Dane County Humane Society’s (DCHS) Wildlife Center reception volunteers, staff, and interns logged a total of 5,804 individual call forms in 2024. Each form includes information from callers, such as their address and phone number, summary of their wildlife situation, and species they are calling about. Receptionists gather rescue details about sick, injured, or orphaned wild animals that are encountered, and they ask for photos or videos to help staff evaluate an animal’s condition. Other people call and ask for advice, where common topics include asking about animals nesting or denning in their yards, looking for tips and tricks to keep companion animals away from wildlife, or getting recommendations about how to keep wildlife from entering their homes.
Conversations range from basic to complex and always require input from a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. For example, a call may necessitate public health and safety information when suggesting rescue for a dangerous species (e.g., fox, coyote, or raptor) or giving a referral to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), local police, or animal services. Young animals displaced from their natal area might be healthy, or they could be sick or injured. Their parent could be present or moved away temporarily to forage, or they might succumb to mortality and not return. Every call is unique and demands thoroughness and attention to detail.
Aside from phone calls, wildlife receptionists schedule daily appointments, assist with walk-in admissions, and respond to dozens of daily text messages and e-mails. Everything they do takes a lot of time, patience, and training to become efficient and knowledgeable in the Wildlife Reception position. Yet, when folks get there, it can be very rewarding! As always, helping people help animals is our mission at DCHS, and our goal is to do the best we can for members in our community.
Jackie Sandberg is the Wildlife Program Manager at DCHS's Wildlife Center.
Not every phone call, e-mail, or text message leads to an admission, but the information we gather helps to document all the different ways people contact us for advice. According to data obtained from our digital phone system, our wildlife team registered over 463 hours of “talking time” spent in conversations with people:
Read about one of our volunteer receptionists and what they have to say about their position:
“I’ve been a volunteer with DCHS’s Wildlife Center for two years now. I started with caring for songbirds, and the following year I moved to reception, which was definitely the right move for me! Now I get to see the best in people – those who call with concerns and are wanting to help injured or ill wildlife, sometimes going to great lengths to rescue them. It also brings me into contact with more of the volunteers and staff who are so fun and caring. The passion they show for wildlife is inspiring. Even though some days are harder than others, I always look forward to my reception shift and what the day may bring.”
– Jen Carthew, Wildlife Reception Volunteer
