New Hampshire Veterinary Center for Wildlife outlines rescue and rehabilitation protocol

The Hooksett Planning Board meeting on March 3, 2025, featured a significant discussion about the New Hampshire Veterinary Center for Wildlife, which aims to provide care for injured or orphaned wildlife. The center's co-founder outlined its four key tenets: rescue, repair, rehabilitate, and educate.

The rescue process involves staff responding to notifications about injured animals, with a vehicle designated for this purpose. The co-founder noted that traffic related to rescues is minimal, as most rescues are conducted by rehabilitators, with some assistance from fish and game personnel or good Samaritans.

The second tenet, repair, highlights the center's role as a specialized animal hospital focused solely on wildlife. On days when surgeries are necessary, a veterinarian and two technicians will be present to provide care, although this will only occur for a portion of the rescued animals.

Rehabilitation is the third element, where animals ready for recovery will be placed in rehab pens. Volunteer staff will rotate in shifts to care for the animals, with typically one person on duty at a time.

Lastly, the education component aims to inform the public about wildlife care and conservation. The center's comprehensive approach underscores its commitment to wildlife rehabilitation and community engagement.

The discussions at the meeting emphasized the center's operational structure and its anticipated impact on local wildlife care, setting the stage for future developments in wildlife rehabilitation in the region.