Savage Hart Wildlife Rehab, Conservation and Rescue
We live among the wild things, even in an urban setting, sharing the planet with wild animals sometimes means coming across an animal needing help. We may not speak the same language, but compassion still compels us to do what we can to help injured or abandoned animals. Luckily, a local nonprofit works tirelessly to help wild animals live healthy lives right where they belong: in the wild.
Winding country roads lead to a quiet spot in Hamilton, where, nestled in a grassy clearing surrounded by forest, a humble building sits calmly, waiting for a new purpose. This building is soon to be the new headquarters for Savage Hart, a local wildlife conservation and rehabilitation nonprofit organization.
Laura Daggerhart, founder and Executive Director of Savage Hart, gives me a tour of the new facility. We stop at the bathroom, where she explains that a shower will be added “to aid in the rehab process of certain species (such as turtles or oiled wildlife), or in the unfortunate event that a staff member gets sprayed by a skunk.” For Laura and the Savage Hart crew, it’s just another day on the job.
A lifelong lover of big cats, Laura spent many years working in zoological settings as an animal caretaker. Over time her mission evolved, and her passion grew. Moving from zoology to wildlife conservation, Laura pursued the necessary permits and training courses for the work she wanted to do, and in 2011 she got her individual rehab permit.
With no wildlife rehabilitation facility within 80 miles of Columbus, Laura brought Savage Hart with her when she moved to Columbus from Ohio in 2018. She found that Columbus was a bigger city with a bigger need for wildlife care than where she had come from, and calls began pouring in.
As the scale of the work grew, Laura found herself in need of some assistance, and brought Tiffani Hughes on board as the Director of Rehab. Soon after, Laura added John Walton Taylor to the staff as the Director of Wild Bird Conservation.
So, how does the rescue and rehabilitation process work? Once Savage Hart receives a call about an animal needing care, they develop a plan of action depending on the species and issue. If the animal is a match for their services, they take it in, feed it through syringes or tubes and over time transition to larger enclosures. As the animal regains its strength and mobility, it is transferred to a pre-release enclosure where it can learn to forage, build nests, and acclimate to the weather. Once the animals are able to survive in the wild, they are released as close to the setting they were found in as possible. Savage Hart likes to give the original finder of the animal the chance to be a part of the release.
They see some animals, like opossums, most often, with squirrels and turtles also being frequent rescues. This year, the organization had its first opportunity to rehabilitate skunks, and ended up with three skunks in their care at one time. “Skunks are very active animals and require lots of enrichment to keep them content and stimulated, basically, they get bored very fast,” Laura laughs. Other animals Savage Hart has cared for include foxes, bobcats, bats, non-venomous snakes, rabbits, and more.
An important point Laura makes regarding their rescues is that, “They need to stay wild.” Savage Hart doesn’t keep the animals any longer than is necessary, and their care is always with the mission of seeing the animals return to the wild and hopefully live long, healthy lives where they belong in the wild.
While Savage Hart can sometimes reach capacity for accepting new patients, they do everything in their power to never turn away an animal that needs care. If you find an animal in need of care, Laura has some tips for how to proceed.
First, observe the animal. Sometimes people think animals have been orphaned when the mother is actually nearby watching, and it would be a bad idea in this case to remove the animal. Next, call the Savage Hart hotline at (888) 444-1810 before moving the animal. If it’s absolutely necessary to move the animal, use gloves, and put it in a warm, dark, quiet spot. It’s especially important not to give the animal food and water, as this can interfere with the triage process and treatment once it’s at the rehab facility.
Future plans for Savage Hart include remodeling their new facility to make it move-in ready. The facility, which was donated by the awesome folks at Banner Buildings, will enable the organization to help more animals more efficiently. And while Laura is excited about this prospect, she stresses that “It’s about quality of care, not quantity of animals.” While she wants to help every animal that needs it, she understands that her patients deserve the best care and attention possible.
A 501(c)3 nonprofit, Savage Hart gives 100% of what they receive monetarily right back into the animals, conservation, rehab and rescue efforts. The three staff members work, often tirelessly, out of the goodness of their hearts. The organization welcomes and appreciates both monetary donations and in-kind donations through their Amazon wishlist.
As Laura gears up to release eight opossums this week, I ask her what the most fulfilling part of her work is. She smiles as she thinks. ”One of the things I find most fulfilling, besides returning animals to their native habitat, is helping people understand the importance of wildlife and the vital roles they play in our communities, the importance of wildlife remaining in their natural ecosystem, and how people can make changes to coexist with the creatures that have just as much right to this place as we do.”
Savage Hart Wildlife Rehabilitation, Inc. is a free resource for the community. Although they cannot remove nuisance animals, they can provide rehab, conservation and rescue to our wildlife in need. For more information, or to donate, please visit savagehartwildlife.org. Savage Hart is also on Facebook and Instagram @savage_hart_wildlife.
By Natalie Downey