Tampa Bay Veterinary Emergency Service: PLEASE READ

[island rehabber]

I have just been informed that TBVES will not return injured or orphaned wildlife from the general public after the animal has been brought in for treatment. Please be advised, as I quote a well-known rehabilitator who knows them well:

Their policy on infant wildlife is to only release to a licensed person or someone under a licensed person, so if they bring in squirrels they should not expect to get them back unless they have talked to the rehabber ahead of time.

To summarize, we may still advise members of the general public who find squirrels in need of help to bring them to TBVES, but they will not be returned to anyone unless they are licensed or a subpermittee.

Be forewarned, and don't be having a meltdown in their office about it, especially if you mention TSB. :shakehead

[mpetys]

Hi IR. I have heard good things about this clinic. Do you know what the actual situation was? Was there someone who brought in a baby squirrel and expected to get free care and take the baby with them? If they were willing to pay for the services, I am concerned then that the clinic would not give the baby back to them. From what I understand, it is not illegal to possess a squirrel in Florida. Of course, if they believed that the finder was not capable of properly caring for the squirrel, then I guess I could understand them acting in the best interest of the baby squirrel, after all, I have read several times here on TSB where members contemplated kidnapping squirrels because they thought it was in the squirrels best interests to have a better life or chance at life and I think most of us agree in those situations.

Is the rehabilitator you quoted a member of TSB? If so, I wish they would address this to shed more light on it. I have two conerns. The first is that if this policy was enacted to be in the best interests of infant wildlife (as they see it) then I hate to see their reputation injured when we don't really know the whole story. Is this policy applied across the board or are they using discetion to apply it in situations where they feel it is not in the infants best interest to stay with the finder. Or would they confiscate a baby I brought in as I am not licensed. My other concern is that while they specifically said "infant wildlife", does that mean that if I had need of emergency after hours care for MonkeyButt, Tina, Davey or Charlie (my NR's) I have no need to worry? :dono

And of course, you have my curiosity up with the reference "especially if you mention TSB". :thinking

[island rehabber]

I'll answer both Michelle & Jackie privately. I have no wish to malign this facility, since this policy is similar to most here in NY. When a non-licensed, non permitted person brings them "infant wildlife" for treatment, that wildlife is not given back to them. :peace

[NutmegsMommy]

A while back there was a notice put on the board for volunteers to contact TBVES to help with the baby squirrels since Karen Clark was overwhelmed. The idea was to give your name and number, if you had rehab experience, so TBVES could call if squirrels came in and needed care. Not the other way around. Now, if someone rehabbing takes a squirrel to TBVES and tells them such or tells them the squirrel is a pet, then TBVES gives the squirrel back, but treatment will cost. It's not free. The only time treatment is free is if you get the squirrel from them - not the other way around. I don't think TBVES should be getting trashed over what I believe to be a misunderstanding. I don't know who the person was with the issue, nor do I care - this vet office is a great place where a lot of baby squirrels come to get help. I don't think it is very responsible to spread unfair rumors about a place that has done a great work and saved many unwanted animals. It's like screaming fire in a movie theater when there is no fire. Silly. :nono

[island rehabber]

I don't think it is very responsible to spread unfair rumors about a place that has done a great work and saved many unwanted animals. It's like screaming fire in a movie theater when there is no fire. Silly. :nono

If you read my post, I stated and re-stated the clinic's policy with no "unfair rumors" whatsoever. My concern was to clarify the clinic's policy regardless of what people "think" they read, somewhere on TSB, sometime in the past 6 months. My responsibility is also to protect TSB from legal liabilities.

No one is spreading "unfair rumors".

[island rehabber]

Now, if someone rehabbing takes a squirrel to TBVES and tells them such or tells them the squirrel is a pet, then TBVES gives the squirrel back, but treatment will cost.

From what I was told last night, I am not sure that this is, in fact, true -- unless that person is a LICENSED or SUB-PERMITTED rehabber.

[mpetys]

From what I was told last night, I am not sure that this is, in fact, true -- unless that person is a LICENSED or SUB-PERMITTED rehabber.


Recently I posted a request for help for some baby possums that this clinic had. One of our TSB members stepped up and called them and made arrangements to pick them up the next day. This TSB member is not a licensed rehabber (unless she recently became licensed!).

I am just afraid that this thread will unfairly scare some TSB rehabbers (yeah, us unlicensed rehabbers) away from offering help when help was previously asked for.

[stepnstone]

Although not in Fla. if I were, I would appreciate knowing this information. Be damn if I'd want to try and receive help and lose my animal due to not having the proper credentials and someone knowingly did not forewarn me. I don't hear anyone saying don't use them, what I'm hearing is have the proper credentials or risk not getting them back. Don't believe it? No need for drama! Do your own homework directly through this origination and check it out, it's as simple as that.

I had heard of a squirrel "rescue" in my own State that would just euthanize orphans, I had a hard time accepting that a supposed rescue would do that. I decided to call them and ask about their policy on the matter of orphaned squirrels. They danced around the subject quite a bit not coming right out and saying that they put them down but what they did say was: We do not feel it is in the best interest of abandoned wildlife to make survive without the neutering mother or the maturing experience of it's own species. Like I said, they danced around the subject but I didn't have to get buried in a drift to get it!

[island rehabber]

BOTTOM LINE, PEOPLE: If you're not licensed or permitted and you bring in wildlife to this facility you will NOT get it back. Okay? I do not want The Squirrel Board blamed for supposedly telling the general public they can bring wildlife to TBVES, have it patched up, and take it back home again. Your ire should be directed at whoever it was that pitched a fit over there, not at me.

Caveat emptor. :shakehead