Middle Tennessee is fortunate to have a “professionally-staffed wildlife rehabilitation and education facility in Middle Tennessee” called  Walden’s Puddle. Walden’s Puddle “provides care and treatment to sick, injured and orphaned Native Tennessee Wildlife.” They don’t “charge for services and receive no federal or state funding making donations critical to their success helping “2500 injured and orphaned animals annually.”

Their Chairman/CEO and acclaimed singer songwriter, Lane Brody, noted that 90% of their yearly budget goes directly toward the mission and animals and the majority of people advising and staffing the organization are volunteers, from the board members to those providing animal care. Brody noted “volunteers mean everything” and that they rely heavily on the “generosity of donors.” It is a true testament to the organization and what they do that so many have given so generously of their time, treasures and talents. If interested in supporting them, you can volunteer, donate to the organization by visiting their website, or attend their Fall Fundraiser “Fall Call of the Wild. ”

This year marks Walden Puddle’s Second Annual “Fall Call of the Wild,” scheduled for Thursday, October 25th at 7p.m. The fundraiser will be held at the Sound Kitchen Recording Studio in Franklin Tennessee. Proceeds will directly benefit their mission to care for sick, injured and orphaned animals in Tennessee. The event will feature a fabulous spread by the Bound’ry, wine and cigar bar, a silent auction including local treasures like artwork, jewelry, guitars signed by local stars including George Strait, jewelry and more. It wouldn’t be a the same with out some of Walden’s Puddle’s own Animal Ambassadors, those non-releasable animals that help with education and outreach! Guests might get to see Maverick the red-tailed hawk, Phoenix the kestrel, Carson the screech owl or maybe the opposums Radar or Penny.

There will also be a special premiere viewing of the DVD: “Giving Wildlife a Second Chance, You Can Feel Good About It!” It’s Walden Puddle’s new video created by their Chairman/CEO, Lane Brody, which presents their mission and illustrates Walden’s Puddle’s “service to the community to people and animals.”

Tickets in advance are $45 per person or $80 a couple, $75 at the door. To charge by phone, call Lane Brody at 615-714-4002.
To pay by check, mail to:
Walden’s Puddle, P.O. Box 641 Joelton, TN 37080.
Please include your phone number, e-mail and address to receive a confirmation.

Click here to learn more about Walden’s Puddle
Click here to download the invitation
Click here to view the event flyer

Photo Credits: Brenda Walker Photography
Brenda, a former Walden’s Puddle volunteer, serves as a contact for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department helping transport injured animals to Walden’s Puddle. She used to train dogs in Search work for the deptartment for 15 years. In addition she donates her photography services to help Walden’s Puddle and has taken many animals there to be healed over the years.

Read the stray magnet baby opossum rescue story.

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One morning as he was headed off to work, the kids and I walked him to his car. Looking off into the yard I saw something unusually big on the ground. I asked him to check it out. As the kids and I walked through the gate to the backyard so we could play on the swing set he walked back by to get a shovel. Apparently, our dog Winston had found a opossum the night before and sadly killed it. (Doesn’t he know we are an animal loving family?)

As my husband was disposing of the opossum I noticed he was looking around and I wondered if there were babies. He walked by me and I said “do I want to know?” He said “no”. I assumed there were dead babies but they weren’t. He just assumed they wouldn’t make it because they were so small. He went off to work and I immediately went into rescue mode.

In his efforts to help, he had made it even more difficult to find the babies. He had only seen three but had scattered them outside our yard so the dog couldn’t get to them. In the end, we found seven babies, many of which had gotten buried and tangled beneath our dense ground cover. In fact, I used our dog to flush out the last couple since I couldn’t see or hear them but he could smell them.

I put them in a shoe box with a towel to help keep them warm and then I called Walden’s Puddle. It is a non-profit organization that treats “sick, injured, and legitimately orphaned Native Tennessee Wildlife.” We are so fortunate to have them in Middle Tennessee. Their admissions line is (615) 299-9938. You may have to leave a message but they were quick to respond back to me and I was able to drop off the baby opossums that morning.

They said the babies were actually pretty old and should make it. My 2 and half year old still looks under the deck and asks for the babies? I hid them under the deck in their shoebox for a few hours between when we found them and were able to deliver them to Walden’s Puddle. Don’t worry she never touched them but I did let her look at them in the box. I tell her they are in their new home now whenever she asks.

Over the last few months when my husband has told this story, most people have been shocked that I would or anyone would want to save an opossum and many would have responded the same way he did not thinking that they would have a chance to live without their mother. Opossums are God’s creatures too and deserve to live. Sadly, I see too many on the side of the road but any animal you can help is worth saving. Anyone can save a life!

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