Wildlife Rehabilitation
Our organization is dedicated to stepping up our efforts in rescuing and rehabilitating injured, sick and orphaned wildlife. We currently have two Board members appointed as Wildlife Custodians with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. These individuals are considered volunteers, even though they must undergo training and agree to abide by state laws in order to be appointed; no government funding is provided for wildlife rehabilitation. The cost of caging, specialized food and veterinary services falls entirely on us. We invite you to learn more and lend your support.
Our Story
The day-to-day operation of Ratlum Mountain Animal Rescue is handled by Christine and Ahren Paulson, a husband-and-wife team. The Paulsons spent over a decade volunteering for other charities, rescuing, fostering and rehabilitating domestic animals (dogs and cats), in addition to serving on the Board of Directors. They did this in addition to their full-time "day jobs".
In 2017, Ahren and Christine decided to broaden the scope of their rescue activities by learning about wildlife rehabilitation. They volunteered under a wildlife rehabilitation mentor and soon received their Wildlife Custodian Appointments from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. After two years, the Paulsons began preparing to sell their home and find a property better suited for rehabilitating wildlife. They
succeeded and moved to a 5 acre, rural property in January 2020.
Despite having just moved and the COVID pandemic that soon ensued, Ahren and Christine began preparing to rehabilitate wildlife right away in their new surroundings. Additionally, they pursued establishing their own non-profit charity, Ratlum Mountain Animal Rescue Inc. The non-profit was incorporated in the state of Connecticut in April 2020 and subsequently granted tax-exempt status by the IRS not long afterward. Although the initial focus of the charity is currently wildlife rehabilitation, future plans will incorporate domestic animal rescue work into the mix.
Christine and Ahren continue to work full-time day jobs, while volunteering and running the charity in the remainder of their time. They invite everyone to join them on this journey.