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Monday, Jan. 20
The Indiana Daily Student

opinion

OPINION: My experience volunteering for the animal rescue nonprofit Pipsqueakery

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Editor's note: All opinions, columns and letters reflect the view of the individual writer and necessarily those of the IDS or its staffers.

It’s easy to forget I live in a city when I drive 20 minutes south of Bloomington to volunteer at a place you wouldn’t think you could. Through winding roads, rows of farmhouses and ranch style homes, sits one house — overgrown with weeds and greenery, different from all the others because there’s two capybaras in the backyard.  

This farmhouse is the Pipsqueakery, home to patagonian maras, prairie dogs, peacocks, goats, sheep, flying squirrels and many other animals. The first animals I cared for at the refuge were two capybaras, Milo and Vinny. They had come from a petting zoo where they were housed improperly. Capys are sensitive to the cold since they’re from South America, so Milo and Vinny lost a couple toes from winter weather at the petting zoo.  

I remember how intimidated I was and how dusty they were, like if I picked one of them up and smacked them on their side it would look just like beating a rug. But I was also excited because I’d heard of the creatures’ sweet and gentle nature. Being around wild or exotic animals is a lot different than being around a dog or cat. It can quickly become a learning experience. 

My first volunteer shift, I was tasked with feeding Milo and Vinny. I went to the kitchen, which was covered in all kinds of dishes and silverware from unfinished tasks. I opened the fridge, grabbed a carton of sweet red strawberries and measured out half a cup. I decided to use a pumpkin as their second fruit because it was around Halloween, and I wanted to be festive. I cut both fruits into small pieces and continued down the recipe list for the ‘capybabies’ until I saw ‘greens.’ 

Initially, I was unsure of what this meant, but another volunteer who had been there longer told me that I could just pick dandelion root, clover and other types of greens from the front yard to use in their meals. After I was done collecting greens, I went inside and chopped up some carrots and added pellets to their food. Then I walked it out to the backyard where the chickens, goats, sheep, peacocks and beavers are. Milo and Vinny were so excited to get their food, it was the first time I’d seen them walk around all day.  

After lunch was over for them and I was changing their hay in their enclosure, I remember thinking to myself, this is the only opportunity I will have to get to do something like this.  

The Pipsqueakery is a 501c3 or a non-profit shelter. The funding for the animals is mostly donation based, meaning they get a lot of their support from mail donors and donations on social media. Animals sometimes come to the Pipsqueakery in critical condition, and every single one of them has an individual story the care team and volunteers have taken the time to learn. Alex Hernley, the owner, and her husband, along with staff, have saved over 12,000 animals in the last 11 years. Hernley even has her own coterie of groundhogs that live in her home with her. Animals that otherwise wouldn’t have had a chance to become adoptable or live in the wild on their own. The Pipsqueakery is the only facility like it in Indiana, and there are only a few across the country.

Most adoptable animals at the Pipsqueakery are mice, rabbits; or guinea pigs. A lot of the other wildlife who have been there for longer than a year, like the beavers, peacocks; and capys, will spend the rest of their lives at the Pipsqueakery because they are unable to return safely in the wild because of neurological or physical issues that would prevent them from hunting or protecting themselves.  

Volunteering at the Pipsqueakary has taught me so much about how different wildlife behaves. Volunteering was a no-brainer for me because I love animals so much. I have two cats and they’re my entire world. The Pipsqueakery is always looking for more volunteers too. They offer an opportunity to connect with animals you might never have met. For me, taking care of something smaller than a human has taught me that every living thing is important, no matter the species.  

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