While larger rescues can sometimes snag the spotlight, we know there are many excellent, small rescue/rehabbers who spend every free moment and penny helping local wildlife. That’s the case with the Gulfport, Florida-based Squirrelly AF (yes, the “AF” means what you think it means!). Licensed rescue/rehab dynamo Jill Horstmann is the founder and driving force behind the nonprofit, which began as a specialized squirrel rescue, but now cares for all manner of small wildlife, from opossums and raccoons to reptiles, chickens and waterfowl.
Squirrelly AF founder Jill Horstmann with rescue squirrel Juice.
Jill shares a lot of her rescue stories on social media, and we particularly enjoyed watching Pickles, a crested pekin, adapt to a new friendly flock in Jill’s resident Muscovies. “Funny how she likes the Muscovies and not her own kind, the Pekins,” says Jill. “She has found her tribe!”
We learned about Squirrelly AF from a profile in a local newspaper, which also introduced us to the rescue’s blind ambassador opossum, Porter, and taught us a lot about squirrels!
Learn more about this mighty little rescue or donate at SquirrellyAF.org. You can also make a big difference by becoming a regular patron here.
Know about a small rescue that could use a spotlight? Email us here!
