Secret Squirrel Wildlife Rehabilitation

10/31/2026

This baby came down days ago. The finder got it and put it in an open box on the porch. She called every Rehabber on every list. She’s not only unable to drive herself, but is a 24/7 caregiver for a disabled person as well. And so for 3 days this baby sat, unfed, suffering, dying from a horrific head injury that didn’t immediately kill it, but rendered it disabled.

This is what happens when there aren’t enough rehabbers. This is what happens when FWC abandons their charter to assist our state’s wildlife and works methodically to put rules in place that limit new Rehabbers directly after wiping out the existing rehab pool. Calls to FWC were met with their typical sage advice “let nature take its course, hawks gotta eat too”.

This isn’t acceptable. After heroic efforts from an old volunteer I called on literally in the middle of the night, the baby was taken to help. The prognosis is poor because a head trauma left untended to for 3 days is a helluva hill to climb.

I understand the reticence to utilize UF Vet School and I hear you, but anything is better than letting animals sit and suffer unimaginable pain because you can’t find a Rehabber. The fact is your state has failed you, FWC has failed wildlife in every way humanly possible. Vote as if Wildlife matters because a total change in direction is absolutely critical if you want wildlife rehabilitation to exist in the future.

10/29/2026

I love this momma soooo much. An important part of the reuniting process is to allow a “final inspection” where mom makes sure no one is left behind and typically gathers remnant nesting material to add to her backup nest. There were several points momma was less than 6 inches from me (I was holding the phone playing Squirrel cries) trying to decide if i physically had her baby in hand. We both remained calm and collected and all three babies are safe.

10/29/2026

153 reunited babies! This is a repeat finder who woke up and realized she had babies in her vehicle. My dear mother sat patiently in the car while we worked through a good strategy. That strategy was, sit down, shut up, play baby cries and let momma squirrel be her magical self and fish her littles out one by one until all three were relocated to her backup nest.

10/28/2026

For those not familiar, Scott was an amazing, imaginative story teller about animals and his relationship with them during his many years at UPS. He inspired me to start sharing some of the antics I was experiencing. His loss will be felt wide and far. Rest in peace my friend, you were an inspiration.

It’s with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Scott Hodges.

Scott was a bright spot in the UPSDogs community. His posts always brought humor, creativity, and so much love for animals. Whether he was sharing one of his unforgettable dog stories or showing off his colorful tie dye, he had a way of making people smile and bringing us all a little closer.

We’re grateful Scott shared his stories and his wonderful spirit with us. He will be deeply missed, but the joy he brought to this page will stay with us. Our hearts are with everyone who loved him. ❤️🐾🌈

10/25/2026

FWC- more failures to protect critically endangered species because they cater to developers (aka their board)

Florida's gopher tortoise just received troubling news 😥

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has reclassified the gopher tortoise as critically endangered, citing decades of population declines driven largely by habitat loss. Florida, home to one of the species' largest remaining populations, was singled out as an area where numbers have fallen significantly since the 1960s.

Known as a keystone species, gopher tortoises dig burrows that provide shelter for more than 350 other kinds of animals. While the reptiles are protected under state law, conservation experts say preserving and restoring their habitat will be critical to their long-term survival.

10/25/2026

This popped up and needs to be on everyone’s radar. In many states feeding predators is illegal, the list may differ by state. This would be the first case I’m aware of where someone is fined and threatened with jail for feeding a predator due to injury to another person. If this is successfully prosecuted it’s going to set an ugly precedent. Feeding predators is incredibly controversial and there’s a lot of potential problems. At a minimum establishing relationships where you’re encouraging them to approach you and accept food by hand is incredibly problematic. I’d encourage everyone feeding predators to really consider the potential consequences, especially for the animals. Posting it online is incredibly dangerous. Even posting behind the “protection” of a fake profile isn’t going to save you from subpoenas. What I find the most interesting is how California isn’t prosecuting every single person leaving food out for stray cats, because, more often than not, that’s directly feeding nighttime predators. So, can we expect a law disallowing the feeding of strays? Will support of feral cat colonies be outlawed? I’m not sure how, short of hand feeding these coyotes, you can prosecute someone who cares about wildlife and turn a blind eye to someone who’s feeding wildlife (the same exact offense) under the cover of supporting stray cats. Will wildlife rehabbers performing soft releases suddenly be held accountable for wildlife that may inadvertently be more comfortable around humans? Can we expect rehabbers to be prosecuted for (appropriately) providing wildlife a gradual path to wild life, which imo is appropriate and necessary? At a minimum everyone supporting wildlife needs to watch this case for the precedent it’s going to set. I fully expect an accompanying civil suit for medical bills to follow.

10/22/2026

Pumpkins are food to us.
Squirrels. Deer. Raccoons. Chipmunks. Even birds.

A plain pumpkin is a fall feast.

But that one you glittered? Spray-painted? Bleached to make it last longer?
We can't tell the difference.
We eat it anyway.

And the candle inside? We chew the wax too.

🎃 Decorating with paint or glitter? Keep it indoors.
Done with your plain pumpkins? Here's the good part:
Cut them in chunks and leave them in a back corner of the yard.
Scoop the seeds out for the birds.
Or compost it.

Your jack-o'-lantern can have a second life.
As someone's dinner — not someone's poison.

10/20/2026

I truly understand that there are times finding and humanely dealing with found wildlife is inconvenient. But your inconvenience doesn’t justify inhumane, unethical, garbage behavior. I got a call from an interstate traveler who stopped at Cracker Barrel and, to her horror, found a baby squirrel abandoned in the parking lot.

In my many years I’ve never seen anything like it. She had called for hours leaving messages, sending texts, no response. Eventually she got me, and explained the situation. It was 50 out, far too cold for a baby to be left unprotected, shoved in a box with cedar shavings and left, huddled in absolute terror, hypothermic and injured. The inside of that box was straight out of Carrie, blood everywhere, caked on the baby’s shoulder.

The baby’s organs had already begun slowing. It was emaciated and dehydrated and clearly in agony.

Guys and gals, don’t do this. Literally, not ever. You blow up every phone in existence. You post on every public page, you rattle every cage that can be rattled… BUT YOU DON’T LEAVE AN INJURED DEFENSELESS BABY IN A BOX IN A PARKING LOT. Come on, we are supposed to be better than this, better than FWC telling callers to “let nature take its course” because they’ve gutted the rehab community. Care, act, be loud and you DON’T give up as long as the animal is drawing breath.

10/17/2026

Ridiculously sweet

The gorilla looked confused as to why the squirrel was in his habit...