In a town as full of wildlife and critters as Corvallis, it’s incredibly important to know what to do if you come across an injured or sick animal.

The first thing to do in any situation is to assess. How severe is the injury? How might it have happened? Without getting too close to the animal, assess how to best proceed.

Many animals can be rehabilitated by Chintimini Wildlife Center.

However, due to OFWD regulations, they cannot take all animals in. You can call Chintimini at (541) 745-5324 to bring in the following animals for rehabilitation:

• Songbird
• Raptor
• Squirrel or other small mammal (excluding rats and rabbits)
• Large mammal (excluding deer and opossum)
• Bat
• Reptile
• Amphibian
• Duck or other waterfowl

Chintimini is not permitted to rehabilitate the following animals, however will provide humane euthanization if necessary:

• Rats
• Rabbits
• Opossums
• European starlings
• Eurasian-collared doves
• House sparrows
• Deer

If you find an injured or sick deer, call the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife: (541) 757-4186.

However, Chintimini Wildlife Center is only open for calls from the hours of 9AM-4PM. If you have rescued an animal outside of these hours, leave a voicemail and then follow the instructions below until the center is open (instructions from Chintimini Wildlife Center):

• Contain the animal in a cardboard box, a kennel, or other container with holes for ventilation. Use an old towel or T-shirt to line the bottom.
• Minimize the amount of time you spend handling the animal. Limiting contact will reduce the animal’s overall stress.
• Keep the animal in a warm, dark, and quiet environment.
• Provide warmth by using a heating pad (set on low) or another gentle heat source, but be sure that the animal has room to move away from the heat source if needed to prevent overheating.
• Do NOT attempt to provide medical care to the injured animal. It is much safer for both you and the animal to wait for a trained professional to take care of it.
• Do NOT feed the animal.
• Do NOT force the animal to drink water. If you would like to provide a water source, give the animal a shallow dish of water, but be sure that the animal will not fall in.
• Bring the animal to Chintimini Wildlife Center as soon as possible.

These animals deserve the same care and kindness as any other Corvallis resident. Be sure to drive carefully and alertly, because you never know when an animal could be right around the corner. And if you ever come across a wounded animal and don’t want to help it, don’t shy away from telling someone else. Chances are, you’ll have a friend who’ll want to help. Just remember – be kind to the creatures that call our city home. They deserve it.

Information credit: https://chintiminiwildlife.org/wildlife-emergency/after-hours/