December 13, 2009

For Love of Animals
Rowena Wildlife Clinic rescues and rehabilitates about 200 injured animals every year

By Adam Lapierre
The Chronicle

"We are trying to help people connect with their surroundings on a deeper level..."
— Jean Cypher

     At just over five feet tall, Dr. Jean Cypher is a small woman with an enormous heart for wild animals.
     Half of Cypher’s scenic log home — on a hillside between Mosier and Rowena — is typical: tidy kitchen, computer, desk overflowing with papers, cozy sofa, pictures on the walls and a few nice plants.
     The other half of the house is where Cypher has unabashedly dedicated her life and career.
     On one counter a beautiful, well-mannered hawk stands next to a few small cages. One cage contains an injured squirrel with its feet hanging out through the bars, staring lazily down at the hawk.
     In the outside world, the two would be predator and prey, but in Cypher’s home they are both patients.
     In the same room, foxes, a porcupine, possums, deer, and a variety of birds have lived side by side, all with injuries that brought them to the Rowena Wildlife Clinic.
     A few seagulls and a goose in another room make quite a racket together.           Although they can walk in and out of the house through a doggie door, they like it inside where it’s safe and sheltered from the wind.
     After several years practicing veterinary medicine and working to rehabilitate injured animals, Cypher founded the Rowena Wildlife Clinic in 2000.
     With the help of her husband, Zahid Shahzada, Cypher converted half of her home and property into a rescue and rehabilitation clinic that takes in about 200 injured and orphaned native animals each year.
     The inside facilities at the clinic are for “intensive care” and surgery. Other than a pet parrot that oversees things from its perch, the animals inside are either fighting for their lives or recovering and lucky to be alive.
     The clinic’s outdoor facilities include several large aviaries and housing for animals farther down the road to recovery.
     The ultimate goal for most animals that come into the clinic is for them to be treated and released into the wild. It’s a happy ending that comes true under the care of Cypher and her volunteers.
     “I’m sure that what we do here has no effect on wildlife populations,” Cypher said. “We are dealing with such a small slice of wildlife that is affected by the human-wildlife interface.
     “We are trying to help people connect with their surroundings on a deeper level. When people have made a connection with an injured animal, it is a
special moment we feel we should support. And when people help save an animal’s life, I think they can come away with a deeper connection to their surroundings. That is our goal: To connect people with wildlife on an emotional level; to help people realize the importance of living more peacefully in the habitat we share with animals.”
     With dozens of animals to care for at any given time, Cypher gets help from volunteers and veterinary students who cycle through the clinic on a regular basis.
     Funding for the student program has been provided by the Kinsman Foundation and the Kenneth A. Scott Trust. Funding to keep the rest of the clinic afloat comes mainly from donations, which are always gladly accepted.

Catlink
     Operating out of The Dalles, Catlink is a division of the Rowena Wildlife Clinic, dedicated entirely to helping injured, homeless and feral cats. The group of volunteer veterinarians, techs and animal lovers is committed to finding humane solutions to cat overpopulation in the region. Along with spaying and neutering roughly 100 cats a month, Catlink runs a foster and adoption program and works closely with Rowena Wildlife Clinic whenever possible.
     When Carmen Marques started Catlink about 13 years ago, she didn’t have a cat of her own. Since then she has helped thousands find better lives, and what was once her home is now Catlink headquarters, where about 70 felines live at any given time.
     Ironically, a chief source of funding for Catlink is a dog grooming business Marques runs out of the same house.
     “The fact is, there are always more cats out there than we can handle,” she said over the phone Monday afternoon. With a combination of barking and meowing creating an uproar in the background, Marquez went on to explain what Catlink is trying to accomplish.
     “This is a community effort. We are looking for people to partner with us to help us educate the community on the responsibilities that come along with taking a pet home.”
     Marquez went on to explain that there is a wide problem with cat overpopulation in The Dalles, and that Catlink is looking to help people who are feeding and/or caring for large numbers of stray cats out of the goodness of their hearts.
     “We’re not really here for people who have a couple cats and they want them spayed or neutered,” she said. “We’re looking more for those who have allowed a cat population to get out of control. We encourage them to contact us.”

What can you do?
     Donations for both the Rowena Wildlife Clinic and Catlink are always appreciated; monetary, volunteer or in the form of usable items such as animal food and cleaning supplies. Donations to either organization are tax deductible.      For more information, visit www.rowenawildlifeclinic.org and www.catlink.org.

Injured wildlife:
     Like humans, animals in distress experience pain, shock, confusion, fear and dehydration, so one basic key to helping injured wildlife is to put yourself in its place. The Rowena Wildlife Clinic serves the entire gorge region, and someone is available at the clinic most hours of the day and night to either give tips over the phone or take in injured wildlife.
     Think safety first, for yourself and wildlife. Call the clinic if you feel unsafe handling an injured animal, but the outcome will be better if you can move it to shelter without delay.
     A cardboard box and a blanket or large towel are very helpful. If you can approach the animal without it running/flying away, throw a blanket/towel over its head and eyes. All species become calmer when they can’t see. Transfer the blanket and patient into a box and close the lid. If the animal struggles as you pick it up, be sure to keep the eyes covered and try to restrain the most dangerous parts (claws, beak, etc.).
     The Rowena Wildlife Clinic’s web site gives in-depth information on how to handle injured wildlife, as well as the clinic’s phone number in case of emergency.