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If
you missed the first installment of this report, please go to Texas
Rescue, from our Winter Newsletter.
The Saga Continues. . .
The initial treatment and vaccinations were complete. Specific animals were receiving specialized care and the push was on to find suitable homes for all of the animals.
It was imperative at this point that the animals be given time to respond to good diets, medications, vaccinations and supplements that they were receiving. It was also important for the disinfecting/isolation protocol to be followed. The best advice that Wolf could get was that the animals could still be contagious for 30 to 90 days after the vaccinations. This time frame would accommodate all of the needs of the animals, except the need for larger enclosures. Because wolves react very negatively to new situations, people and environments, it was a trade-off. Even though everyone wanted them out of the small enclosures that they were in, it would be unwise to stress them more in their current condition, by moving them too quickly. It was also recommended that each animal receive a booster vaccination before going to their new home.
Plans were continuing to find those suitable locations along with scheduling a date to provide the follow-up medical examinations and treatment that they would need. The plans to build enclosures at the sanctuary in San Antonio had to be scrapped due to lack of funding. The placement problem was going to be more difficult than had been hoped.
Wolf
unexpectedly received a donation of chain link fencing, which allowed
for an enclosure to built in Colorado. Volunteers and paid labor began
building, in earnest, at one of our foster facilities. That would take
care of one of the 6 packs needing permanent placement.
To recap quickly -- there were 15 animals that now were in the custody of Wolf. They consisted of one pack of four animals, five packs of two animals each and one individual animal that was very ill with congestive heart failure. This included two of the animals who had originally been placed in the legal custody of another person, with whom there was still some custody questions. Without counting on that individual, it meant that seven enclosures were needed to accommodate the move of all of the animals. The emergency site that was being built in Texas had three 100' x 100' enclosures that were being divided in half temporarily to provide six enclosures that would be 50' x 100' each. These would be significantly larger than the 10' x 10' or 10' x 20' where the animals were currently contained. These six along with the enclosure being built in Colorado meant plans could be formalized to get the animals rechecked and relocated.
The first step would be to organize the relocation team and make sure the schedules of those involved would mesh. This time we would take our own vets so that we would not have to count on the rather reluctant vets in Texas. We also needed our own vet techs to assist. Every animal would be given a thorough exam, which would include spaying or neutering if required, blood tests, and booster vaccinations. They would then be moved to their new locations.
In the middle of the preparations we received a phone call from the producers of the Jeff Corwin Experience, an Animal Planet television program. They were in the middle of planning a show on wolves and wanted to focus their show on the rescue of the animals in Texas. Although somewhat concerned about the distractions that this might cause, Wolf decided that the benefits of publicizing the issues involved with wild animals as pets, was worth the risk. It now became even more of a logistical nightmare, trying to arrange the schedules of the team from Colorado, the volunteers from Texas that were going to help, and the television production crew.
Unbelievably,
the timing was working great. A safe quarantine period of 60 days would
be realized as of the first of April. The vets and the TV production crew
were available the last week of March. The date was set to begin the move
on the 27th of March.
With the date set, the critical factor now became the completion of the new enclosures. The Texas build was being organized and tirelessly implemented by Jerry along with a team of paid laborers. They were continually challenged by excessive amounts of rain and sloppy building conditions. Even with these challenges, they were on schedule to accommodate the animals at the end of March. The Colorado build team was being led by Steve Wolfsong (a Wolf volunteer). Together with other Wolf volunteers and some paid labor, they were on schedule as well. Luckily, the weather in Colorado was kinder to that building team even with a delay for the "Big Snow".
The
entire relocation team (six members from Colorado, four members from Texas,
the Animal Planet producer from California and the TV production crew
of three, with Jeff Corwin just returning to the US from Indonesia) came
together in Conroe, Texas on March 27th and the move was on. Conditions
at the facility were still very muddy making logistics somewhat difficult.
Thank God, one of the team members, Doug Joslyn, had rented an ATV to
do the carting back and forth to the site -- the road was still impassable.
Tents were set up to accommodate all of the various procedures that would
have to be performed. The process was well-defined:
- Darting will occur, by the Knock-Down Group, for the most unsocial animals first. A member of the Record Keeping Group will document all of the dosages and times of administration for each animal.
- After tranquilized the animal will be moved, by the Loading/Moving Group, to the exam/surgery tent.
- Complete exams will be given, by one of the Exam/Surgical Groups, to each animal. Determinations will be made as to whether or not sterilization is required. If required the animal will immediately receive surgery by one of the Exam/Surgical Groups. A member of the Record Keeping Group will document all of the exams/surgeries performed for each animal. After surgery or if the animal does not require surgery it will be moved to the shots/blood draw area by the Loading/Moving Group.
- The Shots/Blood Draw Group will provide a distemper booster shot, application of revolution, draw blood for testing and secure fecal material for testing. A member of the Record Keeping Group will document all of the procedures performed for each animal. When done the Loading/Moving Group will load the animal into a travel kennel and take it to the recovery area.
- The Recovery Group will stay with the animals that are ready to be transported and monitor all of their vital signs until they are shipped to their new location. Any irregularities will be reported immediately to the Exam/Surgical Group. All changes in status will be documented by the Recovery Group.
- After all of the animals have been completed for the day they will all be moved at the same time to their new location.
WOLF, Post Office Box 1544, La Porte, CO 80535 - USA