Mental Health within our industry is a big problem, please don’t ignore it or cause it became worse.
Today is World Mental Health Day 2024.
It is well known that wildlife rescue, animal rescue and veterinary professions can suffer horrendous mental health issues at times.
The pressure and expectation placed on people in our industry is immense. An expectation to always be there, to always have enough resources, to always be able to save everything, to always get there quickly enough, to always answer the phone, to always be able to help everyone help every time without fail, to always be able to afford to take in the next casualty.
Those involved in the industry often consider their situations “normal” and see other people coping so assume they should be able to cope too – what they don’t see is the internal struggle which often goes on or subconsciously their bodies struggling as they push on.
So many people in this industry close down due to the pressure which they find themselves under. Others who are strong enough to enforce limits are often branded “hard” and “uncaring” as a result.
Finding a wildlife casualty is very stressful and we understand why callers emotions can be high and their comments can be hurtful at times. But over time this can drag even the hardest person down.
Please take a moment to appreciate your local wildlife rescuer. Send them a donation, drop them in a tin of biscuits or some cat food for the animals and help lift them up and put a smile on their face to show that you care about their mental health this World Mental Health Day.
An area which is also now starting to be recognised is the mental health of the casualties being admitted into care, how the handling, close contact with humans, noise, smell, fear and pain can all cause irreversible physical and mental health issues for our wildlife.
Thank you.
