Mary Cummins Wildlife Rehabilitation Animal Advocates News Los Angeles California

Saturday, May 17, 2025

California Ground Squirrels in Santa Monica by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

Every year the California ground squirrels at Ocean Park on Ocean Park Blvd at Broadway in Santa Monica give birth to a litter of pups. By mid May the babies are outside of the burrow hole. By June the city starts killing them because they feel there are "too many." The issue is the city's fear of bubonic plague affecting tourism. The plague is carried by the fleas on some ground squirrels generally at higher elevation. FTR there has never been bubonic plague at this park. The city should be trapping and monitoring the squirrel fleas for the plague if that is really their concern.

Years ago in 2006 we offered to help humanely reduce the population and treat the ground squirrels and park for fleas. City said yes. We were successful reducing the population in 90% of the park but not right at Broadway. The problem is they sell food there which the tourists feed to the animals. This causes the population to explode. They will have more babies and more babies will survive to adulthood. There are no feed signs but people ignore them or destroy them. We lost all our of signs in just the first week. These were thick metal signs tightly screwed to posts. The homeless and locals also feed the ground squirrels. Even if people didn't feed them, there are plants and grass for them to eat. Before the food vendors they used to feed the homeless there who fed the squirrels. The squirrels have probably been there thousands of years.

We also tried to treat the park for fleas. The city and groundskeeper would only allow us to use an herbal spray which was almost as effective as salad dressing. They wouldn't allow us to set up hidden tubes with flea meds to treat the squirrels directly either for same reason. Their excuse was they didn't want anything that could be toxic to pets or humans. Obviously it would not have been toxic to ground squirrels, pets or humans. We use regular dog, cat flea meds on squirrels. They are proven safe.

We were using humane traps to trap, examine the squirrels and test the fleas of the ground squirrels. Homeless people destroyed our traps even though they were well hidden in the cactus. I was almost attacked a few times trying to get the homeless to stop feeding them. Some homeless are mentally ill or on substances which make them unpredictable. One tried to throw me off the bluff. Needless to say we didn't work with the city again because our hands were tied. We couldn't be effective without using our proven tools.

I wrote this article just so current people understand the situation. The city will either poison or gas them. Once they used humane traps to trap them. Then they were more humanely gassed and bodies fed to wildlife. We weren't involved in that program. If they really wanted to get rid of the ground squirrels there, they'd have to cement off the area. Ground squirrels won't stray more than 75 feet from their dirt burrow hole. They may have to cement off the area turning it into a huge deck due to erosion eventually.

The ground squirrels do not cause the erosion of the palisades bluffs. They are attracted to that type of softer soil for their burrows. The palisades have been eroding for millions of years. It happens all over the world even where they have no ground squirrels.

Some cute videos from today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeXti_a9-Ag

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D6IrMvxe3Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfpx8yK4qnU

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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Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins of Cummins Real Estate Services has been in real estate since 1983, over 35 years. She is licensed by the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Mary Cummins was an agent and broker licensed with the California Department of Real Estate selling residential income, commercial buildings, raw land and homes for Merrill Lynch Realty in Beverly Hills and Westside Properties in Los Angeles before concentrating on appraisals. Mary Cummins currently provides real estate appraisals, expert witness testimony, historical research, legal real estate research for mortgage brokers, banks, lawyers, factors, insurance companies, financial consultants and private individuals. Mary Cummins was born and raised in Southern California. Cummins attended Beverly Hills Good Shepherd Catholic School and Beverly Hills High School. Besides being on the Dean's list, Mary Cummins was a top ten national swimmer and competed on the men's water polo team. Mary Cummins began college at the age of 15 attending the University of Southern California on scholarship, majoring in Psychology/Sociology. http://www.animaladvocates.us http://www.facebook.com/AnimalAdvocatesUSA

Monday, April 28, 2025

Opossum Rescue in Beverly Hills, California by Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates

We were called to a 10,000 sf home in Beverly Hills, California with a full lower below ground level. An opossum had fallen into a basement window well and couldn't get out. A kind man called us and we got the opossum out. We instantly released within three miles of where found because opossums was healthy and large enough to be on its own. #opossum #possum #losangeles #california #marycummins @mary_cummins #wildliferehabilitation #wildliferehabilitator #wildliferescue #wildlife #beverlyhills #rescue #animalrescue #animaladvocates

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.

Mary Cummins

Saturday, April 19, 2025

Blessing of the Animals Los Angeles 2025 by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

Mary Cummins founder of Animal Advocates attended the Blessing of the Animals at Olvera Street in Los Angeles, California today April 19, 2025. Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez gave the blessing. Deputy Mayor Jacquelin Hamilton spoke along with councilmember Ysabel Jurado. The line to have animals blessed was half a mile long. People started standing in line early around 11:00 am instead of 1:00 pm.

The event was well attended and there were no incidents except one. The Aztec dance group for some reason released a couple of doves. The doves flew for maybe ten seconds and ended up on the ground. A dog instantly tried to eat one and had the entire dove in its mouth instantly. Thankfully a man got the dove out of the dog's mouth.

Never release doves. The doves they sell at the pet store have lived their entire lives in tiny cages. They can't fly! All those birds end up dead. When the popes used to release doves they would instantly be attacked and killed by seagulls and crows. We rescue a lot of these wedding doves and white pigeons. They cannot survive in the wild. They are too tame, can't find food and don't know how to avoid predators.

Photos from the event. More photos and videos on our Facebook and YouTube accounts.

Mary Cummins

Saturday, April 12, 2025

New Executive Order Threatens Wildlife, Marine Mammals, Environment by Mary Cummins Animal Advocates

There is a new April 9 Executive Order regarding U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which affects wildlife and the environment. They want to unwind Federal Acts if they restrict energy production. These Acts protect wildlife and the environment. They are the migratory bird treaty act, marine mammal protection act, endangered species act... Without these Federal Acts there are NO protections for wildlife, marine mammals or the environment. They'll be able to drill for oil in the ocean even if millions of marine mammals and birds die. They can mine for lithium even if thousands of bald eagles will be killed. We must act now! We'll keep you posted on what you can do to protect wildlife.

Here is the Executive Order

https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/zero-based-regulatory-budgeting-to-unleash-american-energy

ZERO-BASED REGULATORY BUDGETING TO UNLEASH AMERICAN ENERGY

This order directs certain agencies to incorporate a sunset provision into their regulations governing energy production to the extent permitted by law.

(i) For the FWS, this order applies to all regulations issued pursuant to the following statutes and any amendments thereto:

(i) the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act;

(ii) the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918;

(iii) the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1934;

(iv) the Anadromous Fish Conservation Act of 1965;

(v) the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972;

(vi) the Endangered Species Act of 1973;

(vii) the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976; and

(viii) the Coastal Barrier Resources Act of 1982.

#usfishandwildlifeservice #marycummins #AnimalAdvocates #wildlife #migratorybirds #marinemammals #endangeredspecies

Mary Cummins

Sunday, March 2, 2025

Squirrel rescues her babies that fell out of a tree, Mary Cummins, Animal Advocates

The winds blew a squirrel nest out of a tall palm tree today. Babies landed in the aloe bush. I heard the babies crying and went to see if they were okay. I looked at one up close and she just had some scratches. I put her back in the bush in a place where she couldn't fall, was safe from animals and mom could find her. Mom came and took back all her babies within minutes.

A few photos with video below that. Link to video if it doesn't embed properly. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B2_T4gfMUA

Mary Cummins

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Anticoagulant Poison in Oceans, Lakes by Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates

mary cummins, animal advocates, anticoagulant bait, rat poison, poison, anticoagulant, los angeles, california, wildlife, death, brodifacoum, fish, water, lake, ocean, sea

A new study came out showing anticoagulant poison in trout, Brodifacoum causes coagulopathy, hemorrhages, and mortality in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at environmentally relevant hepatic residue concentrations.

When I was accidentally poisoned by anticoagulant bait along San Buenaventura beach in 2003 it also went into the water. The pest control operator admitted to free scattering the poison in the tidal areas in the rocks to kill ground squirrels. Within a week I found dead fish and a dead pelican on the beach. I sent the pelican to the lab. It had evidence of internal bleeding. I also found many, many dead birds on the beach and beach parking lot besides a dead cat. Sent the birds to the lab. They had four different types of anticoagulant bait in them. The ecoli level was so high in the water right there that they closed the beach for two weeks. Poison gets into the water directly and indirectly.

Study Highlights

•Brodifacoum doses ≥ 75 µg/kg bw disrupt blood coagulation of rainbow trout.
•Brodifacoum doses between 100 and 200 µg/kg bw cause mortality in rainbow trout.
•Test duration is a key factor assessing the effects of brodifacoum on fish.

•The lowest mean hepatic residue associated with effects in trout is 122.6 ng/g.
•Brodifacoum causes effects at environmentally relevant hepatic concentrations.

Abstract

Widely used second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides like brodifacoum are classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic. Widespread exposure of terrestrial and avian non-target species is well-known and recently hepatic anticoagulant rodenticide residues have been detected in wild fish. However, no sufficient data exist to interpret the effects of these findings on fish health. In order to assess the potential impact of rodenticide residues on fish, we exposed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to brodifacoum-spiked feed. In a first experiment, individually kept trout (body weight ca. 200 g) were exposed to a single dose of brodifacoum and observed for 15 days. In a second experiment, fish (body weight ca. 330 g) were kept in groups and fed every 7 or 8 days with brodifacoum-spiked feed for up to 60 days. Sampling of trout every 15 days over the 60 days period allowed monitoring of brodifacoum concentrations in serum, liver, and muscle tissue, as well as occurring effects over the course of the experiment. In both experiments, brodifacoum doses of ≥ 75 µg/kg body weight caused prolonged or non-measurable blood coagulation times. Disturbed hemostasis led to hemorrhages and anemia with significantly decreased albumin levels. In the 60 days-experiment, brodifacoum doses ≥ 100 µg/kg body weight caused additionally discoloration, apathy, and anorexia, resulting in reduced weight gain, and ultimately mortality. The delay until the onset of overt symptoms (14–17 days) highlights the importance of test duration while investigating effects of anticoagulant rodenticides in fish. The lowest hepatic brodifacoum concentration associated with effects in trout was on average 122.6 ng/g liver wet weight, which is in the range of previously reported brodifacoum residues in wild fish. These findings illustrate the risks associated with the use of anticoagulant rodenticides for freshwater fish and reinforce the need to stipulate all available and appropriate risk mitigation measures to prevent emissions at source.

Link to paper

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651324017056

Mary Cummins

Sunday, February 9, 2025

Safran Male Dairy Cow Steer Dies at Farm Sanctuary Acton by Mary Cummins of Animal Advocates

Safran the male dairy "cow" bovine died at Farm Sanctuary in Acton, Los Angeles, California. He was an unwanted male dairy calf destined for veal. Instead he was rescued and became one of the main farm animal ambassadors at Farm Sanctuary Acton which used to be Animal Acres. RIP Saffy 2014-2025.

Below is his obituary from Farm Sanctuary.

“He went down and could not get back up, his body burdened by age (11 years young) and an immensely unfair size. A dairy boy in a dinosaur body, but a puppy dog at heart and a loyal friend. While his fate was sealed as an eventual inevitability, we would never be ready for it. He took it with the most grace and humble understanding. He had many visitors and was shrouded in love. Here is Saffy watching his last sunrise.”

https://www.farmsanctuary.org/news-stories/safran-tribute-farm-animal-rescue

Mary Cummins

Mary Cummins Animal Advocates Los Angeles California Wildlife Rehabilitation Real Estate

Saturday, May 17, 2025

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