Yesterday we finally decided we could handle dismantling Tonka's crate and donating it to the wildlife rehab center. A few weeks after he died, we called them to see if they could use it (it's HUGE), but we couldn't bring ourselves to take it. After a very sad hour of taking it down (including lots of tears when I found fur and whiskers collected on the carpet pad underneath it), we headed to the center.
The woman was thrilled to get it, as her other habitats for smaller animals were all full. While talking to her, the resident pheasant came by to try to scare us off (he was so pretty, but apparently is quite mean). Then these 3 little fawns came out of an oak grove beside us. The lady said, "Oh, they're looking to be fed. Good timing - I could use the extra hands." The fawns came right up to us and we could pet them! We went into the barn "kitchen" and watched them eat a bowl of veggies, then she handed us each a bottle. I said, "I've never even fed a baby - what do I do?" She said, "Just hold it upright and they do the rest." Those cute little babies drank with gusto, and all the while, we could look into their sweet eyes. I asked her how they could be rehabbed and released after being near humans. She said they do "soft releases," on private acreage, not BLM land where there's hunting. And she said they'll develop more fear instinct as they age. It's only the bottled milk that brings them close to her now. They live in the oak grove, uncontained, left to behave normally. They came to her because they were abandoned or orphaned. One is white with brown spots - she looks like a goat! I was surprised by how rough their fur was - it looks so soft when you see them from afar.
It was a neat place - she had crows, ducks, quail, raccoons, a fox, squirrels, and a nutria. The only domestic animals were her two dogs, a couple cats, and a burro. My husband is thinking he'll volunteer there this fall when they start with new orientation. He loves wildlife, and even the most skittish animals come to him.
Anyway, sorry for the long description, but it was something that made my heart feel lighter when I was feeling so sad about seeing Tonka's crate hauled out of the house. I couldn't think about another dog (ours or anyone else's) being in there, but knowing lots of critters could have someplace safe to recover felt right. Tonka loved seeing critters in the neighborhood - he never went after them - always watched them carefully. So, it seems fitting that he's helping them now.
Now the big empty space in the front room is another problem. His toys and other supplies are still there. It'll be a while before we can do anything with that. But, this was a first step.