Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate
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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

The City of Los Angeles Approves a New Wildlife Policy - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, Business Wire, press release, Los Angeles, California
The City of Los Angeles Approves a New Wildlife Policy

August 24, 2004 02:50 PM Eastern Daylight Time

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 24, 2004--The Los Angeles Animal Services Commission yesterday unanimously approved a new wildlife policy for the city. Under the new policy, the department will allow wildlife rehabilitators licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game to respond to calls from members of the public, and take ill, injured and orphaned wildlife from city animal shelters. Additionally, the department will only issue trapping permits to trap animals that are ill, injured, orphaned, or pose an immediate threat to public safety. Animal Services will no longer issue permits to trap healthy wildlife that pose no threat. As per Fish and Game regulations, all healthy trapped wildlife taken to the shelter legally would have been killed.

LA Animal Services Commission Vice President Alex Rubalcava said, "Animal Services' new wildlife policy reflects our desire to teach city residents how to co-exist with the native wildlife in their communities, and minimize the flow of animals into our shelters. Working with rehabbers -- who have the requisite knowledge and experience, as well as licensing from Fish and Game -- was the perfect way to achieve our goal of returning animals to their habitats instead of being forced to euthanize them. Our thanks go out to Animal Advocates, The Urban Wildlands Group, and others who helped us devise this program."

“We applaud this forward-looking effort to live more harmoniously with the City's wildlife”

Mary Cummins, President of Animal Advocates, first submitted the proposed wildlife policy over two years ago. Cummins stated "Animal Advocates is very pleased to have been able to help the city implement a plan to save the city's wildlife. We would like to thank Mayor Hahn, City Council members, LA Animal Services commissioners, members of the Wildlife Committee, The Urban Wildlands Group and the Department for their help in approving this much needed new policy." "We applaud this forward-looking effort to live more harmoniously with the City's wildlife," said Catherine Rich, Executive Officer of The Urban Wildlands Group.

The Wildlife Committee is currently looking for more licensed wildlife rehabilitators to help pick up and rehabilitate the wildlife. They also need people to answer inquiries from the public in regard to nuisance wildlife issues. Please contact Committee@AnimalAdvocates.us for more information.

Contacts
Animal Advocates, Los Angeles
Mary Cummins, 323-651-1336
Mary@AnimalAdvocates.us
www.AnimalAdvocates.us

Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, Business Wire, press release, wildlife policy, Los Angeles, California


http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20040824005654/en/City-Los-Angeles-Approves-Wildlife-Policy#.VGKrlvnF9vk



Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Babies need new beds! Raising money for incubators for baby wildlife. If you can't donate, please share. Thanks! Animal Advocates.

Babies need new beds, incubators. Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California non-profit, Mary Cummins
We're raising money to buy some of these professional incubators. We've been using tupperware containers with heating pads underneath for over 30 years. They new heating pads turn off. The older ones would sometimes melt the underside of the container or shelving underneath. It's time to get something better. The mechanical base model is $375 but we need the bigger size which is $525.

Animal Advocates, incubator, baby, beds wildlife, Los Angeles, California, Mary Cummins

We'd really appreciate it if you could make a small donation toward our incubator fund. You can donate via PayPal to donate@animaladvocates.us or click this link.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=58WN7JLLXNRMU

You can also send us a check to Animal Advocates, 645 W 9th St #110-140, Los Angeles, CA 90015-1640. Thanks so much!

Mary Cummins
President
Animal Advocates
http://www.AnimalAdvocates.us
http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA
Licensed by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife and USDA
Legal 501 3c non-profit organization recognized by the IRS since 2002 EIN # 48-1287089
http://www.guidestar.org/organizations/48-1287089/animal-advocates.aspx
Legal California non-profit corporation since 2002
http://www.animaladvocates.us/animal_advocates_legal_corporation.jpg

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Friday, November 7, 2014

R.I.P. Chompers the wolf from LARC Sanctuary. Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

CHOMPERS - R.I.P.
It is with a very heavy heart that we inform all of our supporters that Chompers (aka Compass) died after surgery on October 24th. Chompers was taken to the Vet after our staff noticed he was not moving around the enclosure normally. His bloodwork was abnormal, his breathing was shallow, and he had a cut on his front leg and shoulder. Chompers received six stitches for a “non life-threatening wound” according to our vet, but never awoke from his procedure.
 
Both of our veterinarians are carefully reviewing and re-testing his bloodwork to try to find an answer to his untimely passing. A special “howl” is being sent out to Matthew McDonald, a one-time volunteer and a close companion of Chompers who feels this loss as much as anyone.
 
We are so grateful to Mike from Wolfdog Rescue Resources and PamelaJo from Lake Tahoe Wolf Rescue for bringing this wonderful being into our lives by alerting us to his plight. We rushed down to the Rancho Cucamonga Animal Shelter on a cold October night in 2009 and whisked him away from the shelter – he was an owner relinquishment at only five months old.
 
 
Chompers lived at LARC for exactly five years and was the favorite of our staff and of Lorin and Matthew’s who have been “loving up” his packmates who miss him more than we will know.
 
I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep. I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep. I whined to you softly as you brushed away a tear, "It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea, You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached down to me. I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore. I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care. I want to re-assure you, that I'm not lying there. I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key. I gently put my paw on you, I smiled and said " it's me."

You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair. I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there. It's possible for me, to be so near you everyday. To say to you with certainty, "I never went away." You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew... In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over... I smile and watch you yawning and say "good-night, I'll see you in the morning." And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide, I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side. I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.

Be patient, live your journey out...then come home to be with me.
Author ~ Unknown 
\
Chompers and I few years ago

Sirhan and I at LARC sanctuary



Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


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California Department of Fish & Wildlife losing wildlife rehabilitators, Nicole Cairon

California Department of Fish & Wildlife losing wildlife rehabilitators. Nicole Carion.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (formerly "Department of Fish and Game") maintains native fish, wildlife, plant species and natural communities for their intrinsic and ecological value and their benefits to people. This includes habitat protection and maintenance in a sufficient amount and quality to ensure the survival of all species and natural communities. The department is also responsible for the diversified use of fish and wildlife including recreational, commercial, scientific and educational uses.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife does not do wildlife rehabilitation. The Department licenses properly trained and experienced wildlife rehabilitators who do the actual work. Wildlife rehabilitators rescue ill, injured and orphaned wildlife for release back to the wild. All wildlife rehabilitators are volunteers who must pay for permits, cages, food, veterinary care... to rescue the animals. Wildlife rehabilitators receive no money or compensation from the Department or state to care for these animals.

Nicole Bowser Carion became the rehab coordinator in October 2004. Before that a warden in each of the six California regions was in charge of the rehabbers in that region. Animal Advocates is located in region five. We are the only facility licensed in the City of Los Angeles serving over 4.5 million people and over 500 square miles. Warden Joseph Baima was the rehab coordinator for region five up until 2004. Warden Joseph Baima did a wonderful job educating, aiding and permitting rehabbers in the region. He did an even better job making sure there was peace among the rehabbers.

Since Nicole Carion became the rehab coordinator the number of permitted rehabbers has decreased by 15%. Number of animals rescued has decreased by 16,358 or 20%. While the economy is probably one of the reasons the number of rehabbers decreased from 2008 to 2012, I believe Nicole Carion is the reason for the previous and continued decrease.

We have lost 15% of our permitted wildlife rehabilitators since Nicole Carion joined Fish & Wildlife. For this reason the number of animals rescued has dropped by 16,358 or 20%. I have been receiving more calls than ever before asking for help with wildlife but we have to refuse a great number of animals because we get full quickly. We take in between 700 and 1,300 mammals a year.

Nicole Carion made it more difficult and costly to become a rehabber. I don't believe the level of care of wildlife has increased. Nicole Carion added a lot more red tape to make it almost impossible for new people to receive permits. The only thing Nicole Carion has to do is file an annual report of the number of rehabbers and animals rescued each year. She was three years behind in her reports until I sent in an information act request to obtain the reports. She finally finished and posted the reports.

Nicole Carion stopped accepting applications for permits when she started. I was the last person permitted in 2003. My permit was signed January 2004. She did not approve a new permit for at least two years. While she is accepting applications I don't know if she is approving new permits. We desperately need new wildlife rehabilitators so we can save more of California's wildlife.

One of the main purposes for having wildlife rehabilitators is so that the public will not try to help the animals themselves. Inexperienced people could be bitten, scratched or attacked while trying to help. They could spread zoonotic diseases and parasites. While we don't have many cases of rabies in California we do have some rabid bats. A caring member of the public could easily be bitten by a dying rabid bat and not know to immediately get post-exposure rabies vaccinations. A caring member of the public also won't know how to properly raise wildlife for release back to the wild. We would end up with many illegal and possibly dangerous wild animals as pets.

Please, contact the directors at Fish & Wildlife to ask them to increase the number of wildlife rehabilitators. The head of the Fish & Wildlife Department is Charlton Bonham. Deputy Director is Kevin Hunting. Dan Yparraguirre is in charge of the wildlife branch which oversees Wildlife Rehabilitation. director@wildlife.ca.gov.
Here it is in chart form. The number of rehabbers is down as is animal intake.

Nicole Carion, wildlife rehabilitation coordinator, number, rehabilitators is down, California department of fish and wildlife, annual reports

Nicole Carion, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, wildlife rehabilitators, intake, annual report



YearNumber of licensed rehabbersNumber of wild animals rescued
200411683,000
200511175,696
200610869,153
200710868,437
200811470,233
200910679,007
201010071,458
201110066,642
201299No report apx 40,000
201398No report
2014 95No report

Links have changed
2004
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82734
2005
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82735
2006
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82736
2007
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82737
2008
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82738
2009
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82739
2010
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82740
2011
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82741



Nicole Carion wildlife rehabilitation coordinator Fish and Wildlife can't spell. All of our permits have looked like this since 2008 which is three renewals or six years. Nicole Kimberly Bowser Carion, Michael Carion. INDIGINOUS, REHABILIATION, REHABILIATATED, PUSUANT, WILDLIFE ANIMAL, RESONABLE, FACILITES 

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and theUSDAMary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit


Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

When and how did the opossum make it to California? Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

When and how did the opossum make it to California? Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California

Virginia opossum, California, Fish and Wildlife, Mary Cummins,  Animal Advocates, wildlife rehabilitator, Los Angeles
Nicole Carion head of Wildlife Rehabilitation for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife sent all rehabbers a letter stating opossums are not native to California. She told me personally they are only native to "Virginia." She asked that we not rehab them but it wasn't mandatory to kill them at this time. From her letter,

May 1, 2007

"Through genetic studes scientist (sic) have recently discovered that the red fox population in the Sacramaento Valley is native and closely related ot the endangered Sierra Nevada Red Fox." You may rehab these. "For all other areas of the state the red fox genotype is still considered non-native. If you receive a non-native red fox, the animal cannot be released backinto the wild and must either be placed at an appropriate facility or humanely euthanized."

"Opossums and eastern gray and red fox (sic) squirrels, although not native to California, may be rehabilitated and released pursuant to the conditions listed in this memorandum; however, these animals adversely compete with native California wildlife to their detriment and the department recommends euthanasia rather than release."


Nicole Carion, Fish and Wildlife, wildlife rehabilitation, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates, Los Angeles, California, opossum, squirrel, native, non-native, euthanize


Nicole Carion is incorrect. The squirrels and opossums do not compete with native animals. I wrote an article about our native gray squirrel vs eastern gray and eastern fox squirrel. The native gray is threatened because it only lives in mature trees which are being destroyed by the bark beetle. Eastern gray and fox squirrels are more adaptable living in many different environments. They also only have one litter per year whereas fox squirrels have two.

Years ago Fish and Game stated these animals are new native as they've been here for many, many years. The opossum has slowly been spreading to the entire US for many, many years. Some believe the opossums that are here were brought here for food, fur and didn't make their way on their own. One reason for this notion was that opossums can't take cold weather and would not be able to cross the rockies. Opossums can survive cold weather though their ears and tails might not survive after the first winter. In this pdf book they have a few stories about how opossums came to California.

"Perhaps the most interesting story is how the opossum came to California and the Pacific Coast, expanding its range as far north as southern British Columbia. Before human interven- tion, the hostile environments associated with the mountain ranges and surrounding deserts kept the opossum from spreading to the West Coast. However, in 1890 the Virginia opossum was introduced into southern California near Los Angeles. This population became well established and expanded into adjacent Ventura County by 19. Immigrants, originally from Tennessee, imported an additional group of live opossums from that state into central Califor- nia (near San Jose) in 1910. The live opossums were sent as food items as individuals from this region of the United States considered opossums a delicacy at the time. Several escaped their hutches over time and provided one of the initial populations of opossums into this region of California. Another individual introduced an additional documented group of opossums from South Carolina to a farm near Visalia, California, in an attempt to raise opossums as fur-bearers. Opossum fur at that time was being used as an inexpensive fur trim for some garments and hats. After several years of failure, the fur farmer abandoned this enterprise and many of the animals were simply released into the surrounding countryside. Since this initial introduc- tion, the opossum has prospered along the coast and expanded its range over a considerable area of California, in particular those regions associated with agriculture."


More recent research and has shown that the opossum actually existed during the Eocene epoch (56 to 34 million years ago) in Simi, Fillmore, Santa Paula in Ventura County. They discovered opossum fossils in the Tapo Ranch that date to this era (Fossil Vertebrates of Southern California, pg 20, Theodore Downs, 1968, UCLA). Perhaps the climate was not as cold at this time or the rockies weren't as tall as they are today. The Rocky Mountains were formed 80 to 55 million years ago. 


Other writers state that there have been many different sub-species of opossums in the Americas. The Virginia opossum is but one which made it to the lower deserts of California. The Virginia opossum was better able to survive colder climates but cannot withstand temperatures -7 C. It also cannot withstand very arid areas though it can take tropical heat. 


Obviously the opossum is not native to only "Virginia." It is merely called the "Virginia Opossum" as that is when it was first named in the Americas. The opossum existed many, many years before Virginia, the US or even the Americas existed and were populated.

More misinformation from Nicole Carion.


The below slides are from a power point presentation made by Nicole Carion in 2014. She states that ONLY opossums carry sarcocysities neurona. This is false. Domestic cats also carry it as to skunks, raccoons and sea otters. Here are some studies which prove this. This is why it's illegal to flush used cat litter down the toilet. It even says this on the side of litter boxes. Fish & Wildlife is the agency which made litter makers put it on the boxes. 


"What's killing the sea otters? Sometimes the cause is clear: a shark bite, a bullet, an outboard motor. But about one-quarter of last year's fatalities have been traced to a pair of protozoan parasites, Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis neurona, that are known to breed in cats and opossums." Could sea otters be dying because California cat owners are flushing used litter down the toilet?

State legislators were sufficiently convinced of the threat to pass a bill--signed into law last week by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger--that raises the maximum fine for harming a sea otter to $25,000 and requires that all cat litter sold in California carry a warning label advising cat owners not to dump their pet's droppings into toilets or storm drains."

She also states that most people feel opossums are pests. Opossums actually eat roaches, mice, rats, snails, slugs...They eat "pests" besides dead rotting animals or rotten fallen fruit. Notice she used a photo of an opossum showing its teeth. So much misinformation from Nicole Carion.

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Fish Game Wildlife Rehabilitation


Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and theUSDAMary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

California Department of Fish & Wildlife does not want rehabbers rehabbing red fox, opossum or starlings

The California Department of Fish & Wildlife does not want rehabbers to rehab "non-native" species such as starling, red fox, eastern fox squirrel, opossum... They believe they are pest species that compete with native wildlife. Opossums have actually been in California many more years than just since the 1800's. There are opossum fossils dating back thousands of years.

The below slides are from a power point presentation most likely made by Nicole Carion. She states that ONLY opossums carry sarcocysities neurona. This is false. Domestic cats also carry it. Here are some studies which prove this. This is why it's illegal to flush used cat litter down the toilet. It even says this on the side of litter boxes.



She also states that most people feel opossums are pests. Opossums actually eat roaches, mice, rats, snails, slugs...They eat "pests" besides dead rotting animals or rotten fallen fruit. Notice she used a photo of an opossum showing its teeth. So much misinformation from Nicole Carion.

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Fish Game Wildlife Rehabilitation

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Fish Game Wildlife Rehabilitation
Nicole Carion is saying that rehabbers that rehab opossums, fox squirrels...are not "well respected, progressive organizations." That would mean the Opossum Society run by Leslie Bale is not "respected." Leslie Bale is the President of CCWR (California Council for Wildlife Rehabilitators). She is a well respected wildlife rehabilitator. Carion even contradicts herself by stating wildlife rehabilitation does not affect overall population sizes. Then rehabbing or not rehabbing opossums should not matter.

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Fish Game Wildlife Rehabilitation
https://nrm.dfg.ca.gov/FileHandler.ashx?DocumentID=82731

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


Google+ Mary Cummins, Mary K. Cummins, Mary Katherine Cummins, Mary Cummins-Cobb, Mary, Cummins, Cobb, wildlife, wild, animal, rescue, wildlife rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitator, fish, game, los angeles, california, united states, squirrel, raccoon, fox, skunk, opossum, coyote, bobcat, manual, instructor, speaker, humane, nuisance, control, pest, trap, exclude, deter, green, non-profit, nonprofit, non, profit, ill, injured, orphaned, exhibit, exhibitor, usda, united states department of agriculture, hsus, humane society, peta, ndart, humane academy, humane officer, animal legal defense fund, animal cruelty, investigation, peace officer, animal, cruelty, abuse, neglect #marycummins #animaladvocates #losangeles #california #wildlife #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #realestate #realestateappraiser #realestateappraisal #lawsuit

Thursday, November 6, 2014

California Dept of Fish and Wildlife giving (selling?) healthy wildlife to zoos - Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

Sea otter pup, Fish and Wildlife, California, wildlife rehabilitation, selling animals to zoos.
UPDATE: Even worse news! Monterey Bay Aquarium is only permitted sea otter rehabilitator in the United States. They stated in the last 30 years they've taken in 681 ill, injured and orphaned sea otters. Before 2001 they NEVER rehabbed and released pups stating they bonded too strongly with humans. They gave them to zoos. They only started using surrogates to raise pups in 2001. Since then they released 30 pups via surrogate. The rest went to zoos. They brag that 40 of the current sea otters in zoos across the US came from them as pups.

We rehab orphaned raccoons. If you don't know what you're doing and treat them like a human baby or puppy, yes, they will bond to you. That is why we only handle them while they are nursing. As soon as they can feed themselves we leave them alone. They only interact with other raccoons from then on out. We've never had a rehab failure. They all went on their way back to nature. I've posted videos of our raccoon releases where they don't even look back at us.

Monterey Bay Aquarium takes in $66 million a year. They also have over $300 million in assets. Julie Packard Director makes about $300K/yr. 12 other people have over $150K and even $200K/yr. They spend $1.2 million on animals. The aquarium turns a nice profit. They have $80 million in cash. $150M in stocks and bonds. If you look at the end of their 990, you can see their sea otter activity. They even work with SeaWorld. They give them pups.

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2012/942/487/2012-942487469-09e0c7c0-9.pdf

ORIGINAL STORY: Many of you have seen this orphaned sea otter pup which was taken to the Monterey aquarium to be rehabbed and released. I was very happy about this and spread the news. They have rehabbed over 600 sea otters. I later found out that the California Department of Fish & Wildlife gave the pup to the Shedd aquarium in Illinois. I thought that was odd when Monterey aquarium rehabs sea otters. Why send him across the country to be rehabbed when he must be released back here? That'd be like me sending baby squirrels to be rehabbed in New York. Here is the story from Monterey Bay Aquarium. They did not habituate the baby to humans. The finders were rehabbers, not the public. There was nothing wrong with the pup. Fish & Wildlife "deterimined" the pup was unreleasable with no reason given. They ordered MBA to give it to Shedd.

I went to the Shedd Aquarium's page where they have featured this pup. They said they will raise him and teach him how to be a sea otter. I thought "good, they will release him." I read further and they said they will "provide him a home for life." They posted "read this sea otter's rescue story and why she needs your help." They are keeping this otter who legally and ethically should be released back to the wild after proper wildlife rehabilitation. They are asking for donations for the pup! If they don't have the money to raise him, why did they take him?

The Shedd aquarium may legally be a non-profit but it is definitely a for profit zoo. People pay to visit the aquarium and can pay extra to play with a beluga whale or penguin, very SeaWorld'y. They state they need donations to care for this tiny pup. They make $73,000,000 a year from their zoo/aquarium with $350,000,000 in assets, $177,000,000 in cash. They don't need money for this pup. He should have been rehabbed here for release back to the wild. He's being used to make money. They have $22,000,000 in salaries, CEO makes $3,500,000 per year! They turn a big profit every year over $20,000,000. Zoo masquerading as a non-profit sanctuary. Here is their 990 for 2012.

http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2012/362/167/2012-362167918-09783b4b-9.pdf

Nicole Carion of the California Department of Fish & Wildlife has repeatedly given (sold?) orphaned wildlife to zoos and aquariums. She gave a wild orphaned bobcat kitten to a college to use as their mascot. We rehabbers have been told we are never allowed to show wildlife in a pet like manner and here they are giving wildlife away as pets to be shown as pets! That goes completely against everything they stand for.

I once had a baby skunk that I thought had a major neurological disorder. I told the wildlife rehabilitation coordinator about the skunk. Nicole Carion responded saying she wanted to give that skunk to her local zoo where she said she once worked. That skunk had to be euthanized because it kept attacking itself. Even if it were healthy why give it to a zoo? They are supposed to buy wildlife from domestic breeders or get only unreleasable ones from rehabbers, not from the department.

Last year there were two orphaned mountain lion cubs. While rehabbers were thankful that they weren't killed we were upset to learn that they were given to yet another sanctuary/zoo called "Zoo to You." This place shows a man giving milk to an adult mountain lion out of a wine glass and people holding all types of wildlife like pets. They should have been rehabbed and released back to the wild. They say that mountain lion can't be rehabbed because they bond to humans...not if you do it properly. None of our bobcats ever bonded. They were wild as all hell.

Why is the California Department of Fish & Wildlife giving away, selling our native wildlife which is collectively owned by all the citizens of the state of California to zoos to incarcerate for life on display? This is the opposite of their purpose, i.e. "The primary responsibility of CDFW is to protect and conserve the natural resources within the State." It is not to take healthy orphaned wildlife and give/sell it to zoos to keep in a cage for life clear across the country.

It's bad enough that the Department will give a permit to SeaWorld to operate the largest non-native fish farm in the United States off our coast.  It's bad enough they gave SeaWorld permits to operate when they are harming the animals and not keeping them in proper enclosures. Why is the California Department of Fish & Wildlife not protecting our natural resources? They should not be giving healthy releasable wildlife to zoos.

Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates is a wildlife rehabilitator licensed by the California Department of Fish and Game and the USDA. Mary Cummins is also a licensed real estate appraiser in Los Angeles, California.


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