We need your help to get the Fab 4 Foxes into their permanent habitat before winter!
Wild Paws Volunteer Recognition
Our volunteers are the reason we exist and they have a unique set of extraordinary talents that support our mission to rescue and provide a safe habitat for displaced wild animals while promoting coexistence and preservation of their ecosystems.
2024 Q3 - Shelly & MaryBeth
MaryBeth Kensek and Shelly Wood were nominated as our volunteers of Q3 2024. They’ve been with us from the beginning and they always make group volunteer days fun! No matter the weather, hot or cold, they show up, and willing to do the hard work it takes to build habitats. And they also show up to join us to celebrate our milestones!
Putting up cattle panel walls for the Fab 4 Fox Habitat
“We volunteer at wild paws: The uniqueness to work and to provide a safe and healthy refuge for the animals. The people we work with are welcoming to us and compassionate about the animals. Such great appreciation and love for nature.”
2024 Q2 - Corbin & Breccan
Corbin and Breccan with enrichment items for the residents
Wild Paws volunteers come in all shapes and sizes, including the smaller people that are animal enthusiasts. We’d like to recognize and congratulate some very special boys as our Volunteers of 2024 Q2, Corbin and Breccan. We couldn’t be prouder to have them on our team!
As volunteers, they work on creating various enrichment for the Wild Paws residents, whether it be holiday-themed or just something fun for them to enjoy.
Breccan and Corbin were so excited to hear the news that they were chosen as Volunteers of the Quarter, and we’d like to share comments from the boys and their parents.
Corbin - “My most favorite thing about Wild Paws is we save animals and that we give them good habitats.”
Breccan - “I like how the animals are cared for. We make them fun things for them to play with. My favorite is to see how excited the foxes get with their enrichment. Especially, Flash. He is so fast.”
“As a parent, we want to share our love for animals with our kids. It is important for us to instill a deep appreciation for animals and the environment they live. Wild Paws helps us do this by teaching the value in helping animals in need. Through helping in little ways, it impacts the lives of the rescued animals in a large way. In turn it also helps their young minds gain a tangible understanding of how impactful volunteering can be. Even at a young age, they understand how their efforts can brighten our animals’ day. This helps boost their confidence and pride. We are so proud of them for contributing to the incredible effort put forth by the team of volunteers. They may be young, but their hearts are big. Watching the joy on their faces as they see the animals utilize things they made, fills our hearts.”
Our volunteers are the backbone of Wild Paws, and our youth are all of our future. Giving them the opportunity to enjoy learning about nature and wildlife conservation will help them become the stewards of our forests and wildlife.
If your kids, or if you know of any children who would be interested in learning about wildlife and/or would enjoy creating some enrichment items, here are our enrichment guidelines.
2024 Q1 - Jess Grill
When it comes to our excellent Wild Paws volunteers, Jess Grill is the definition of “Jill of All Trades”! She has been with Wild Paws since our first resident fox arrival in 2021. She knew some of the people who started Wild Paws and “these are the kind of people who know what they are doing, and have such a passion for an organization like this, that I knew I wanted to be a part of it.” She is an integral part of our animal care team, and is usually onsite multiple times a month to ensure all facets of our residents’ care is managed properly.
This means everything from helping to design and build our habitats to daily husbandry, which includes feeding, cleaning, training, and enrichment. Her holiday gingerbread house for the Fab 4 was outstanding and provided a lot of fun and entertainment for them!
Jess also sets up and manages our camera monitoring system. This system is invaluable to viewing and reviewing resident activities and safety at all hours of the day or night. She has a knack for understanding the unique qualities and needs of each resident. Jess has especially helped our special needs coyote, Daphne, by studying her behavior, trying new enrichment items for her and setting up Zoomonitor for daily logs. Through this type of specialized care, our residents are living their best lives.
We asked Jess,” What does Wild Paws mean to you?” Her response was: “It's one thing to have a mission statement but it's another to follow through and truly live by that statement, and that is absolutely what Wild Paws does. Animal care is a huge part of that but I love that sustainability and how we can impact the environment also plays a huge role. By taking in displaced native wildlife there is also the advantage to educate on the importance of coexistence with the animals.”
2023 Q3 Volunteer - Steph Anderson
Stephanie has been with Wild Paws since our conception, and we couldn’t be more grateful for her commitment to making Wild Paws successful in her great care for our residents. In her own words, “I volunteer for Wild Paws because I am invested in using my free time to assist with animal causes and really enjoy interacting with the animals I help care for. It helps fill a need (that) I have to put out some good in this world. There are many different ways to help volunteer for Wild Paws, for example, helping with social media, assisting in grant writing, data entry, creating enrichment for the animals, gardening, building animal dens and platforms, as well as animal care.”
Update 2024: Steph continues to make great suggestions to improving our onsite organization of tools, equipment and gardening supplies. She also knows who likes which treats best, which is very helpful to animal care!
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead
2023 Q2 Volunteer - Chris Merton
Meet Chris Merton, Wild Paws Volunteer of the Quarter Q2 2023. From the beginning, Chris has dedicated many hours to Wild Paws and has been instrumental in preparing the land and completing habitats for for our residents. He has led many group volunteer days, worked on his own, and donated supplies and equipment all while having a positive outlook and vision for Wild Paws’ future. We are lucky to call him a friend and fellow animal lover.
In Chris’ words, “I volunteer at Wild Paws to do what I can to help minimize the negative effects on wild animals from human - animal interactions.”
Update 2024: Chris is group volunteer day lead and has already starting clearing the area for the Fab 4 Foxes new habitat. He helps to set our priorities and maintain our project lists.
Fab 4 Roomies!
FILLED WITH GRATITUDE
Welcome Home Fab 4 Foxes!
Meet Daphne, our sweet special needs coyote
Wild Paws Online Holiday Auction 2022
Many artists have donated some wonderful items for this year’s Wild Paws Online Holiday Auction 2022!
We also have some fun certificates and other items. We hope you find something you like as a gift for someone, or for yourself, while raising funds for a great cause. Happy bidding!
The auction runs through Sunday Dec 11, ending at 8 PM.
Here are some of the wonderful items for you to bid on:
Click on the link or QR Code to see all of the 60+ items!
Join us for the Goons 4 Good Charity Blitz!
August 26th-28th at the Champlin Ice Arena
We are thrilled to be one of the non-profits selected to benefit from the Goons 4 Good Charity Blitz this year!
Goons 4 Good is a co-ed adult hockey tournament that partners with multiple charities for a one-weekend tournament. Each team represents a different charity selected by the team's captain. All donations for that team will go to the chosen charity. The winning team will receive an additional donation from Goons 4 Good.
This event also includes a Cornhole Tournament that will take place between games. You do not need to be participating in the hockey games to register for the cornhole tournament. The registration fee is $60 per team of 2 players.
Thank you captain Sam Molitor and your team for choosing to represent Wild Paws during the charity blitz!
Please visit the Goons 4 Good website for details, learn about sponsorship opportunities, and register for the Cornhole Tournament.
The Next Phase for Wild Paws
Due to our determined supporters and hard-working volunteers, Wild Paws has accomplished quite a few milestones since welcoming our first residents in 2021, and we have reached Phase 5 in our facility planning. Since December of 2020, we have had resident housing and a caretaker living onsite. Ongoing facility planning keeps us on task to provide a home for life for displaced wild animals.
When we heard that Finneas the fox needed a home for life, we got busy clearing an area and building his first acclimation habitat. Volunteers built an insulated den to ensure Finneas’ safety and warmth. Finneas arrived in January of 2021 and quickly adapted to his new life at Wild Paws.
A few months later, we received the call for Alfalfa. At that time, we reached out to our volunteers and a crew of 12 people built the second acclimation habitat and the introduction area in one day. This is impressive not just because our volunteers rock, but because of all of the work this entailed. As Finneas went offsite for a full vet exam, the area was excavated and then smoothed out before the underground flooring was placed and recovered with dirt. This is for safety reasons, as foxes like to dig and this places a safety barrier to prevent them from digging too far.
Volunteers building a habitat at Wild Paws
The acclimation habitats were built with prefabricated panels and everything was secured with additional hardware. Support beams were then placed, as well as ceiling panels. A second secured lockout area was built and double door entries were installed. It was quite magical to see this all happen so quickly and in just one day.
We were now ready to welcome Alfalfa. If you have followed their story, you know Finneas and Alfalfa acclimated quickly to each other and are now living as roommates. We are fortunate to have an experienced animal care team that consists of our Medical Director, Animal Curator, and dedicated volunteers who take care of our residents on a daily basis. The animal care team works closely to create our husbandry practices. Considerations for best care requires the team to meet regularly to continue to advance what we provide to our residents. This includes discussions of their nutritional needs, health status, enrichment considerations, behavioral plans, environment and overall welfare.
Due to the generosity of one of our corporate supporters, we also accomplished having electrical installed inside the perimeter fence area. The next step is to build the boys their permanent habitat. We excavated the area last year and have planned various enrichment and housing options for the foxes. We fundraised the projected amount needed to build and raised $16K in 2021.
Unfortunately, due to the supply and demand issues we are all facing, and especially in the rise in cost of building materials, the cost to complete this project has doubled. Steel prices went up 200% in 2021. Anyone who was in the process of building a house or an addition also knows the cost of wood and other supplies skyrocketed as well.
Price of Steel Chart, Credit to Lance Lambert · Source Marketwatch
https://fortune.com/2021/07/08/steel-prices-2021-going-up-bubble/
We are ready to start building the permanent habitat and with the money raised so far, we will be able to have a fencing company install the poles, brackets and gates needed for the secured area in the next few months. As we raise additional funds, we can then buy the materials needed to complete the project. These materials include approximately 60 sheets of steel fencing, incline brackets, prefab panels for shift areas and other supplies.
Our volunteers will start completing the rest of the habitat after the poles get placed. They will install the chainlink flooring and the cattle panel walls. Due to very generous donors, we have secured a large amount of the chainlink materials needed for the flooring. However, we are still continuing to look for donations of chainlink. If you know anyone replacing a fence in their back yard or elsewhere, we can accept donations of minimum 3’x3” pieces, and up to 8’ rolls.
Volunteers taking down and collecting donated chainlink
It is our mission to provide every animal we rescue the most natural space possible. Features of the fox habitat will include:
Chainlink flooring underneath for safety reasons
Live standing trees for shade
Logs for climbing and resting
Permanent enrichment features i.e. boulders, platforms, underground digging opportunities, etc.
Concrete culverts for tunnels
Secure and private shift areas with dens
This spring, we will also start a dietary garden within the perimeter-fenced area. Future goals we hope to accomplish as soon as possible include hiring a contractor to pull a water line out to the perimeter area, and constructing an Animal Care building so all food, enrichment items, crates and additional supplies are closer to the habitat area. Upon completion of the fox habitat, we will start building additional habitat areas to be able to provide for future residents in need.
We Have Received So Many Requests To Rescue Animals In Need. Knowing There Are Animals In Need Right Now Is What Propels Us Everyday To Work Hard And Accomplish Our Goals. We Are So Grateful For Our Supporters Who Have Helped Us Accomplish So Much, But There Is Much More Work Ahead.
Wild Paws Annual Plant Sale Fundraiser 2021
Alfalfa & Finneas are Roommates!
Our amazing animal care team did incredible work to get our two fox residents, Finneas and Alfalfa, familiar with one another from a distance. Introductions were slow and well thought out, providing the most amount of comfort and least amount of stress.
When we first learned of Alfalfa’s need for a forever home, we had high hopes that he and Finneas could live together. It was clear from the first day Alfalfa arrived, they were both interested in each other. The animal care staff started noticing a trend after the first couple of nights. The two boys would stash their toys on the side of their habitats nearest the other. It was as if they wanted to share and show off what they each had.
While Alfalfa settled in and learned his new space and routine, the animal care team drafted their introduction plan. The two habitats were connected to a ‘shareable’ space where they could be allowed to go and get a closer look at each other. It was decided that Finn would be the first one to have access to the space since he had previously had access before Alfalfa arrived. Mesh was put up on the shared wall for safety and Finn was let in.
It only took moments for Finn to find his way into the new space and Alfalfa to realize how close he could now get to his new friend. At first, there was plenty of sniffing and posturing, with each standing on their hind legs to get a better look. But, as time went on, they both began to run along the fence often rolling on their backs and playfully biting the grass. As Finn is typically reserved with the animal care staff around, it was fun to see him play and react to Alfalfa.
As the night went on, the boys ramped up their playing and running alongside the shared wall. They were mostly just blurs on the camera from zooming around so fast. It was clear they both wanted to truly meet each other so it was decided the introduction would happen the following day. The animal care team gathered the safety supplies and opened the door for Alfalfa to join Finn.
Alfalfa is quite a bit more curious than Finn, especially when people are around, so it was Alfalfa who first explored Finn’s area. At first, there was minimal interaction as Alfalfa was busy with all the sights and smells, but they soon found each other and started sniffing and following one another around. Next, it was Finn’s turn to check out Alfalfa’s space. After Alfalfa showed off his digs, the wrestling and playing began.
We are happy to report that the two boys are doing great with one another. A special thank you to the animal care team who took great care to ensure the safety of both boys and for understanding their individual needs.
We have cleared the 8500 sq ft area for their permanent habitat. We would love to see them in their forever space as soon as possible. Please consider making a donation today to make that happen.
Art Auction
The first Wild Paws Virtual Art Auction raised approximately $2700 Which Will Go Towards Building A new permanent habitat for Finneas!
There were many fantastic items up for auction, including the first original Finneas the Fox painting, many pieces honoring Finneas, paintings, photography, jewelry, unique multi-item baskets and more!
The auction platform we are using is a free platform, and therefore raises money by asking for donation from bidders. When a bid is placed, the site defaults to a button clicked "on" for a 15% tip for them when someone places a bid. This button simply needs to be un-clicked to avoid paying additional fees. The site also defaults to the option of covering the the credit card fees for Wild Paws, which can also be un-clicked.
Due to the overwhelming response, we will be having a second auction later this year, as well as annually from now on. If you missed the submission window you can still contribute to the next event! Please utilize the submission form found below.
Calling on all artists and art lovers!
Painters, potters, sculptors, photographers, jewelers, glassblowers, embroiderers, quilters, beaders, felters, knitters, stained glass, collage, mosaics, candlestick-makers, and all other artists and art collectors!
Donating your work for auction will help continue to build our Sanctuary into future homes for displaced wildlife.
We have welcomed our first resident, a young fox named Finneas. He was hit by a car and due to the nature of his injuries, he could not be released back into the wild. Watch a cute video and see how Finneas chose his name!
Your participation in this online event will enable us to provide a home for life for this little guy, and continue to build more habitats for future residents.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, or bookmark this webpage to stay up to date.
You can help Wild Paws while showcasing your work or organization alongside many other animal-friendly people by donating an auction item, i.e. art pieces, jewelry, baskets, gift certificates or other items.
Please download the auction form below to include with your work.
If you are unable to print the form, please let us know and we can mail one to you. Art can be mailed to the address on the Auction Form or if local to the Twin Cities/Western Wisconsin St. Croix Falls area, we can also arrange pickup or drop off. The date by which we would like to have arrangements made has been extended to 3/12/21. Please contact us with any questions at contact@wildpaws.org.
Because of you and your support Wild Paws will be able to fulfill our mission of rescuing and providing a safe habitat for wild animals using sustainable resources; promoting coexistence between humans and wildlife; and educating the public about the preservation of wild animals and their ecosystems.
Introducing Finneas!
In January 2021, our first rescued resident came home to Wild Paws and now he needs a name! We received many great name submissions from our supporters and narrowed down to the top three names. From there, with the help of his animal care team, he was able to choose his own name!
He was cautious but curious, as he first saw the three boxes in his habitat. As he made his way to the boxes, he first checked out Jasper. Not quite right. Then he went over to Felix. Not quite right either. Then to Finneas, and that was just right!
Make sure your volume is up around the 1 minute mark for extra cuteness.
Read more about our fox and his journey home here.
Please visit our donate page to contribute to his direct care or shop our Amazon Wish List for fox toys and other items that will help our animal care team provide him and future rescues the best life possible.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to sharing updates with you!
Welcome Home Little Fox!
We are so happy to announce that our little fox rescue has finally made it home!
A few days ago we finally received the call that all paperwork was filed and we could pick up our first Wild Paws resident. The trees were covered in the beautiful rime frost throughout our drive. We met a volunteer Howell Nature Center at a halfway point to transport our little fox friend.
He was very calm on the ride back to Homey Gnome Veterinary Clinic for an exam by our Medical Director, Dr. Noemi Plantz, DVM, and her compassionate staff. He was thoroughly examined, including blood draw, dental and eye exams, weight, x-rays and vaccinations.
The following morning he was brought to Wild Paws and released into his acclimation habitat. This little one now has the chance to explore his home and get used to his new surroundings. He is receiving a nutritional diet and varied enrichment, has an electric water bowl to ensure that his water will not freeze and can be refreshed daily, as well as various denning options to get cozy and warm.
To be able to monitor him closely but with the least amount of intrusion, we have installed a camera system for security and observation. With this system, our animal care team can monitor his behavior, track his feeding habits and enrichment preferences, and observe nocturnal instincts, without having to encroach his habitat.
In the coming weeks we will delve deeper into more detail regarding what his team discovers and tracks through observations of his behavior.
We are grateful and honored to have such an incredible animal care team!
We hope that you will all enthusiastically join in to help us name our little fox by submitting a name here. Thank you for your support!
Please visit our donate page to contribute to his direct care or shop our Amazon Wish List for fox toys and other items that will help our animal care team provide him and future rescues the best life possible.
