IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Throughout the year, Local News 8 has done several stories with animal shelters in the area. But what do the shelters do when animals that are not dogs or cats are brought in?
“We’ve gotten some chinchillas,” said Snake River Animal Shelter‘s Kennel Tech Supervisor, Brendan Barker. “Normally, we don’t take chinchillas. That’s kind of another weird one for us.”
One animal that stood out was the snake found in Blackfoot.
“We got a call that there was a snake over at the hospital here in town. [We] went and picked it up. I think it was probably about five[-feet] long,” said Blackfoot Animal Shelter’s Alissa Sanders.
It hasn’t just been scaly friends the Blackfoot Animal Shelter has brought in. They’ve also welcomed owls, turkeys, and even a swan.
“[The swan] was still a baby, but it was huge,” Sanders said.
When less common animals are brought in by Fish and Game, Blackfoot Animal Shelter will post about them on social media to see if they belong to someone.
Local News 8 asked the animal shelters what people should do if they find an animal in need of help that’s not a cat or dog.
“For our county, I would recommend calling the non-emergency line, the dispatch, and they could dispatch animal control to come in and look at it. Animal Control will ultimately decide,” said Barker.
Sanders also recommends calling the shelter or Fish and Game.
“[Fish and Game] know how to handle that better than anybody else. You don’t want to just pick up a wild animal, bring it in your home, and try to take care of it.”
The shelters warn people to be careful around stray and wild animals. Even though you might have the best intentions, animals might try to harm you—and you might actually be harming them. So make sure to call in the professionals.
