Desert Willow Wildlife Rehab Grateful

By Michael Bromka

Beyond Heights Lions in Carlsbad, most thinking people support the worthy work of Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (DWWRC), founded by veterinarian Dr. Sammie Holeck (née Rayroux).

Daughter of Ann and Jesse Rayroux, she grew up on her parents’ ranch. There, she fed and tended domestic animals. As well she learned how to nurse wounded wildlife back to health. This volunteer sideline of her mother inspired young Sammie to study biology as a girl and then complete university and veterinary school as an adult. Along the way, she conceived and established DWWRC.

Founding member Ty Allen and new board member Barbara Hurd spoke to Heights Lions, who renewed their annual financial support.

Desert Willow was established by raising funds to buy the former White’s Animal Kingdom at 516 E. Fiesta Dr. Before that, wildlife rehabilitation was ongoing but not nearly as spacious in the back of Dr. Sammie’s first veterinary clinic.

Ty and Barbara regret currently not staffing trained and certified handlers of educational wildlife—usually big birds like raptors. Due to an injury, if such a bird cannot be returned to the wild, it might be repurposed for public interaction and outreach.

For alternative show-and-tell, they brought three cautionary items. A 2” treble fishhook had been surgically removed (with success) from a hobbling, emaciated great blue heron. A squishy rubber sphere nearly the size of a ping pong ball had been surgically extracted from a duck’s stomach. And pliable plastic six-pack rings, which often ensnare and even choke large waterfowl.

“If a bird is too hobbled or distressed to flee an approaching human, it needs intervention. Call us.”

Desert Willow now has two experienced and indefatigable paid employees, plus eight skilled volunteers. The youngest of these began at age 12, dedicated and mature beyond her years. She arrives daily at 6 a.m. to feed the animals.

Much planning and fundraising led to the construction of the Center’s well-lit, multi-purpose pristine veterinary clinic, aglow with stainless steel surfaces. There are designated rooms for mammals, birds, and special patient isolation.

Desert Willow holds an annual November fundraiser at Walter Gerrells Civic Center. The wildlife center’s greatest ongoing expense is specialized feed, like cases of frozen lake trout.

In response to an array of online questions, Dr. Sammie e-mailed what follows:

I’ve been appointed State Veterinarian with the New Mexico Livestock Board. At Desert Willow, as a volunteer, I do clinical veterinary work. In my day job, I oversee livestock arriving and leaving New Mexico, including through our southern border ports. I oversee the health of our livestock industries. I confer and work with fellow USA State Veterinarians and with USDA.”

To handle birds for public showings, you need state and federal permits. There’s a minimum of 100 hours of training with each species to learn proper care and husbandry.

“At Desert Willow, we intake and treat about 700 animals annually. 75% are songbirds, doves, and raptors. We have mammals like deer and squirrels, plus we get some reptiles and the occasional amphibian.

“My first childhood lesson with animals was to provide consistent, quality care. Provide good food and clean water; never let a creature go hungry or parched,” she said.

“As a girl, I arose in the wee hours to bottle-feed a badger cub. Being inattentive near an angry Harris’s hawk once led to an instructive scar,” she said.

“My mother, Ann, was intuitive and creative in diagnosing an injured animal. I recall her treating a kestrel with the tiniest pinch of steroid powder meant for a cow. It worked!

“As much as possible, I wanted to work with wildlife. Mom and Dad kept rehabbing wildlife while I attended college. Realizing how much I enjoyed healing animals, I went on to vet school,” Holek said.

“I returned to Carlsbad to establish my practice. Mom retired to take care of Dad. I took rehab back over and started the non-profit. Now, we plan ahead, aiming to make our Center self-sustaining.

“Even from Albuquerque, I keep in daily contact with DWWRC staff and volunteers. I return as often as I can to help where needed. I communicate with other local veterinarians who support the Center as well,” she said.

“Desert Willow will always need more volunteers. We must find or train volunteers for educational outreach. Some vital help can be done from home. Grant-writing skills are a tremendous asset. In time, we’ll need an executive director. Of course, we also seek steady financial support.

“We welcome donated cleaning and laundry supplies, plus yard items like water hoses and spray nozzles. We need help with maintenance and landscaping work,” she said.

“Dedicated volunteers can start in their early teens. I’ve seen tremendous work from young kids. Expect to devote at least 10 hours per week. Volunteers of any age must be willing to listen, learn, and work hard. Most of all, you need a sense of adventure!

Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center may be reached at 575-689-6711 or info@dwwrc.org.