Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates helping Alabama Wildlife and Wildlife Rehabilitators

By now you may have heard that Alabama has stated the "Rehabilitation of skunks, raccoons, opossums, bats, foxes, coyotes, and feral pigs is strictly forbidden. These animals must be euthanized." That language is now part of the recent July 2013 wildlife rehabilitation agreement below. 

Alabama wildlife rehabilitators are governed by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, see link below. 

They are controlled by their advisory board, see link below. These people set policy. Their contact info is listed.

Here is current information about wildlife rehabilitation.

Animal Advocates has contacted the advisory board which oversees the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources besides the heads of the organization. I sent the below email to the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. We will continue with phone calls, faxes, letters and emails. We hope to change this regulation. 

Subject: Changes to wildlife rehabilitation regulations

From: Mary Cummins

Date: September 3, 2013 3:47:13 PM PDT

I just read that the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has disallowed the rehabilitation of "skunks, raccoons, opossums, bats, foxes, coyotes, and feral pigs." 

Wildlife rehabilitation was first organized and legalized in the 1970s in the US. Previously members of the public would illegally try to rehabilitate the ill, injured and orphaned native wildlife. This caused spread of disease, bites and illegal pet wildlife. The legalization and regulation of wildlife rehabilitators caused a decrease in the spread of disease, bites and illegal pets. If it is illegal to rehab certain species, the inexperienced public will go back to trying to care for them. Disease, bites and illegal pets will increase which I believe is the opposite of your goal. As you are considering eliminating care for Rabies Vector Species, this would increase the spread of rabies. 

Rehabbers help the public and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  If there were no rehabbers, the public would be calling and complaining to you. We also give positive press to our state Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources. We help you with your mission. 

We hope that you will reconsider the change in regulations and allow rehabbers to again rehab at least skunks, raccoons, opossums, bats, foxes and coyotes. Thank you for your time.

Mary Cummins

Animal Advocates

http://www.Facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

If you would like to help, please send a polite email similar to the one above to the following email addresses. Copy and paste them into your "to" line or just click this link.

dcnr.commissioner@dcnr.alabama.gov,
curtis.jones@dcnr.alabama.gov,
dcnr.wffdirector@dcnr.alabama.gov,
pam.thomas@dcnr.alabama.gov,
jackie.casey@dcnr.alabama.gov,
mark.sasser@dcnr.alabama.gov,
dcnr.license@dcnr.alabama.gov,
kim.nix@dcnr.alabama.gov,
David.Rainer@dcnr.alabama.gov,
Sylvia.Payne@dcnr.alabama.gov,
Forrest.Bailey@dcnr.alabama.gov,
greg.lein@dcnr.alabama.gov,

Here is a link to free wildlife rehabilitation manuals for these species. If the public is going to try to rehab them, might as well give them some information.
http://www.mary.cc/squirrels/rehabbers.htm