The Humane Society of Huron Valley (HSHV) is "on call" to rescue sick or injured, animals, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in Washtenaw County only. HSHV does not pick up healthy stray pets or healthy wildlife. We bring sick or injured animals back to our shelter to be properly cared for by our veterinarians and trained shelter staff. We rescue sick or injured domestic animals as well as sick or injured wildlife.

We work with our local Friends of Wildlife organization for rehabilitation and release. Friends of Wildlife (FOW) is a local nonprofit providing licensed rehabilitation to help native orphaned and injured wildlife in and around Washtenaw County.

Please note that HSHV does not accept healthy animals, including feral cats or wildlife, for euthanasia. If you see a sick or injured animal call 734-661-3512.

Each year about this time, the Humane Society of Huron Valley is flooded with calls about young or baby animals. Before you scoop up a baby animal and call HSHV, FOW or a wildlife center, take a few minutes to determine if the animal really is an orphan. Below are some simple rules to follow (provided by FOW).

1. Look for signs that the baby animal is truly orphaned. Obviously the only sure way to know an animal has been orphaned is to see the dead mother nearby. Without that confirmation, the most common signs an animal will display after truly losing their mom include:
   • You see the dead mother nearby
   • Crying for more than a few hours
   • Feces on the animal
   • Clear signs of dehydration: tented skin, sunken eyes, listlessness
   • Fresh wounds
   • Diarrhea
   • Maggots
   • The animal is lying on his side
2. Wear gloves to protect yourself and the animal.
3. Take the animal to a dark, warm, quiet place and wrap him in a blanket or towel.
4. Call the FOW Animal Hotline (see phone numbers listed below) for the specific animal to reach an on-call Friends of Wildlife rehabber.
5. IMPORTANT: Do not attempt to feed the animal anything - including food, milk or water.
6. Wait to hear from the Friends of Wildlife rehabber before taking any further action.

FOW INFORMATION LINE: 734-913-984 (please do not leave messages on this line)

Bat - 248-645-3232
Coyote - 248-672-9615
Deer - 734-670-4343
Fox - 734-670-2920
Opossum - 734-670-2157
Rabbit - 734-474-3632 (cell)
Raccoon - 734-474-3463 (cell), 734-670-2120 (pager)
Raptor - 734-417-6791 (cell), 734-428-8455 (pager)
Squirrel - 734-474-3453 (cell)
Turtle - 734-481-1812
Waterfowl - 734-482-8187
Woodchuck - 734-670-4317

For questions about song birds, please call the the Bird Center of Ann Arbor at 734 973-9570. 

Deb Kern is the Marketing Director for the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Deb can be reached at deb@hshv.org. The Humane Society of Huron Valley serves all of Washtenaw County, Plymouth and Canton.