[I wrote this as a Facebook Post on 25th November 2024. It's such an important milestone for me that I have decided to save it as a blog post too, to mark our progress...]
"I want to share a bit of a story...
WHEN UKWT STARTED... Back when UKWT first opened, in 2020, when I was unaware of how unregulated the wildlife rescue industry was, I transported a poorly hedgehog to a Rescue with an official sounding name. I found out from them a few days later that they had no training at all in hedgehogs, had never rehabbed one before and had had no idea how to care for the animal. They said that they took it in because 'they never turn an animal away'. It was a big turning point for me, as I had assumed that they must know about caring for hedgehogs and be properly set up, in order to have asked me to transport the animal to them, from the finder. This experience prompted me to start finding out a lot more about Wildlife Rescue requirements and was really when the idea for the Wildlife Care Badge started forming in my mind...
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY... Over the last couple of months I have been sending out WCB Renewal Certificates to quite a few WCB Holders and today a Hedgehog Rescue had their 2024 Veterinary Visit in order to renew their badge for another year. The RVN who did the visit fed back lots of praise. This afternoon, I finalised the Drivers List for this small Rescue and it made me feel brilliant, knowing that I could be confident that hedgehogs taken to them were being taken in by someone with proven knowledge, a great premises and a strong vet relationship, to provide the animal with a fair go at a second chance.
To me, every life matters. UKWT is set up to ensure that every wild life in need gets a fair second chance because they matter: because they are important in their own right and deserve a wild & brilliant life, lived on their own terms. I am so grateful that I am getting to do this work, in my own small way..."
