Tookshire Acres Animal Rescue

08/24/2026

Let's chat about ChatGPT! In the past month, we've been getting more and more calls from people asking for wildlife advice who say, “Oh, but that's not what ChatGPT told me …”

While AI can be a good tool when used correctly, it is not a substitute for advice from trained wildlife professionals. Wildlife rescue and emergency situations are complex, and it can be difficult to distinguish between an animal needing help and one that should be left alone, or how best to help an animal in need. Relying on ChatGPT or other AI tools for answers can often cause more harm than good, as the information it references may be from inaccurate sources and lead to poor decisions.

If you need wildlife help, the best thing you can do is contact our Center or a permitted wildlife rehabilitator near you - that's why we're here! Our team is always happy to help navigate wildlife concerns and ensure injured and orphaned animals get the help they need.

08/24/2026

As an educational follow up to yesterday's brief post encouraging folks not to surrender feral cats to a shelter, we reshare this post from our friends at Central Virginia Regional Rescue:

𝗣𝗦𝗔: 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀. 📢

📢 Let me repeat - feral cats do NOT belong in shelters. 📢

Feral cats are normally brought to shelters by well-intentioned people trying to do good, who are unaware of the unintended consequences of their actions. This is not a post to criticize anyone who has done this before, but rather an educational post to show and explain why.

Meet Robin. She was brought to a local shelter with her babies and is extremely feral. In the shelter, Robin was VERY stressed out, and as a result, would not nurse or care for her babies. 😢 Why is this?

Robin is a feral cat, meaning she has never had contact with humans. Robin is not a mean cat, she is simply petrified of people and resorts to hissing, spitting, and growling as a defensive technique to scare humans away. A majority of the time, feral cats like Robin will never be able to relax at the sight of people... no matter how much time & energy you spend trying to win over their trust. Yes, there are exceptions, but generally speaking, most feral cats can never be socialized to people.

This is why feral cats don't belong in shelters. These cats are not adoptable as house cats, nor will they ever be. Bringing them to a shelter typically results in an extremely stressful and unpleasant circumstances for the cat which negatively impacts their wellbeing as you can imagine. Not to mention, if they do have baby kittens, the kittens will likely suffer and may not survive if stuck in a shelter with their feral mom. Many shelters euthanize feral cats simply because they are feral.

Feral cats just don't belong in shelters. They deserve better. Trap Neuter Return is the most humane solution for feral cats. Reach out to your local shelter or rescue for more information.

*𝘈 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘊𝘝𝘙𝘙.

08/20/2026

I always say I’m done with kitten rescue because it’s so overwhelming at times, but how can I say no when someone brings in a kitten potentially hit by a car in need of help? So meet Frogger, little male tabby that just needs some TLC and wound care.

08/11/2026

This little baby squirrel was found on the hot sidewalk and rescued by a Good Samaritan who called our rescue to help. Most likely a bird snatched her from the nest and accidentally dropped and left her to the elements. She’s not out of the woods yet but is eating well so far. 🐾

08/09/2026

How has this beautiful boy still not found his family!?

08/03/2026

We are in need of fawn formula and are low on funds. Please consider purchasing for our current and future fawn babies! We use Fox Valley for white tailed deer formula, it’s included on our Amazon wishlist. If you have any questions please feel free to message us!

07/29/2026

Killer is enjoying some much needed cuddles with Makayla after his neuter today. He is FIV/FeLV negative, vaccinated, dewormed, has flea/tick prevention, and is ready for his permanent home! Need a kitten in your life? Message us!

07/28/2026

ADOPTED! THANK YOU!
One of our clients passed away recently and now her beautiful cat is an orphan. Would anyone like to give this handsome boy a home? He is an 8 year old neutered male who is litter box trained.

07/27/2026

07/21/2026

Baby opossum snuggles this stormy afternoon ⛈️