Fern the Red Fox
On intake
Fern is a little red fox who came to us a few weeks after a property owner noticed her taking refuge in her barn and unable to walk or hunt for food. The property owner called asking for help. Our amazing Conservation Officer went out and trapped her and brought her to us where we figured out the extent of her injuries. She had gotten her leg caught in a leg-hold or spring trap and had chewed her foot off to free herself. As you can see in the photo, the whole lower part of her foot and leg are missing, and the bone is exposed,
At the vets office
At the vets office getting checked out. Our only options were to either euthanize or amputate. We decided to amputate... This little courageous fox had been living over three weeks with this injury. Three plus weeks prior to being found, she made the horrific decision to chew her leg off to escape from the trap. And, she had managed to keep her leg from becoming too infected and keep herself alive... how could I not give her the chance?
After her amputation surgery
After returning home from her surgery.
Sadly, folks are still using these leg-hold/spring traps and animals just like Fern get caught in them. Most times, the animal will chew off the trapped leg in order to free itself which can also lead to it's death. There is nothing humane about these traps. They are cruel and indiscriminate and kill countless animals each year.
This didn't need to happen. This little fox suffered needlessly. And for what? Her fur? What does that say about us (humans)?
Two days post-op
Two days post-op and healing nicely.
A few days post-op
I gave her a little bed and she immediately took to it. I couldn't help but capture this moment of "Santa's little helper" too sweet.
Her start at life was riddled with pain and suffering. I am going to make sure that the rest of her life is safe, happy, and bright. She will never know hunger, pain, or fear again. I will make sure of it.
Day of surgery/two weeks post-op
This photo is a little before/after. On the left is the day we came home after her surgery. On the right is two weeks after her surgery. She is doing well and I am gaining her trust day by day. She gets whatever she wants... as it should be.
Fern the Fox
This photo of Fern was taken a year after she came to us.
This photo of Fern was taken almost three years after she came to live with us. We built her a little run off of her enclosure and this is where this photo was taken.
Wanda the Mink's story
On intake...
Wanda the mink was found in the middle of the finders yard. It was thought that a cat had possibly found her or raided the nest which was in the hollow of a tree near the creek where the finder lived and brought the tiny mink to the yard and dropped her there. The finder tried reuniting her back with the natural mother, but after 2 days of trying, we knew that our chances were diminishing... so the finder scooped her up and brought her to us.
A few days after intake...
She was approximately 3 weeks old and so fragile.
Getting bigger...
After her eyes opened, it was on! She became much more active and much more hungry! She was growing like a little weed.
Getting stronger...
This is not the best photo... however, once she was old enough and big enough, she was taken back to the creek from where she came and introduced to all the familiar smells and sounds. She would get to be released in this very spot soon!
Release day...
This was Wanda's release site... and the very place where she was born. She was back "home" where she belonged. The photo on the left is her looking into the creek. The photo on the right is of the tree cavity close to where she was born... and where we released her.
Living her best life...
Wanda wasted no time exploring and swimming under the tree cavity. She began hunting her own food and started staying out longer and not coming back to her feeding station as often. She finally decided that she didn't need our support any longer as she was supplying her nest with her own catch of the day. Our hope is that she found a mate and has had several litters of baby minks to raise under that tree cavity.
When they first came into care...
When they first came into care...
The babies were only 4 and 6 weeks old when we received them into care. River otters aren't born knowing how to swim or survive on their own. They generally stay with the mother their whole first year of life.
When they first came into care...
They were all orphaned... all with different but sad stories. Of the four otters we had in care... Emmitt was found on a road next to his deceased mom. Cleo was found after her den was bull-dozed up. Ollie and Marigold were orphaned when their mother was killed.
Getting a bigger cage...
They quickly grew out of their small cage and needed a bigger one. Otters are very social and playful animals. As soon as these babies came into care, I knew that I had to get to work on locating the perfect release spot for them. Somewhere that would give them the best chance at survival. Unfortunately, otters (just like coyotes) aren't widely accepted in our world... which is due largely in part to myths, falsehoods, and stories being handed down generation after generation... stories that are completely untrue and harmful towards wildlife.
Moved outside to an enclosure...
We built them a large enclosure with a 300-gallon pond for them to learn to fish and swim in. It would sustain them temporarily until they were ready for life in a MUCH larger water source.
Growing up...
They grew big and strong. This is Emmitt, he was the oldest of the group. When the babies were fearful to get into the pond, Emmitt would scruff them by their neck (just as their mother would) and pull them into the water.... teaching them to swim in deeper water than what they were used to. He helped prepare them for life in the wild.
Release...
We released them in a river on private land where we can continue to monitor them and care for them until they are completely self-supportive. Because KDFWR doesn't allow rehabbers to keep animals in care beyond 180 days, we had to release these otters at 6 and 8 months of age (before they were fully capable of independent survival). BUT, we have been monitoring them daily and providing supplemental food to make sure they stay fed and healthy. And we will continue to do so until they are able to live independently.
Rescue. Rehabilitate. Release. A coyote story...
The first coyote pups we received were siblings. This is the male (we named him Grit). The left side of this pic is when he first arrived into care here... umbilical cord still attached. We are unsure of their story... we think they were kidnapped from their den at less than 2 days old.
This little female (who we named Grace) is the sibling to "Grit." The left side of this pic is when she first came into care here... umbilical cord still attached.
We received 5 coyote pups in 2025. Two were siblings and the other 3 were all singles that were found separately. All have sad stories of why they were orphaned or abandoned. Our sibling duo were (we think) kidnapped from their den. The next two babies were both found by different finders... both weak, malnourished, and unable to walk. Our final baby was found by animal control. We think someone raised her and "released" her... but she was far too young to survive on her own.
The pups growing up...
We have rescued and rehabilitated countless animals here at Grit & Grace Wildlife Rehabilitation, and each one has a unique and (unfortunately) sad story to tell. And, around 95% or more of the animals that we take into care were either orphaned, injured, or made ill by human hands. So, we work to try and give them back what was taken from them.
Almost ready for release...
We believe that education is key to protecting wildlife and their habitats. Which is why we continually educate on the importance of wildlife... especially keystone species like coyotes. Keystone species mean that their presence or absence has a significant impact on the surrounding biological community... they are vital to the ecosystems in which they live.
Release...
Release day for the 5 coyote pups who have grown into beautiful adults ready to fulfill their very important role in the ecosystems in which they live.
Do you have a question or comment for Grit & Grace Wildlife Rehabilitation? We would love to hear from you! Contact us by phone, email, or through our online form.
Grit and Grace Farm & Wildlife Rehabilitation Wildlife Rescue: Saving Lives One Click at a Time
Not all the animals we rescue are wildlife. Every so often a domestic or livestock animal needs help, and we do what we can. This baby boy (who is no longer a baby and who probably weighs about 800lbs) is living his best life with my dear friend Carrie. He is treated like a king in his new home, and I couldn't be happier.
Another "not wildlife" animal that we helped to rescue. Betty the cow is now living her best life with my dear friend Ann... and Ann is spoiling Betty rotten... as it should be. She even has a bionic leg!
This momma raccoon and her three babies were removed from an attic in a apartment building in downtown Lexington. Thankful that the construction worker who found her is an animal lover and stopped at nothing until he found help for her and her kits. He brought her to us and I placed her and her babies in one of our outdoor enclosures...fed her well... and basically left her alone to raise her babi
Ruby the Groundhog's Story...
When Ruby first came into care...
Ruby is a young groundhog (woodchuck) who was spotted by a caring lady named Carole. Carole had noticed that this little groundhog was out of hibernation too early and upon further examination through photos taken by Carole (the finder), she noticed that something was protruding from the groundhogs mouth. Determined to find out what was going on with the little groundhog, Carole took many more photos until she finally took one that showed her teeth were overgrown and sticking out of her mouth. Carole wasted no time finding help for the little groundhog. When she called us, we were happy to help.
Once we got a good look...
Once we received Ruby here at our facility, we discovered that not only were her bottom teeth overgrown, her top teeth were as well. During her capture by her finder, Ruby somehow broke one of her bottom teeth off before making her way here. You can see in the photo that one of her bottom teeth already looks trimmed. She was trying to help us, I guess?
Badly overgrown teeth...
What we were able to cut away...
Once we cut the bottom teeth down a bit, we were able to take a better look at the top teeth. You can see how they have curled upwards into the roof of her mouth and into her cheek. Both top teeth were embedded into the roof of her mouth and cheek. I can't imagine the pain she must've been in.
What we were able to cut away...
What we were able to cut away...
These are the top (darker teeth) and the one bottom tooth (whiter one) that we were able to trim off. We ended up taking more than this picture shows because once we cut these off, we were able to trim a bit more away.
The new smile...
Once we were able to trim as much as we could, you could see that her teeth don't necessarily line up as they should. However, they do touch and I am hoping that going forward, she will be able to keep them trimmed down on her own. If not, we will have to go back to the drawing board and cut them again.
A little before/during/after...
This picture shows the before, the during, and the after. I sure hope this little groundhog lives a happier, pain-free life.