My name is Nicole Furutani, I am from North Vancouver and I spent two months at Critter Care. I can honestly say those were two of the best months of my life. The hours can be long, the work can be very hard and tiring, but the wonderful experiences you will encounter are well worth it. Everyday something new happens; whether it is a new animal or odd job for you to do around the center. I have always had a passion for animals and have been a vegetarian since as long as I can remember.

Critter Care not only reaffirmed my desire to spend my life helping animals, but gave me the opportunity to meet amazing people with the same interests and similar ways of thinking. I met countless people from around the community that went out of their way to help orphaned and injured animals, as well as people from around the world that paid lots of money to volunteer their time to help these animals.

Critter Care was an experience that I will never forget. The hardest times were seeing one of your babies being put down, but the most wonderful experiences seeing your babies grow and being released. I would like to give thanks to Gail Martin, you are such an amazing person for creating such a safe haven for all these little critters. As well as Maureen, Judy, Edith, Robin, Renee, Christi, all the amazing daily volunteers, and all the interns, all of you make Critter Care possible and thanks for all that you have taught me.

To my two little raccoons Gus and Colby, my baby squirrel Eve and all my other babies I will never forget you.
 

When I first heard about Critter Care I could hardly imagine what this place would be like, because in my home country Germany we don’t have any places like this. Also the wildlife in Germany is very different from the ones here in Canada, therefore it was the first time for me to see raccoons, opossums, skunks, black bears, minks, otters and a beaver!!

Not only the experience to see these animals, but to work with them every day and to watch them grow up was amazing and I’m so glad that I decided to work here.
But being an intern at Critter Care doesn’t mean just to feed and play with animals, the work with the critters includes a lot of cleaning duties and also building projects.

It was an unforgettable experience for me to work with the bear cubs. I enjoyed them so much and one of the most interesting moments in my life were to see them playing with each other or how they react when you put new toys in their cages. I’m really grateful that I got the opportunity to work with these amazing animals and that watching bears became a part of working life.

The other animals I totally fell in love with are our little raccoons. I’ve never seen so beautiful little guys who are so playful, curious and clever and I will miss them so much!!

All in all I can say that I had one of the best times in my life here at Critter Care and that I learned a lot about the animals’ behaviour and the different species in general. Even if the work is hard sometimes you know that it’s worth it when you have a look in their eyes and you can tell yourself that you helped them to be released one day.

I would like to thank Gail and Maureen for the opportunity to work at Critter Care and Judy and Edith for your support and your help with the everyday problems.

In the end I would like to say “Thank you” to 5 special people who made my time at Critter Care even more worth it. Lena, Nicole, Erica, Robin and Renee it was great to meet you and I thank you so much for all your help, support and warmth not only what you’re giving to the animals but also to me. I will never forget the time with you at Critter Care!!!

 

Two years ago, I had just finished my first year of collage and was looking for a place to intern. By chance I found Critter Care's website and the rest is history. I have done two internships at Critter Care. Both have been filled with wonderful, amazing, and different experiences. Experiences that will stay with me forever.

I had ever been. It was rough the first two weeks. Everything was so new, and a bit overwhelming. But I was determined. I wanted to be at Critter Care. Then I got my first raccoon, and I knew things would never be the same.

In all I had 12 raccoons my first summer. I lost three, but when working with wildlife losses happen no matter what you do. It's hard to learn that sometimes all of the love and care in the world just isn't enough.

All my raccoons, however, were the cutest raccoons around. They could play for hours. Those raccoons also taught me a lot. Not just about them, but about myself as well. You learn a lot from them, and most of the time you don't realize just how much until you leave.

Raccoons weren't the only animals I worked with at Critter Care. I also raised opossums, squirrels, skunks, and a weasel, too. But that's not all. When a new baby beaver came to the center, I got to "baby-sit" all three beavers as we tried to integrate them. One of the river otters had a stuffy nose and I was able to hold the otter as one of the supervisors, Renee, tried to get her to sneeze. Have you ever been sneezed on by a river otter? I have. And of course there is catching coyotes for vaccinations....a stinky, and funny affair. Coyotes know just where to run so you can't get them.

There is one more animal at the center that I helped care for my first year, and that is the centers Black Bear cubs. I am so thankful that Gail trusted me to help care for these amazing, and sometimes misunderstood creatures. Words I don't think can describe the feeling of being near and seeing such an amazing animal. Bears are curious and such charismatic animals. It was such a joy looking after them.

All to soon my internship came to an end, and I had to head back to the State of Maine for school. It was hard to leave, and it didn't take long before I contacted Gail to ask if I could come back for another Internship.

When I pulled into the driveway of Critter Care at the start of my second internship the feeling of home swept me. Things had changed, the Center got a bit of a 'face lift'. The walls were repainted, and rooms were rearranged, but it was still the same Critter Care as last year. There were still raccoons crying to be fed, the center to be cleaned, and a long list of outdoor work to be done.

It just so happened that my first group of raccoons, four little girls, arrived the same day I got my raccoons last year. My second year at Critter Care I was defiantly a Raccoon Mom, because I cared for 17 raccoon babies. While most of the girls had small groups of raccoons I had my large one. It was something to have nine little raccoons running behind you as you take them for a walk in the yard. I could tell all 17 of them apart. They each had there own special and unique personalities. Such as Ty , the clown and daredevil, TK who was a mama's boy, and Nikki the baby of the group.

Along with my raccoons from last year, I have raised about 28 raccoons. All of them are special to me in their own way. There is nothing like the love that a baby raccoon gives to its 'mom'.

I again was given the chance to care for the bears my second year. Except this time I wasn't the helper, the bears where my babies this year. When the first two cubs came in, twin boys that were named Sampson and Goliath, I spent the entire time from the moment I heard they were coming until they arrived at 3am in the morning running around the center singing "BEARS BEARS BEARS BEARS" to the tune of the Meow Mix jingle. Needless to say I drove the some of the interns insane, especially when a few of them started singing with me. We got seven bears this summer, two sets of siblings, and three singles.....they had to listen to me sing every time.

Sampson and Goliath are very special to me because they are the first bears that were my soul responsibility. Both bears grew to become very comfortable with me. Most of them time I would come into clean and they would just continue to sleep in their kennel. Sampson is the shy one of the two brothers, and will run away from things he is afraid of and ask questions later. His brother, Goliath, on the other hand is a ham. He always wanted my attention, and would always run around rolling in the straw and playing with his toys because he knew it would get me to stop what I was doing and watch him.

The next bear that came to the center was a yearling bear and she earned the name Ursula. Ursula did not want to be in a cage at all, but she settled down once she realized that she was getting all the yummy food she could eat. Ursula had broken into somebody's house in her quest for food. When Ursula arrived at the center she was slightly underweight, but in a month her weight doubled and she was released. Ursula's release was the first release that I had ever been on. It was amazing to see something that you have cared for and put so much time and effort into finally getting released. Once the trap was open Ursula jumped out, ran into the woods, stopped to glance back, and then she was gone. I know that as much as she hated being caged Ursula was thankful that we gave her a second chance, and I know that 'butterball' of a bear will do just fine.

Adie was the next bear that the center received. She was severely emaciated. Only 8lbs. No one knew what had happened to her. Unfortunately, after four days, and despite all our efforts she passed away. She had such a spirit and must have been on her own for a while. I only wish that I could have done more for her.

Eric and Emma are a brother and sister from Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island. Eric is a mellow boy, who loves his dandelions. Emma, however, is a typical girl. Even though Sampson and Goliath were bigger then she was, Emma ruled. Emma had such a cute face, and could always beat her brother in a play fight. Boy bears beware....Queen Emma is here.

The last bear came just a few days before I left. He immediately bonded with Sampson, and immediately knew to beware of Emma. I called him Sani, which is Navajo for the old one, because he had such an old wise face. I believe he is called Jo now though.

My bears are my babies. I would always raid the produce when it came in so they got their favorites. Of course my raccoons got a share of it too. That's why all my babies were so fat.

A few days before I left I was in the bear pen watching the bears find the food I had just hidden for them when Maureen come down to the pen to get me for something. As we were watching them she asked my if I had ever though that I would be doing something like this. Never in a million years did I think that I would have the opportunity to be doing something like this. I am so grateful that I was giving the chance.

I don't known when I'll be able to return to Critter Care again. I finish school in December 2008, and after that who knows. What I do know is that you'll see me at Critter Care again sooner or later, because I won't be able to stay away for long. And just like Critter care returns it animals to the wild, to their home, I know that I will have to go "home" to see my Critter Care family again.