Gretchen Weslager holds a young adult kestrel.

Licensed wildlife rehabilitator Gretchen Weslager helps a baby opposum.

Theresa Ratay opened the small cage, one of several just a few feet away from a freezer full of mice and rats. Seconds later, a tiny screech owl was airborne, heading for the nearest rafter.

From there, it was a test between the future veterinarian and the winged ball of fluff. With the help of a stepladder, Ratay managed to grasp the little bird, who then winked curiously as a visitor stroked his soft gray head.

"He was found in the middle of the road, with cars going by," said Gretchen A. Weslager, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and operator of Windy Ridge Wildlife Refuge Inc. in Acme.

She is one of 53 licensed wildlife rehabilitators in Pennsylvania, and one of the few "all species" wildlife rehabilitators. She rehabilitates for release native mammals, passerines (songbirds), raptors (birds of prey) and rabies vector species (bats, skunks, coyotes, raccoons, foxes, woodchucks).

The rabies-prone species must be housed separately, in special caging. Rehabilitators who work with them must receive rabies pre-exposure shots. In an effort to battle rabies, the facility participates in a U.S. Department of Agriculture program to vaccinate and tag those species prior to release.

For 16 years Weslager has operated the nonprofit facility, along with a handful of consistent volunteers. Some people show up for a while, then don't return. "They find out it's not a lot of hugging and cuddling, but more dirty work," Weslager said.

"This is the future, right here," she said, nodding at Ratay. The junior at Wilson College in Chambersburg travels once a week from Butler to help Weslager.

A former teacher and Head Start program director, Weslager said she has always loved animals.

"I think I was the mother in the neighborhood who everyone brought (injured animals) to, and I wanted to do it right," she said. "So I pursued it."

The Pennsylvania Game Commission regulates the all-volunteer program. Greg Houghton, with the commission's bureau of law enforcement, said rehabilitators often formerly worked or volunteered in the field.

"Some people get grants, or hold fund-raisers," he said. "It's something they want to do and do it at their own expense."

County population can determine the number of wildlife rehabilitators, Houghton said. A county with a population exceeding 300,000, and a land area exceeding 1,000 square miles, can be issued a maximum of two permits in all classes. People can be certified in one or a combination of three categories -- mammals, raptors and passerines.

When county openings exist, applicants can review test material and schedule an exam with the Game Commission at a regional office. Rehabilitators are categorized as either novices or general (those who have at least two years' experience as a novice).

They must also obtain a letter from a current rehabilitator, basically a sponsorship, and confirmation that an area veterinarian is willing to help care for the animals.

In addition, they must have an established facility adequate for the care of the type of wildlife they plan to rehabilitate.

ALWAYS ON CALL

Pam Paulisick worked in interior design for years, but always loved animals. After volunteering with Beth Shoaf, who operates Wildlife Works in Youngwood, she pursued her own license and now cares for mammals.

She gave up caring for birds; the babies, she said, need to be fed every 15 minutes.

And she is trying to get her rabies vector species license so that she can take in those types of animals as well.

"It's a lot of work," she said of becoming a wildlife rehabilitator. "It's very rewarding, but it's very stressful. It's not unusual at 1 a.m. to be taking something in that was hit by a car."

Paulisick operates Fawn Meadow Farm in Export. She and two regular evening volunteers care for the animals.

She advised anyone interested in the field to read books about Pennsylvania wildlife, to learn about territorial issues, etc.

She and her husband, Barry, finance all expenses at the privately run facility. Donations, and items like heating pads and baby blankets, are always welcome.

Weslager's facility is designated nonprofit, and accepts supplies and tax-deductible cash donations. Area veterinarians help with minimal- or no-charge visits and medication.

Both rehabilitators give presentations for schoolchildren, trying to teach conservation, habitats, and care of animals.

They also stress that wild animals are not meant to be kept as pets, and that those who try it can be fined.

A big mistake people make, Paulisick said, is "taking it and feeding it what you think it needs."

The practice can be dangerous to would-be owners, as well as to animals not meant for domestication. Raccoons and deer can get mean and aggressive as they grow, Paulisick said.

And animals who may have been exposed to the rabies virus may not immediately show symptoms.

Rehabilitators must teach the animals survival skills but must not release them too soon, before they are able to defend themselves.

Cradling a tiny opossum in her palm, one of two who survived when their mother was struck by a car, Weslager estimated the marsupials, their eyes still closed, would require care for at least another month.

Behind her, a pair of formerly dehydrated and emaciated squirrels peeked out from a cage. They had been found in a ditch.

"It's the type of thing we get," she said. "We just try to do our best and get them back out."

She guessed she takes in about 400 animals a year. People who find animals call her, as do area vets and game wardens. When it's time to release them, she tries to return them to within five miles of where an animal or bird was found. Those who can't return to the wild often find a home somewhere on her 135 acres.

Weslager said people are learning not to touch animals they believe have been injured, or abandoned. But some people still can't resist "rescuing" bunnies and fawns whose mothers may be nearby. Rabies vector animals in particular should be left alone, and a rehabilitator or the Game Commission notified. If a person is bitten, the animal may have to be destroyed to determine if it has rabies.

"They don't all have to die," she said. "Call someone who is licensed to have them."

Anyone interested in wildlife rehabilitation, Weslager said, has to understand the work involved. "It's a 24/7 commitment," she said. "You are constantly learning."

(Phone number for Windy Ridge Wildlife Refuge Inc. is 724-455-7176;
for Fawn Meadow Farm, 724-327-8992)