Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Meet the woman who is coming to the rescue of our wildlife
We’ve all been there, strolling along on a nice relaxing walk when suddenly you see something moving in the corner of your eye. Or you hear a pitiful squeak or squawk coming from the side of the road. There is nothing more distressful than seeing an injured animal in pain and feeling completeley helpless.
If it is a dog or a cat, the majority of us wouldn’t think twice about scooping them up and taking them to the nearest vet where they can be treated and their owners can be found.
But we aren’t so sure what to do when it is a wild animal writhing in pain. It could be a bird, a fox, a hedgehog, a squirrel. Our instincts tell us not to approach them but our heart just can’t walk on... so what to do?
Well there is a very special lady who has dedicated her life to helping wild animals in distress around Northern Ireland through her Debbie Doolittle’s Wild Life organisation.
She goes to the rescue of all creatures great and small, any time of the day or night and never leaves an animal behind. Debbie nurtures them and heals them until they are fit enough to return to the wild.
She says: “I have been rescuing native wildlife in Northern Ireland since 1984, everything from small garden birds, larger birds from ducks, seagulls, crows through to swans and birds of prey. Also mammals as small as woodmice, to foxes and badgers.
“My sole aim is, where possible, to release these creatures back to their natural environment when they are healed from whatever injury or sickness they may have.
“Over the last 30 years, hundreds of orphaned creatures have come through the doors, and while very hard work it is the most rewarding experience seeing a creature brought to your care, regaining its health and being able to get a second chance back in the wild where it belongs.
“Creatures have been rescued from roof spaces, stables, drains, sheds, industrial buildings, trapped in waterways, in car engines, boiler houses, behind bathroom panels, chimneys, garage lofts, the side of the road...you would not think it possible, the places some get themselves into.”
And Debbie plays an important role in to educating the public on what to do when they come across an animal in distress as a lot of the time – particularly as regards birds and fledglings – it is best to leave well alone.
She said: “The aim of the Debbie Doolittle Wild Life Facebook page is to act as a hub of support for anyone finding an sick, injured or orphaned wild creature, help advise and educate the residents of Northern Ireland as to how they can help rescue, care for and release creatures back to the wild or to locate a suitable source of help close at hand.
“Sadly, still people are ignoring all the social media messages and are lifting fledglings, despite being advised not to, being given sound advice to leave/relocate to safe place etc or put back in nests.
“Perfectly healthy fledglings – who still need their parents to teach them where to find food, how to fly and stay safe – are being lifted and handed to vets even after being told what to do with them.
“The work involved for a rescuer after that is phenomenal.. doing this with one is hard enough.. but when you have over 100 patients that leaves the genuine cases who do need help with no rescue space. So please consider what your doing. You might lift it, think your helping, and pass it on feeling you’ve done a good deed.. but in a lot of cases it was unnecessary and has left weeks of work for someone else who can’t just forget about it and go about their day.”
Debbie feels wildlife education should begin at an early age and is on a mission to make it happen.
She says: “In addition to physical rescue, a very unique service is providing an education program.
“Having nine years’ experience visiting thousands of children and adults alike, across the Province, this service is a great resource for teachers and group leaders alike who can contact me for more information to find out more about having a visit from some amazing, friendly live wild animals that most otherwise would never get to see.
“We are also available for public events, fundays, birthday parties, special needs groups, school open days and more.”
And with more and more people out walking over the past year, Debbie and her team have never been busier, but in order to keep up the vital work, they need help from the public.
She said: “All the rescues we do, which has been nearly 50 in the last fortnight alone are done out of our own pocket. We do not get paid for this work. But with increasing fuel costs we are finding it difficult to keep up the pace.
“If you can donate even just a £1 it would make a massive difference to the creatures we are helping and allow us to keep going out for the emergencies.
“Or if you prefer to purchase a small item from the Amazon wishlist which is posted directly to us we would be eternally grateful.
You can donate via PayPal using the email address: info@ debbiedoolittleswildlife.co.uk
And the amazon wishlist link is www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ ls/1DVHAIUZ3U6FN