2009
Know your Neighborhood Wildlife - The Opossum
Published: Monday, March 30, 2009 - Empire Tribune
 | Among the mix of Erath County wildlife is an unassuming creature that once roamed with the dinosaurs 70 million years ago. |
| Read the entire article HERE >>>> |
Know your Neighborhood Wildlife - The Squirrel
Published: Monday, February 17, 2009 - Empire Tribune
 | Some folks in Erath County may call her a nut, but when it comes to squirrel rescue, Birgit Sommer knows her stuff. As a licensed rehabilitator and founder of Rainbow Wildlife Rescue in Stephenville, Sommer has worked with dozens of squirrels endangered by natural disaster... |
| Read the entire article HERE >>>> |
Know your Neighborhood Wildlife - The Cottontail Rabbit
Published: Monday, March 2, 2009 - Empire Tribune
 | Most folks living in Erath County have encountered rabbits. Coexisting with these furry, fertile creatures is not difficult once you understand them. |
| Read the entire article HERE >>>> |
Leave the Mothering to Nature
Experts say young animals who appear to be abandoned often are in parents' care
By Angelia Joiner
Special to the Reporter-News
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
 | Spring is just around the corner, and as the new season arrives so do the offspring of a variety of wildlife. Kindhearted humans sometimes find -- and try to take in -- young birds, squirrels, fawns or rabbits that appear to be abandoned. Roy Johnson, Taylor County game warden, said most of the time this is not the case. |
| Read the entire article HERE >>>> |
Honey and Trinity Success Story
How two dogs can create a lot of human winners
Published: Sunday, April 5, 2009 - Empire Tribune
 | Not everybody in Erath County knows about the Humane Society Animal Shelter and its adoptable pets. A few of the people that do know about it have the wrong impression. They often think of it as dog pound-hell. Maybe after reading the following story of the combined efforts of many people to make happy endings happen, they will change their minds and convince more pet lovers to adopt a pet instead of purchasing one from a pet store or a breeder. |
| Read the entire article HERE >>>> |
2008
Orphaned squirrels find refuge in Stephenville
Published: Tuesday, September 23, 2008 10:07 AM CDT
 | When natural disasters strike, a mobilization of relief workers from various agencies such as the Red Cross, National Guard, and FEMA are ready to respond, bringing in food and water, working to restore power, and setting up temporary shelter to assist in returning the disaster zone and the lives of those within it back to normal. |
| Read the entire article HERE >>>> |
Locals build ‘homes’ for orphaned squirrels
Published: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 9:06 AM CDT
 | The gray baby squirrels orphaned by Hurricane Ike now have a cozier place to play - and sleep - while temporarily residing in Erath County. Volunteers spent the better part of Saturday building a mesh enclosure at the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue Center in Stephenville so the little ones will have room to move around until they can be taken back to the coast. |
| Read the entire article HERE >>>> |
Rescuing Animals
Published: Sunday, May 2, 2008
| One local woman works to save abandoned and mistreated pets Birgit Sommer has been a Stephenville resident since 1991. She was born in Germany and just last month, after passing a test correct answering questions covering U.S. government and history, she took an oath before officials and became a naturalized citizen of the United States. "It just feels great to become a citizen of this country," Bridget said. "I studied hard in order to pass the test and now I can vote in this important election." |
| Birgit didn't wait to become a registered voter before taking the responsibility of foster care of homes and abandoned animals in Erath County. Having a great love for animals, she was attracted to the animal shelter maintained by the Erath County Humane Society, shortly after becoming a resident in Stephenville. During the past few years she has given loving, expert care to hundreds of dogs and cats including entire litters of puppies and kittens. | |
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| Read the entire article HERE >>> | |
Stephenville woman takes in 'squirrely' hurricane victims
Published: Monday, September 22, 2008
| STEPHENVILLE -- Appropriately nicknamed "Miss Doolittle" when she was just 5 years old, Birgit Sommer is taking in orphans from Hurricane Ike. Not the human kind. The small, furry kind. Infant gray squirrels were found everywhere after Ike moved through the Houston area, blowing down their nests, and residents were desperate to help them. |
Sommer, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, said before Ike had even moved out of the Gulf area, her phone began ringing off the wall and the e-mails started piling up. People were contacting her to see if she could help. | |
| Read the entire article HERE >>> | |
Donations helping baby squirrels left orphaned by Hurricane Ike
Published: Sunday, September 28, 2008
| STEPHENVILLE -- Several volunteers were busy Saturday building a mesh wire enclosure at the Rainbow Wildlife Rescue center in Stephenville to provide shelter for additional gray squirrels orphaned by Hurricane Ike. Birgit Sommer, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, said members of the Tarleton State University Student Wildlife Society collected $62 in donations and are soliciting area businesses for materials needed to build shelters for the squirrels. |
She said she has also received a check for $500 from a Buffalo Gap resident, lumber from Barns and McCullough in Stephenville and numerous smaller donations. | |
| Read the entire article HERE >>> | |
