The Friends of Texas Wildlife recently opened its new intake center in Magnolia to take in injured, displaced and orphaned wildlife in Montgomery and north Harris Counties.

The intake center, located on Highland Boulevard, was a former foreclosure home. Friends of Texas Wildlife Founder and donor Randy Krotowski bought and renovated the home in April 2011. He then donated it to the organization, which previously did not have a center.

Pictured is President Janette Winkelman (left) and Center Director Lisa Wolling (right) in front of the new intake center.

While trying to open an official intake center, the Friends of Texas Wildlife experienced many hurdles along the way, according to President Janette Winkelman.

“At the beginning of 2011, it was hard to imagine where we'd be today. We were very focused at that time on being able to open an intake facility and were working very diligently towards that end,” she stated.

According to Winkelman and Center Director Lisa Wolling, in early April the organization’s bank account was fraudulently used and emptied of years of savings, which was to be used as a down payment for an intake center. The bank ultimately reimbursed the organization.

Wolling said the experience was a devastating blow.

Later in April, Krotowski donated the center to Friends of Texas Wildlife. Days after obtaining the intake center, the copper wire was stolen from the home, which cost the organization nearly $1,000 in repairs.

The next six months were spent renovating the center, so it could begin taking in wildlife.

With the official intake center up and running, Winkelman said the organization will be able to take in injured animals at the center, which has a staff of about 20, including four veterinarians who volunteer their time. Once the animal is ready to begin its rehabilitation process it will be sent to one of the 65 rehabbers in the county.

The organization takes in hawks, owls, squirrels, opossums, raccoons, deer and any Texas wildlife that is injured or orphaned.

She said the center works as a triage, so the organization is able to treat them properly and place them with the correct rehabber. Krotowski added that with the center, volunteers will be able to sign up for work days.

In years prior to having the intake center, Friends of Texas Wildlife relied exclusively on volunteers donating time, resources and personal space for the treatment and rehabilitation of wildlife.

The new intake facility will serve as not only a treatment facility before rehabilitation, but also an organizing tool.

Friends of Texas Wildlife, which was founded in 1993, is the only wildlife rescue group based in Montgomery County with rehabbers permitted by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Texas Parks and Wildlife departments. The non-profit organization receives no money from either of the other organizations.

Last year, the organization helped nearly 2,000 animals. Winkelman said with the center available she expects the organization will help more than 3,000 animals. She said the number is also due to the severe drought the county experienced last year.

Friends of Texas Wildlife not only takes in injured and orphaned animals, but they also promote co-existence of wildlife and people through education.

For instance, during the drought, Friends of Texas Wildlife bought more than 200 tubs and asked anyone with land to get a tub at no cost, fill it with water and place it on their property for wildlife.

“(The drought) has had a devastating impact on the state and many people lost homes in the many fires around the state.  The drought also caused a critical situation for our wildlife.  Dehydration and starvation caused many premature deaths and created a difficult situation for wildlife with mothers abandoning their babies due to lack of food and water,” Wolling explained.  “Key Energy of Houston stepped in and partnered with us to place water tanks in areas with large wildlife populations.  The tanks helped with the lack of water until we began to get some rain late this fall.”

Winkelman said Friends of Texas Wildlife is currently preparing for animal baby season. The organization is in need of more rehabbers and volunteers. All volunteers are trained and permitted.

For more information, visit ftwl.org.

Photo by Cheryl Smith

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