Effective rehabilitation meets the unique physical and psychological needs of each species we treat. It combines aspects of veterinary medicine, animal husbandry, animal behavior, biology and other fields.
Keeping the wild in wildlife
Wildlife rehabilitation does not attempt to turn wild animals into pets. Human contact with patients at PAWS is kept to a minimum, and animals are held in captivity only until they are able to live independently in the wild. Animals with injuries or illnesses that prevent them from surviving in the wild are humanely euthanized.
Releasing our wild patients
For rehabilitation to be deemed successful, released animals must be able to survive on their own and be an integral part of their species’ population. They must recognize and obtain appropriate foods, respond with fight or flight to potential dangers, and select mates of their own species to reproduce.
Rehabilitation Permits
As required by law, PAWS holds rehabilitation and oiled wildlife permits from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and a federal permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service allowing PAWS to rehabilitate migratory birds. We are also part of our region’s NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Stranding Network. It is illegal in the state of Washington to rehabilitate wildlife without a permit. PAWS is a member of the Washington Wildlife Rehabilitation Association (WWRA), National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA), the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) and the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association (WSVMA).
Education
Wildlife rehabilitation provides an opportunity for public education about the dangers wild animals face in an increasingly human-dominated landscape. This critical part of our work helps wildlife on a much larger scale than wildlife rehabilitation could alone. Because PAWS does not believe in keeping wild animals permanently in captivity, we do not use live wild animals in our education programs. Instead, we use storytelling and artifacts to educate the community and inspire compassionate action for animals. Visit our PAWS Education Program section for more information.