THWR,Inc.
The pictures below are of permanent residents here at THWR.
These animals are all in need of sponsors! Please read their stories and if you feel you would like to help a particular animal, a monthly donation in the animal's name will go toward only that animal! Indoor and outdoor enclosures, shelters, favorite foods, medical care, new food bowls and much more is always needed! Thank you!
Sponsor Me! My name is Bambi!
Bambi came to us in 2008 after a dog had mangled his leg. He was put in a splint and the same day we got in a rabbit with the same injury. Had to name them Bambi and Thumper!
Bambi's splint did not help, so he was taken to physical therapy, then a chiropractor, and eventually to an orthopedic surgeon. This is where we discovered a torn patella ligament. After many weeks of trying to save the leg, it had to be amputated.
Because Bambi only has three legs, he remains a permanent resident. In this picture he is a beautiful five-year-old. They are fed well, with lots of leaves, vegetables, fruits, grains, oats and in winter they receive cracked corn also. Please consider sponsoring him.
Sponsor Me! My name is Han Solo!
Han Solo was brought to us in 2008 after a cat caught him and ate his back legs and part of his tail, also injuring one eye so badly it had to be removed. One back leg still had a stump and once healed, he was able to run and climb without much difficulty. However, his speed was not enough that he would be able to make a good enough get-away should another cat see him. Thus, Han Solo became a permanent resident.
After nearly six months of antibiotics, pain meds, anti-inflammatory meds, good food and vitamin water, (and lots of lost sleep for me!), Han Solo was climbing his cage. One day he figured out how to escape from his cage and then became a house chipmunk! We fed him in his cage and he slept there, but we no longer bothered to close the doors. When they chirp they sound like a dripping faucet and we still laugh when he gets under the sink and starts talking! He enjoys his seeds and nuts and well as fresh veggies and fruits. Han Solo's monthly upkeep cost averages $10.00. Please consider sponsoring this wonderful animal.
UPDATE: We do not know how old Han Solo was when he came to us six years ago, but we do know the average life span of a chipmunk is 6-8 years. We are sad to report that on March 15, 2014, Han Solo passed away. Please consider a Memorial Donation for him to be used to help future injured chipmunks get a secocnd chance at life!
Sponsor Me! My name is Swarley!
In 2012 we received a call ona fawn hit by a car. X-rays showed the left hind leg was broken beyond repair. We had to amputate the leg. The picture on the left is Swarley only six hours after his surgery!
Swarley seemed to understand that Bambi, posted above, had the same injury he had and they bonded from the first day. They hang out together, sleep together, eat together and groom each other all the time.
Swarley has a small problem that none of the other deer here have. His legs are not completely straight and therefore his hooves do not hit the ground as they should, causing his hooves to grow longer than normal and needing to be trimmed every year. The cost of the vet coming out to trim his hooves is $100 once a year. Please consider a monthly donation for Swarley or a once a year donation to help pay for his hoof trim.
UPDATE: A severe tornado producing storm in mid April 2014 broke the gate and Swarley escaped and was struck and killed by a car. A memorial donation in his name will be used towards fixing fences and gates and ensuring this type of accident does not happen again.
Sponsor Me! My name is Hamilton!
Hamilton was found by a large dog who thought he might enjoy a turtle snack for lunch. His shell was badly chewed up and broken.
Hamilton was brought to THWR along with several pieces of his shell! He was scrubbed clean and taken to an orthodontist who used braces to repair and hold his shell together! We think it rather funny that an animal with no teeth has braces!
A turtle's metabolism is extremely slow. If given pain medication or antibiotics, it can take several days just to begin to work! The healing process is very, very slow also. It can take up to two years for a broken shell to heal!
Hamilton was the first turtle we took in needing to have a shell repaired. Every year we get dozens of turtles needing help. Many are chewed up by dogs and even more are hit by cars. Though Hamilton has been released, sponsoring him will help build a new turtle habitat that will house the increasing number of these wonderful reptiles as they heal.
Please consider a Memorial Donation for me! My name is Angus!
2010 brought us an interesting case. Angus, as he was named, had been found a year earlier during a bad ice storm. Not understanding opossum care, his rescuer put him in an outdoor cage with a blanket. Sadly, the cold was too much for just a blanket and he developed crispy ear, a condition similar to frostbite that caused his ears to crumble off. Opossum also require a varied diet that includes lots of vegetables and only small portions of protein rich foods with a balance of calcium rich foods to prevent MBD. Angus had been fed chicken and cheetoes as a staple diet for nearly six months and had developed Metabolic Bone Disease. This is correctable but takes twice as long to correct as it does to get it, not to mention it is painful for the animal.
To make matters worse, Angus was born with deformaties that I have never seen before and hope to never see again. His breast bone stuck out, indicating CHF, which a vet confirmed he did have. His tail was much shorter than normal, his tongue was nearly twice the normal size and caused him to have difficulty eating. His hips were not set correctly and he walked on the sides of his feet. Worst of all his jawbones were not lined up and he could not close his mouth all the way. He was fed soft foods like bananas and gerber baby foods or other veggies and greens pureed. Angus remained with us until 2013 when he began a sudden rapid decline as his heart began to fail. We took him to be euthanized but as the vet drew up the medication, Angus passed away in my arms.
A donation in this wonderful little opossum's name will go toward building a larger enclosure for two more permanent resident opossum that came in after being hit by cars in January 2014. Daisy and Daffodil are awaiting their new enclosure! Wont you help them?!