DEEP WATER HORIZON When the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20 th , little was known about the immediate effects it would have on wildlife. One week later, the first oiled bird was found off the coast of Louisiana. By June federal officials reported that 600 or more birds had been collected, only 80 alive, 250 sea turtles had been found, only 25 alive. 29 dolphins found, all dead. The oil had reached the shore, the marshes and two major pelican breeding grounds in Louisiana. Experts were predicting tens of thousands of wildlife could be directly harmed by this environmental catastrophe. Late July brought out more disturbing numbers, 4000 dead birds, 700 Dead Sea turtles – oil had reached 600 miles of shoreline and covered 44,000 square miles of the Gulf of Mexico. From the time the oil spill began, all wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts have been coordinated through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research. At Kritter, Inc., we have volunteered our facility to them as part of that coordinated effort. Lisa, Hilary Clayton and Kim Evans were contracted by USFWS to work with the local Incident Command Center as a Capture Crew team, to assist in rescuing oiled and distressed wildlife in both Bay and Gulf Counties. On 14 day swing assignments, we patrolled the coast line in 12 hour shifts searching for any oiled or distressed wildlife. Oiled wildlife is being transported to the Mobile Command Center, Wash Station in Pensacola, Florida. All distressed wildlife are taken in and cared for by Kritter, Inc. volunteers. Daily duties also included distributing contact information cards and responding to wildlife hotline calls from the general public. As we approach September, the oil has stopped gushing into the Gulf, however, the cap will not be officially complete until well after Labor Day. Although the number’s of birds and distressed animals has declined slightly in our local area, there is still potential for more affected birds as our Hurricane season continues and the concern of how a major storm will further affect this area. At Kritter, Inc. we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of those who have come to Kritter, Inc to volunteer their services. Our call to duty to help oiled wildlife significantly threatened our existing daily operations and having volunteers to help us with basic patient care, food preparation, feedings, cage cleaning, laundry and the many other “jobs” has made a tremendous difference for Kritter. We are open 7 days a week, 365 days a year, treat over 200 species and nearly 600 patients a year and are always close to full capacity. Please support our mission by making a donation that will help us continue to save wildlife through compassion, care and education. You can mail a check or use PayPal on-line. DONATE Another way to help is to volunteer at Kritter, Inc. We are looking for additional volunteers who are seeking a memorable and meaningful experience and many opportunities are open. If you wish to volunteer, please email us and specify your availability and interest. Please click here to learn more about our volunteer needs and to complete our volunteer application. VOLUNTEER Since 2008, thanks to people like you, Kritter, Inc. has worked tirelessly to give wildlife a voice. Thank you for your continued support!