Ashlyn A.

I was 8 years old when I found two baby doves that had fallen on the ground from the tree I regularly climbed as a child. Not knowing a thing about these babies- only the childhood myth we were all told, that if you touched a baby the mother wouldn’t come back, I worried for them and ran inside to get a giant woven basket I knew I owned. Nowadays,I would place the babies in a small little carrier but the innocence in me thought a basket that I could fit in would be perfect for two baby doves. My mother and I researched where in our area we could take the babies to get the nurturing and care they needed to survive. We found Helen Laughlin- who was a Rehabber that worked out of her home. We drove to the other side of town and met her outside of her house with the babies. I remember asking if she had any other animals, and she invited me in to see them. That’s when I met a skunk for the first time and I fell in love. Since then I have worked with Helen, learning skills and gaining knowledge she’s had to offer me. After six years of working with her and all these animals out of her house, we opened a center. We had so much help from volunteers, friends and family to build our brand new facility. Building outdoor enclosures and touring other facilities to get ideas on how to establish our dream. I have fallen more and more in love with the job we do. Every animal that comes in is a new mission- one that I’m determined to succeed in. I learn more every day and aspire to take my passion and turn it into my career.