THROUGH THESE DOORS

Winter is the slow season at WRI due to the lack of infant animals, but the problems with which our patients are admitted tend to be more severe. A few highlights:

An opossum was struck by a car and taken to the South Peninsula Emergency Veterinary clinic. He had two fractured molars and superficial abrasions. An officer from Palo Alto Animal Services delivered the unhappy opossum to the shelter the following morning, and our staff arranged to have the teeth extracted by Dr. R.L. Collinson at Alpine Animal Hospital. After two weeks of soft food and antibiotics at volunteer Dana Mardaga's home, this well-traveled opossum was released.
A gopher snake was discovered at a landfill, severely emaciated with several old, unhealed injuries. After an extended stay at the shelter, his wounds healed and he regained his weight and muscle tone. He was released at Foothills Park.
We received a pigeon that couldn't fly. Upon examination, a small hole was found in the pectoral muscle. An X-ray, generously provided by Alpine Animal Hospital, confirmed that the pigeon had been shot with a B.B. gun. The B.B. was left in after it was decided that it wouldn't interfere with flight once healed. Eight weeks later, the pigeon was released, flying beautifully.