Local San Antonio nonprofit helps to rehabilitate animals

SAN ANTONIO - Petri's Place is a wildlife rehab center and sanctuary on the southeast side of San Antonio.

"We take in the wildlife that you would find in your own backyard, and we get them, they're typically orphaned. So we get them grown up and big enough to survive on their own, and release back to the wild," says Tina Davis, Executive Director of Petri's Place. From raccoons to skunks to opossums, most animals in the sanctuary are animals the public found.

"I'd say at least 90% of the animals here are found by the public in their own yards," says Davis. A mission of Petri's Place is to educate the public about the benefits of animals that most don't know a whole lot about. Opossums get a rough reputation due to their appearance but are actually very beneficial to have around.

"They catch and eat cockroaches and other bugs. Mice and rats, and they're impervious to snake venom. So we want them to be in our backyards snacking on one of those venomous snakes," says Davis.

Although they look threatening, they're harmless.

"When they get too scared, they have a seizure and pass out and play dead. So they're really just a quirky little friend to have in the backyard," says Davis. After an animal is rehabilitated, they are released into the wild.

"We do take the animals to either property owners that have requested specific species because they are looking for pest control there. We sometimes release in the park systems," says Davis.

If you find an animal that needs rehabilitation, "rehabbers are listed on the Texas Parks and Wildlife rehabilitation list by county," says Davis.

If you have an animal that needs help in San Antonio or would like to volunteer visit