Donielle (Donnie) Ficca has been volunteering with WRL for approximately seven years, specializing in the care of chipmunks, squirrels, opossums, and raccoons, while also providing temporary shelter to other mammals that require care before being transferred to other rehabilitators.
Her journey into wildlife rehabilitation began with a simple realization: if she fostered animals needing homes, she’d adopt them all and become a “crazy cat lady.” Instead, she channeled her love for animals into wildlife rehabilitation. She started with squirrels, due to their hardy nature and high success rate, and they remain her top boarders every season. One of her most memorable and comedic experiences involved a tiny chipmunk who refused to be released, racing up her pant leg, onto her back, and into her shirt before finally accepting freedom.
When she’s not caring for wildlife, Donnie enjoys baking, writing a LitRPG novel, gaming with friends, throwing axes, archery, learning piano, and traveling the world (carefully scheduled around baby animal seasons of course), with a trip to Japan planned for this year!
Written by Andres Soria.
Andres joined WRL’s Marketing Committee in 2022 and is one of our go-to photographers. In his time off, he enjoys wildlife photography, hiking, and biking.
