature’s Nursery is run primarily by volunteers. Our response availability is based on being able to find a volunteer who can come out. Our main responsibility in rehabilitating animals is their direct care… at this time, pick up service is offered if we have the volunteer to respond.

• Please do not come out to The Center without an appointment. We are not always on site, and if we are, we may be involved in animal care. We take in an average of 1,800 – 2,000 animals a year so it is very important for us to have scheduled appointments so we may provide the best possible care for the animals. Upon making an appointment and bringing an animal to the Center, you will be asked a few questions about yourself and the information you know about the animal.
  
• Nature’s Nursery does not charge a fee for the care of the animal, but we gratefully accept donations. We depend heavily on membership to support our work.

• Nature’s Nursery is not open to the public. Our permits do not allow the rehabilitation animals to be on display, and we feel it is very important for the animals that we keep human exposure to a minimum.