East Tennessee Wildlife Rehabilitation Council

About Wildlife Rehabilitation

Who we are:

The East Tennessee Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (ETWRC) is a volunteer group of state and federally permitted wildlife rehabilitators and apprentices who have formed a coalition to provide quality standards of care for injured, ill, or orphaned wildlife in East Tennessee.

Members of this network are trained and experienced to care for wildlife in need, and to assist the public with questions and concerns regarding wild animals which may be in need of help. Several members are also skilled environmental educators and can be contacted for giving presentations on a variety of related topics such as the rehabilitation of native wildlife, native species, and habitat conservation.

A wildlife rehabilitator (or rehabber) is someone who is trained to provide injured, ill, and orphaned wild animals the special care they require so that the animals can be successfully released back into their native habitat.

Wildlife rehabilitation is a volunteer activity - the only compensation is from donations. Rehabbers typically pay for food, cages, veterinary care, and medication from their own pockets.

Wildlife Rehabilitation

It is against state and federal law to keep wild animals. Wildlife rehabilitators are licensed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to care for animals until they can be released back into the wild. No one without a license should keep any wild animal captive. Wild animals require special diets and care, and pose hidden dangers such as the risk of disease to people.

Wildlife rehabilitators attend workshops sponsored by national organizations such as the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association or the International Wildlife Rehabilitators Council to further their knowledge. Most rehabilitators are unpaid volunteers.

To locate a licensed wildlife rehabilitator near you, call the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency information line:

1-800-332-0900

TWRA Permitted Rehabilitators

Ballard, Robin - Talbott, TN. small mammals.

Bathe, Genia - Knoxville, TN. Birds and Waterfowl.

Chapman, Ramona - Loudon, TN. Education, Class II Wildlife, Whitetail deer, songbirds. State and Federal Permit.

Cranford, Marcella, DVM - Knoxville, TN. Education

Dietz, Marguerite “Rita” - Knoxville, TN. Education ,Class II Mammals, Groundhogs, raccoons, foxes.

Hutchinson, Monica - Nicklesville, VA. VAWR and Federal Permits. Opossums, Migratory Birds.

Kinzalow-Gates, Jayne - Knoxville, TN. Animal Pickup, Mammals, Animal Release.

Leach, Thomas - Midway, TN. Education, Reptiles and Amphibians. Animal Pickup and Release, cage and enclosure design.

Leitner, Sheryl - Chattanooga, TN. Class II Wildlife

Matens, Margaret - Monteagle, TN. Birds, Mammals, Reptiles.

McCoy, Lynne - New Market, TN. TWRA and Federal Permits. Mammals, Songbirds, Reptiles and Amphibians.

Nowell, Kathryn - Maryville, TN. Class II Small Mammals. Squirrels, Flying Squirrels, Rabbits and Opossums.

Osborne, Paul - Knoxville, TN. Reptiles, Amphibians. Presentation Skills.

Parks, Alix C. - Signal Mountain, TN

Partington, Louann - Tullahoma, TN. State and Federal Permit. Small Mammals.

Petko-Seus, Pam - Maryville, TN. Ijams Nature Center.

Rollins, Phylis - Dandridge, TN. Small Mammals, reptiles, opossums, turtles, raccoons, foxes.

Scruggs, Rita - Knoxville, TN. Songbirds, Small Mammals. (TWRA Permit in Process.) Squirrels, Flying Squirrels.

Smith, Tissi - Knoxville, TN - Education, Animal Pickup, Volunteer Management.

Stewart, Lisa - Townsend, TN. Director of Appalachian Bear Center. Education, Mammals, Animal Release. Housing for unreleasable.

Thompson, Joann - Oak Ridge, TN. Songbirds

Wynn, Gerri - Elizabethton, TN. Birds, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians, Animal Release.

Zagaya, Nancy - Knoxville, TN. Mammals.