ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. (WNDU) – A local nonprofit is giving domestic, exotic and wild animals a second chance at life.
Rescue Release Repeat is the first of its kind in St. Joseph County. The organization’s founder, Rachelle Marshman, said the cause began when an injured baby squirrel stumbled into her father’s yard.
From then until now, she has rescued over 3,500 furry friends.
“We take in sick, injured and orphaned animals, we rehabilitate them and then release them back into the wild,” says Marshman. “We care for everything from field mice to bald eagles.”
In some cases, the rescued animal can become an educational ambassador. This is the case with an adorable raccoon named Morgan.
“There are certain cases where it is not possible to safely release an animal back into the wild. So we apply to the state to have that animal listed as an educational ambassador. That way we can go out into the public and highlight the importance of wildlife,” says Marshman.
Marshman and 30 volunteers run this project out of love from her home. She hopes to one day open her own facility.
But in the meantime, she says, she is grateful for any help she can get.
“Many people don’t know we exist,” says Marshman. “There are several ways you can donate.”
Marshman says the ultimate goal is to keep these animals in their natural habitat, but if they become sick, injured or orphaned, Rescue Release Repeat gives them a place to heal.
“I’m not going to lie, rehabilitation is hard work. Often people think we’re sitting here feeding baby animals and it’s just the happy Snow White image, but often that’s not the case,” she says. “There’s a lot of trauma, a lot of loss. But I always try to say that these guys have bonus time, so wherever they were found, wherever they were, that’s where they most likely would have stayed for the rest of their days. But because they were able to come to us, we were able to give them bonus time. So whether it’s an hour, a week or a year, that’s more time than they would have had.”
Any wild animal they receive that needs to be vaccinated will receive the vaccination to prevent infectious diseases and give the animal the best chance of survival.
Donations are accepted on the Rescue Release Repeat website, which can be found here.
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