Animal Institute

This is what meal preparation looks like for the raccoons at the Animal Institute's Wildlife Clinic. Each raccoon receives a balanced omnivorous diet of fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, mealworms, bugs, and puppy kibble.

We are incredibly thankful to volunteers who cut up huge quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables several times each week to keep up with the nutritional demand of our raccoons.

We are also incredibly thankful for the charitable donations that our supporters make which pays to feed the mouths of these injured, ill, and orphaned Little Ones - raccoons and otherwise.

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

Today the partnership seeds planted between the Animal Institute and the Georgia Tech College of Computing began growing. Our Summer / Fall 2024 team of computer science capstone students, calling themselves the A-Team for 'Animal Team', kicked off the design and development of the Animal Institute's ambitious Animal College project.

The Animal Institute's Animal College will gradually grow into the ultimate digital destination for animal-related content and gamified education. Whether you're an elementary school student who wants to learn about opossums, a parent who is trying to identify a snake in the yard, a pet owner whose skittish dog has escaped during fireworks, or a good samaritan who needs to know what to do for an animal that has been hit by a car, the Animal Institute's Animal College will be the place to go.

To be initially released late this year, the Animal Institute's Animal College is being created as a responsive website with advanced navigation, search capabilities, and AI features integrated with ChatGPT. The Animal Institute's Animal College will likely extend to Android and iPhone apps next year. Correct reliable content will be sourced from and curated by experts in their respective fields, and be available to all as a free public service. This expert content will also support distribution of guidance from the Animal Institute's Wildlife Clinic and the Animal Institute's Lost Pet Recovery Team.

We are very excited for the future, and you should expect to hear more about the Animal Institute's Animal College in the months ahead!

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

We are so incredibly frustrated and worried at the Animal Institute's Wildlife Clinic!

On Friday afternoon, we found a deceased raccoon mama on the side of Mars Hill Road in front of Mars Hill Community Church in western Cobb County, Georgia. She had been actively nursing prior to death.

This is the fourth day / night in a row that we have been trying to find her lost kits in the surrounding area. We have used a variety of detection methods, including raccoon sounds, spotlighting likely nesting spots, and a night vision scope (hoping to find their glowing little bodies), but without success so far. Time is not on their side. 😢

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

FREE! If you’re in Cherokee County, GA, and your pet isn’t chipped, get this done NOW - before the 4th of July! This could save your pet’s life, and ensure your lost pet gets back to you.

UPDATE - Thursday, May 30, 2024:
Little Beth took a sudden sharp turn for the worse. At 1pm ET, even while I was holding her in my arms during a phone consultation with our wildlife veterinarian, Beth passed away. 😢
_________

This very sick little girl fox kit, whom we have named Beth, came to the Animal Institute's Wildlife Clinic on Tuesday afternoon. She is suffering from a neurological condition whose origins - viral, bacterial, or trauma - are currently unknown. In consultation with our amazing wildlife veterinarian at Sweetwater Creek Animal Hospital, we are monitoring Beth closely, while providing basic nursing care, along with the administration of appropriate medications. Please keep Little Beth in your thoughts and prayers.

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

The Animal Institute was founded as an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization with a truly unique vision. From its inception, the Animal Institute has been an innovation incubator for the animal protection, animal rescue, and wildlife rehabilitation communities. We identify specific strategic needs that are either unaddressed or insufficiently addressed, and create inspired programs to address those needs with innovative approaches. Our programs to date have included:

• Wildlife Clinic
• Education & Community Outreach
• Snake Guidance & Intervention
• Lost Pet Recovery Team

We are pleased to announce our newest program:

• Technology Solutions

But wait, there's more!

In tandem with this announcement, the Animal Institute is also thrilled to announce our new partnership with the Georgia Tech College of Computing. The Animal Institute's Technology Solutions team will provide capstone projects that Georgia Tech students must compete for to win the opportunity to participate in and complete. Successfully completed capstone projects are required for each participating student in order to graduate.

Each completed capstone project will be made available as a service from the Animal Institute. Together, the Animal Institute and the Georgia Tech College of Computing will create revolutionary tools and digital destinations for unaddressed animal protection, animal rescue, and wildlife rehabilitation needs - starting with Animal College!

This is a game-changing opportunity that we hope will create a huge positive impact for animals and the people who care for them. Please continue to support the lifesaving work of the Animal Institute through charitable giving and volunteerism. Thank you very much!

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

What a funny-looking raccoon I’ve found…

With great sadness, the Animal Institute's Wildlife Clinic reports that one of our beloved orphaned female raccoons who was released this spring has passed. The cause of death is unknown, as all of our raccoons are fully vaccinated, and there are no signs of injury, illness, or malnourishment.

In the end, she came home to die. We found her body a short while ago inside the empty outside enclosure that she grew up in. She wanted to depart in her very own familiar place. I wish I had known she was there - to help, or even to just hold her…

We often receive extremely ill or injured animals, and some of those are beyond our help. It always hurts deeply to lose one whom you have cared intensely for over days, weeks, and months.

But losing one whom we raised from an orphaned newborn, and was a loving healthy success story of wild release, is particularly brutal.

Farwell little girl. Thank you for being a shining light for us during your all too brief life. We loved you.

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

Never. Trap. Wildlife.

Killing or relocating a wild mom will leave her babies orphaned, and that’s evil. Don’t be evil.

Instead, motivate mom to relocate herself and her babies with loud noises, flashing lights, and scary smells.

This is the humane lifesaving option that good people choose.

Please share to save lives.

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

The Animal Institute was founded 5 years ago today on Earth Day 2019.

Happy birthday to us, and happy Earth Day to you! ❤️🌎

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

This little harmless nonvenomous Ringneck Snake managed to get into the Animal Institute's Wildlife Clinic, where I found him wrapped around the latch to one of our raccoon enclosures. I have no doubt that he would have soon been discovered and eaten as a little appetizer. Fortunately, I found this tiny cutey before the raccoons noticed, and released it safely outside.

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate

We are asked this all the time.

Has a coyote ever "followed" you or your dog while you were out on a walk? If so, you may have felt afraid, thought the coyote was stalking you, or believed an attack was imminent. The truth is, you were likely being “escorted”!

Despite common misconception, coyotes generally don't "stalk" people with intent to harm. However, they often engage in a behavior called "escorting," which is when a coyote, sometimes with their mate, follows nearby to ensure that intruders leave their territory. This behavior is most often seen from early March to late April when coyote parents are caring for young pups. Escorting usually happens in the early morning or evening and is frequently observed by dog walkers because coyotes may see dogs as a threat to their families and vulnerable offspring.

❓ What should you do if you're "escorted" by a coyote? Don't panic; the coyote is naturally much more afraid of you!

🐶 If you don't have your dog leashed (which you should in coyote country), immediately leash up and keep your pup by your side. Most conflict with coyotes arises in the presence of a dog, so it's important to practice responsible animal guardianship to avoid conflict before it happens.
🚶‍♀️ Calmly keep walking as normal. Soon enough, you'll be out of the coyote's home and they will stop escorting you away from their home!
🐺 On the off chance that the escorting coyote starts to approach too closely, shout and wave your hands to frighten them away. Learn more about how to humanely haze a coyote here:https://www.projectcoyote.org/CoyoteHazingBrochureFieldGuide.pdf

Coyote coexistence has become increasingly essential as humans develop more and more natural habitats. We simply must learn to understand their behavior and modify our own in order to coexist.

WSB-TV published a one-sided story without referencing a single coyote expert. Nuisance Control Wildlife Operators are not experts at anything other than trapping animals for a living. Why has WSB-TV not consulted with the Atlanta Coyote Project or the Animal Institute, both of which speak to coyote behaviors, motivations, and lifecycle with authority?

To be clear, this is NOT a public safety issue, as the story assumes. That’s the problem with being one-sided. Half of the inputs to a story are ignored, making it highly biased.

“This is a public safety issue;” Atlanta neighbors alarmed by wandering coyotes People who live in a neighborhood near Chastain Park say the coyote population is getting out of the control, putting their pets and small children at risk.

After dinner chilling at the Animal Institute's Wildlife Clinic.

The Animal Institute is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit animal protection organization. If you would like to support our charitable lifesaving work in this community, please consider making a tax-deductible donation, which will be used to buy the necessary medications, patient cages, veterinary supplies, animal care supplies, etc., that we need to save these precious lives.

https://animalinstitute.org/donate