LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Life is all about second chances, especially for our wildlife. Founder and Executive Director of Second Chances Wildlife Center Brigette Brouillard says she has always had a passion for animals.
“I used to sneak animals in my basement and then my mom would always make me find homes for them,” said Brouillard.
While Brouillard was camping one day, she came across a couple of orphan baby opossums
“After doing my research, I realized that no one in this community was offering this service. There were so many dog and cat rescue organizations, but no one was helping the wildlife,” said Brouillard.
So she decided to change that. Thirteen years later, she houses over 300 wildlife animals each year. About 90% of all the animals that come to her are because of human encroachment.
“Whether it is overpopulation, cars on the road, hitting animals, pesticides that we use, lawn equipment, people cutting down trees. And then there’s orphaned babies that were residing in that tree that leave them orphaned. So mostly it is due to human reasons that bring these animals in,” explained Brouillard.
Second Chances Wildlife Center goal is rehabilitation for the wild animals, but also education for humans to coexist with the wildlife.
“Our goal is always to get the animals back into the wild, and it really is those that can’t quite survive on their own. We have some bats that only have one wing. We have a fox that only can see out of one eye, some opossums with one ear, no tail,” said Brouillard.
The center takes all native Kentucky mammals, but for some animals, the center becomes a permanent sanctuary and they serve as educational ambassadors.
“I think our education component is extremely important because a lot of us, myself included, we have been taught misconceptions for these animals. So if we can go out and we can dispel these myths about all wildlife, if we can inspire people to make good choices for our wildlife and just look at them a little bit differently,” Brouillard shared.
Brouillard hopes for others to understand the purpose of the local wildlife and how they are a vital part of our ecosystem. Second Chances Wildlife Center is currently trying to raise funds for a separate, smaller building just for bats.