Georgetown wildlife rehab caring for more than 500 animals, many taken in after Texas floods

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Countless homes and structures have been destroyed or damaged over the last week in devastating floods throughout Texas.

At least 120 deaths have been confirmed in six counties. As of Thursday, 161 people were missing in Kerr County alone. Overall, at least 172 people remain missing in the state.

While thousands of people are being impacted by the aftermath of the floods and many have lost their homes, animals and wildlife in Central Texas are also recovering from the devastation.

That's where All Things Wild Rehabilitation in Georgetown is stepping up. The nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center is caring for more than 500 animals as of Thursday. More than 130 of those have been taken in since last Friday, due to being displaced or harmed during severe flooding that hit Central Texas.

All Things Wild takes in orphaned, injured, and sick animals -- primarily babies -- and rehabilitates, treats, or raises them until they can return to the wild.

The nonprofit needs extra help to accomplish that mission right now. They posted on Facebook on Tuesday, asking for donations and saying their resources are strained.

"As we continue to take in animals injured and orphaned in the flooding, other animals still need our help as well," the post read in part. "We are taking care of 500+ animals, and our resources are strained."

"Unfortunately, most of the wild animals that reach us need extensive care. We aren’t a vet clinic, we are a rehabilitation facility, meaning our patients are with us for weeks, even months, before they are strong enough to re-release to the wild. Each one needs extensive medical care, a species-specific diet, special housing, and a team of staff and volunteers to provide care 365 days a year. Some of these patients will still be with us when summer is over and the world has moved on."

The post asked for donations to help the nonprofit "get through what will be a very long summer of caring for the many wild animals who would not survive without our help, without YOUR help."

Sharon Dunning, a volunteer and a director on the organization's board, said All Things Wild could also use more volunteers and more land.

Dunning said just halfway through this year, the nonprofit has taken in nearly as many animals as they did for the entirety of last year.

In 2024, All Things Wild took in about 3,600 animals. So far this year, about 3,300 animals have already been taken into the center. Dunning said the weather plays into the increase.

"The weather, you know, especially like last year, when we had such a severe drought, we couldn't release animals until we were sure that they had an environment where they could get water and food," Dunning said, explaining that the group ensures there is a safe environment for the animal once it is released back into the wild.

"So when we release an animal, we make sure that they're vaccinated, if necessary, they're healthy, and they're released as close to where they were brought in, as long as that environment is safe for them," Dunning said. "So we don't release them near roads or highways, or, you know, in neighborhoods where the dogs can attack them, or anything like that. So we want to give them the best chance of survival."

Dunning said they care for all kinds of animals, but some of the ones they've seen more of after the floods have been ducks that couldn't escape waterways quickly enough, bunnies whose burrows got flooded, and fawns that likely lost their mothers in the storms.

All Things Wild takes in animals from as far north as Waco, as far east as Rockdale, as far west as Lakeway, and southward into northern Austin, Dunning said. She said the nonprofit works with several organizations, like animal control and Texas Parks and Wildlife, but residents will often rescue animals and call All Things Wild to bring them in. Other wildlife rehabilitation facilities sometimes call on All Things Wild for help, and vice versa, too.

Dunning said there are about a dozen full-time and part-time staff members at All Things Wild, and they have some volunteer veterinarians and vet-techs who provide medical care, so they have a "pretty good success rate."

However, Dunning said they could always use more volunteers, more donations, and more space.

She said right now, they're leasing about two acres of land, but they are looking for someone who could donate around 5-10 acres of land.

"We are looking for somebody who would be able to donate some land... five to 10 acres of land that we could build our own facility and not have to worry about leasing, Dunning said. "With leasing, you know, you're restricted on what you can put out there and how many buildings, and it's up to the landlord to determine what facilities you can add."

Dunning said that though they could use more space, they have rarely run into issues with crowding or overfilling because they have several licensed rehabilitation volunteers who can care for the animals in their homes, plus they have a network with other animal rehab facilities that can help when needed.

Volunteers for All Things Wild can do anything from cleaning cages and doing laundry to getting certified in animal rehabilitation, Dunning said. No experience is needed, and staff members are always willing to help train volunteers, she added.

Those who do want to get certified in animal rehabilitation can do so through several different training courses, which are listed on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's website.

Dunning also emphasized the need for monetary support since All Things Wild is a nonprofit organization and does not get government funding.

"We do fundraisers multiple times throughout the year, but you know, that doesn't even begin to touch the cost of the formula, the veterinary care, and the staff salaries. So we really appeal to the public and any corporations who would like to be sponsors to donate to us so that we can continue to take care of more and more animals," Dunning said.

"We'll find a way. But it does cost money," she said. "And if there's anybody out there with some land in Williamson County that would consider donating that land to us, we would like them to contact us, and we'd be most appreciative."

All Things Wild has information online about what to do when an animal in need of help is found. They also have a hotline that staff and volunteers answer during regular hours: 512-897-0806.