Ailigh Vanderbush, CABT, 7993 N US 52. Thorntown, IN 46071, (317) 695-5464, [email protected]
To Whom It May Concern:
As the Executive Director of Animalia, a not for profit organization that works with the
public, I have many years of experience in wildlife rehabilitation. As such, the most
common issues with wildlife we treated were directly due to disease, traffic accidents, and
orphaned animals. Orphaned animals were certainly the most common by far and usually
due to direct human actions – removing the mother from an attic without removing the babies
or removing what was though to be an orphaned animal. Raccoons, rabbits and small song
birds, in particular, as people would remove the animal from the environment without
checking for the parent or leaving the animal alone to check if the parent would return.
Wildlife, particularly urban wildlife, face many challenges on a daily basis, but seem to
have adapted very successfully to city life in many ways. They have an abundance of food,
water, shelter, and safety from predators. This is certainly the case for the animals in Richey
woods and the surrounding areas. Certainly pets are problematic to wildlife, but this exists in
the cases of loose animals and not noise pollution.
The area in question on Hague Road is currently surrounded by homes, an airport, and a
dog kennel and as such, local wildlife has already adapted to noise levels. Based on the fact
that the Humane Society’s dogs will not be running loose or unsupervised while outside, and
approximately 10 or fewer dogs will be outside at any given time, it is my opinion that the
addition of the Humane Society to this location will not negatively impact urban wildlife.
Ailigh Vanderbush, CABT, ABCDT, APBC, MS
Animalia, Inc