Critter Chatter returns: The history of the beginnings of the Wildlife Care Center

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by Jayne Winters

In light of Donald Cote’s recent recognition by the Natural Resources Council of Maine for his decades of wildlife rehab work, the Critter Chatter column is being brought back to readers! As the new writer for this venture, I thought a good place to start would be to talk to Don about how he and his late wife Carleen met and started the Wildlife Care Center.

Don met Carleen Sirois at the Dairy Joy, in Augusta, when they were teenagers. After seven years of dating, they married in 1960, and after first living in a trailer in Vassalboro, purchased land on Rte. 3 and built the home where Don lives today. He worked for Coca Cola and later, North Center Food Service; Carleen was employed by the Maine Department of Health & Human Services, in mental health and retardation. She retired in 1990 after almost 32 years of state service and Don followed in 1997. They did not have children, but I think they would admit to having fostered hundreds of fur and feather babies! Sadly, Carleen passed away on her 79th birthday, April 27, 2018.

So, how did they get involved with wildlife rehab? Interestingly, it began when Don read an article in a Sunday paper about a Cape Elizabeth couple who raised exotic waterfowl to sell. He contacted the breeders and over the next three years, obtained his federal and state permits, enlarged the pond on his property, built a shelter, erected fencing, and purchased birds from Cape Elizabeth and a breeder in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In addition to permits, Don had to submit annual reports to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife (MDIF&W), listing the number and breed of birds he raised and sold, as well as those that died. Although Carleen was never really interested in birds, they were Don’s passion and she helped him with the business.

Returning home one evening, the Cotes found a sick fawn in their driveway, left by a warden. Unfortunately, the fawn did not survive, but Carleen’s heart was touched. Don was about to retire and he was making plans to replace some of his older breeding birds with new ones. They couldn’t afford to continue with the waterfowl business and start wildlife rehab, so the decision was made to let the birds die off naturally and focus on critters. New permits were obtained, cages built, food, general medical supplies and equipment purchased.

The desire to help sick or injured wildlife is certainly commendable, but I asked Don how they learned the ins and outs of rehab. Obviously, they had gained considerable hands-on experience while raising the waterfowl, but he noted a lot of credit goes to the generosity and expertise of veterinarians with whom they’ve worked. Initially, Drs. Davis and Hersom at Pine Tree Clinic, in Augusta, provided medical care, but currently Drs. Darryl and Erika Praul and staff at the much closer Windsor Veterinary Clinic, “answer the call” for surgeries, internal injuries, etc. In addition to observing procedures, treatment applications, suturing, medication and injection administration, etc., Don stated the clinics often donate medical books for their reference and use at home. In addition, close contact with a variety of folks at DIF&W, wardens as well as biologists, is maintained.

Part II will look at a typical day at the Center, including travel, volunteers, expenses, and what it means to be a nonprofit.

Donald Cote operates the Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on Rte. 3, in Vassalboro. It is a nonprofit federal and state permitted rehab facility which is supported by his own resources and outside donations. Mailing address: 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989 TEL: (207) 445-4326 EMAIL: wildlifecarecenter@gmail.com.

CRITTER CHATTER: Duck Pond animal rehab center still going

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by Amy Messier

Greetings fellow wildlife enthusiasts! My name is Amy. Many of you know me as the volunteer with the apron who showed up at the Wildlife Care Center, in Vassalboro, about 14 years ago and never left. This has been a very sad year for us at the Center since we lost our beloved Carleen Cote. She passed away with heart illness back on April 27 (ironically, her birthday), not long after she had decided to stop writing the monthly “Critter Chatter” articles that were enjoyed by so many.

The late Carleen Cote holds the “Spirit of America Award” presented to the Wildlife Care Center in 2015. (Contributed photo)

Her husband, Donald, and I have discovered that many people are under the impression that we are no longer in business. This could not be farther from the truth. We are still here doing what we’ve always done, which is taking in injured and orphaned wildlife mammals, young and old, healing them when possible and releasing them back to the wild. Our passion for what we do is just as strong and dynamic as it has ever been. So for those and various other reasons, I have decided to take up the pen and bring you information, anecdotes, pictures and stories from the Center.

Please also note the email address at the bottom of this article. Feel free to write with comments and questions. If there is a particular Maine wild animal that you would like more information on, you can request it and I will do my darned best to write about it. I would like the articles to be yours and ours. After all, we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all of you. Donald, Debbie, Jeff, all of our wonderful volunteers and I thank you so very much for your past and continuing support.

I hope you will look for next month’s article. I have decided to start, where else, at the beginning – what to do when you find an animal…from the animal’s viewpoint! See you then.

Donald Cote operates the Wildlife Care Center, along with volunteer Amy Messier and other volunteers. The Center, located on Rte. 3, in Vassalboro, is a nonprofit facility, supported entirely by the Cotes’ own resources and outside donations. Call them at 445-4326, email thewildlifecenter@gmail.com or write to 1787 N. Belfast Ave., Vassalboro, ME 04989.