A Chat With Medical Services Volunteer Lori Reger

Lori Reger first learned about Liberty Wildlife when they rescued the baby owls that fell out of the palm trees and into the parking lot of her work place. "The rescue crew from Liberty would put them back up in the trees and they would fall out again,” she said. “One time we even had the fire truck out there." That was 10 years ago, and since then Lori has worked in many volunteer roles at Liberty Wildlife. She has been in Medical Services for three years. " You have the opportunity to be up close and personal with these animals and to help them," she said. Season and weather are big factors in the daily routine for a medical services volunteer. During spring and summer an especially high volume of animals are brought in. Each animal must be assessed as to injuries and overall condition. They are checked for weight and hydration. The patient is treated appropriately, which may involve administering fluids, medication, or treating wounds and other injuries. The medical services volunteer also cares for the animals being held in intensive care. When all of this is done, there are always cleaning and laundry chores to do. Lori tells of one of her most unusual cases, "I was working alone one evening and an animal was delivered to Liberty. It had been flown in from another center. I opened the box and inside was a baby Great Horned Owl. Its head was full of holes, and maggots were actually crawling out of them."

Somewhat freaked out, she proceeded to pluck the worms from the wounds, while the angry owl squirmed and snapped its beak. It appeared the baby had received a severe pecking from another bird. The little owl, later named Maggie by Liberty volunteers, went on to a complete recovery.

Lori gets great satisfaction from her job at Liberty. "You see an animal come in critically injured. Usually there is a lot you can do at that point to help the animal. Then you get to see the progression through the stages of rehabilitation. When a bird is released, you are aware of every step that allowed them to fly away."

A huge benefit for Lori is the opportunity to work at the elbow of Liberty veterinarians Dr. Orr and Dr. Wyman. "I can’t believe that everyone in the world isn’t knocking down the doors to come have this opportunity," she said. "The best part is knowing you can make a difference."