What Walden's Puddle is All About
One of the leading resource organizations, the International Council for Wildlife Rehabilitation (IWRC), says this about wildlife rehabilitation: “It is the managed process whereby a displaced, sick, injured or orphaned wild animal regains the health and skills it requires to function normally and live self-sufficiently. The definition may seem simple, but there is a staggering amount of work behind those words. The successful return of a wild animal to its natural habitat is the result of a community effort, with each individual contributing to achieve a common goal.”

That goal at Walden’s Puddle is to return as many wild animals as possible to nature. No animal is turned away as long as we have adequate funds. We are not species specific, instead choosing to assist all wild animals in need. All wildlife care employees have received training in Basic Wildlife Rehabilitation offered by IWRC and our Wildlife Care Manager has many years of experience. Walden’s Puddle is the only professionally staffed rehabilitation center in middle Tennessee. We maintain professional relationships with people and organizations within the rehabilitation community and can call upon them as a resource if a rare animal with specific needs is admitted, for example, sea birds blown in from hurricanes.

The most common patients at Walden’s Puddle include Eastern Cottontail rabbits, Virginia opossums, Gray squirrels, Raccoons, Eastern Box and Red-eared Slider turtles, Mallards, as well as a variety of raptors – American Kestrels, Red-tailed Hawks, Eastern Screech, Great Horned and Barred owls and a large variety of songbirds.

Our professional staff is trained to care for most animals – mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians that are native to Tennessee. We maintain permits and strong collaborative relationships with the two governmental organizations that oversee wildlife rehabilitation - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, though Walden's Puddle receives no government funding. We are members of the National Wildlife Rehabilitator’s Association and International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.