Georgia Wildlife Network
Volunteer Transporters
Thank you for signing up to volunteer with Georgia Wildlife Network. After you complete the form below, You should receive an e-mail within 5 days with a link to join our Slack app "workspace". Please check your SPAM folder.
What to Expect: You may be sent requests weekly or once a month depending on the need in your area. Wildlife emergencies are not predictable. We take calls across the state of Georgia throughout the year with peak times during the months of April-July. During these months, we can respond to 50-60 cases a day on the hotline. Most of these calls are educational or sharing rehabber information with the finder. Most calls do not result in a transport request from our volunteers, as we strongly encourage callers to transport the animals when possible so the animal can get help immediately. Most of the transport requests we send out to volunteers are at least an hour long, while some involve the coordination of multiple volunteers to complete a transport that takes several hours. We won't request transport of an animal until we have received permission the rehabilitator that they are able to intake the animal. Volunteers do not keep the animals overnight, except for in rare circumstances where transport cannot be completed on the same day. Volunteers will also not typically handle, feed, or offer fluids during transports, except for special cases where instructed to do so. We will post transport requests on the Slack app ONLY. Please stay signed into the app if you want to receive requests. You can easily turn off notifications as needed or leave a group thread/request.
Once you sign up on Slack, you will be added to groups called "private channels" representing wildlife rehabilitators, centers, & veterinary clinics within a 60 to 90 mile radius from your home address. We also have a "Georgia" channel where we will post requests that we have not had success covering on local channels. You will be automatically added to the public "general" channel where we will also make announcements regarding updates, temporary closures, educational opportunities, and more. GWN will close the hotline during winter which is typically a slower season so the hotline volunteers can enjoy the holidays with their families. If you are interested in volunteering for the hotline and can commit at least 3 hours a week to responding to texts about wildlife, please email us.
When you set up your profile, please use the following for your "Display Name."
Your first name followed by your last name - VT (City)
Example: Sally Smith - VT (Alpharetta)
This distinguishes you as a volunteer transporter.
If you do not use your first and last name and use your e-mail instead, this will delay us in adding you to the appropriate channels. If you use something other than your complete name and e-mail that you used to fill out this form, then you won't be added to any channels as we won't know who you are.
Once a request is made, you can respond to the original request comment/thread. The first to respond that is the closest and available reasonably soon is usually chosen to carry out the transport. We will update the transport request once it is filled or if it is canceled. These updates will be made in the initial request at the top and will be titled "UPDATE" once transport has been picked up. Please check for this in the original post and/or comments to be sure it hasn't already been accepted. Some requests are filled within a few minutes or less. Occasionally, we will ask you to text the hotline volunteer if you are able to help, as volunteers may be working and will not see Slack notifications.
Once you accept a transport, we ask that you reach out to the "finder" and provide an ETA of arrival to pickup the animal. Then once you pickup the animal, please contact the rehabber with an ETA of when the animal will be dropped off. Once transport is complete, comment on the original post thread that transport is complete.
Typically, the transports involve picking up an already contained injured or orphaned mammals, songbirds, reptiles, waterfowl, amphibians, raptors, or fawns and transporting them to the nearest licensed rehabilitator or a veterinary clinic that triages wildlife. Sometimes a transport may require capturing a raptor, waterfowl, turtle, or fawn. We have 2 separate teams for "Raptor Rescue" and "GWN Rescue Team" for those that enjoy a little more adventure and don't mind getting on a kayak or trying to trap an otter. We do not expect anyone to do anything that they are not comfortable with and risk injuries. Your safety is always the first priority! Your level of involvement is up to you! We always try to re-nest or reunite young wildlife, if possible. We also encourage the finder to transport, if they are able. This is always the fastest route, and we want to create a sense of shared responsibility of caring for Georgia's wildlife. We also abide by state and federal regulations that relate to wildlife rehabilitation and transportation of wildlife. Many animals we transport are federally protected. It is also illegal to possess or rehab wildlife in the state of Georgia without the proper wildlife rehab license. We do not transport to individuals who are not licensed.
There is no formal training, however we will provide instructions per case. Most of what you learn will be hands-on. During transport, we suggest not placing the box or container in direct sunlight or directly near an AC/heat vent in your car, no loud music or sounds, and no smoking please. Heating or warming instructions will be provided as needed per individual case. All animals must be transported in a ventilated box or plastic/soft sided crate depending on the situation. Never hold animals in your lap or let them loose in your vehicle for transport. Volunteers are not allowed to open the container or handle the rescued animal for their safety and for yours except in rare cases. No pictures of the animal during the transport unless instructed to by GWN or the wildlife rehabber or veterinary clinic personnel making the transport request. We request that you do not bring your domestic companions (dogs, cats, etc.) along during the transport. Often, injured and orphaned animals are already under a great deal of stress and some can die due to heart attacks. We want to minimize the stress of the animal as much as possible.
If you are interested in capturing: We can recommend gloves and other equipment that may be helpful. The best thing to use is a cardboard box or Rubbermaid container with proper holes for ventilation and a secure lid. We want to provide just enough room for the animal to lie down or to be in a nesting or sitting position. The less room they have to move, the safer it is for them. We do not prefer kennels or dog and cat crates for birds that have their flight feathers as they can damage them through the openings. Gloves can be purchased on Amazon and are inexpensive. We can make suggestions based on if you plan to use the gloves for raptors or primarily for other species.
We work with a network of state and federally permitted rehabbers. Our partner rehabbers are listed on our website, www.GeorgiaWildlifeNetwork.com,. On our website, you can also find "Species Specific Info" with information on how to capture, when to intervene, how to donate, and educational information about a variety of wildlife animals. We also suggest using the website Animal Help Now to find the nearest rehabber or vet clinic if we do not have a resource in a particular area. Sharing this resource with others will help many animals by speeding up the rescue process. Not all rehabbers choose to be listed on Animal Help Now or DNR or with GWN so unfortunately there is not one inclusive list to direct the public. GWN utilizes a map of licensed rehabbers across the state as well as a list of what they rehab. This is what we use to direct callers to people who can help.
If you need assistance with a wildlife emergency, please text our GWN hotline at 404-954-0093. Our hotline is run by a volunteer team who take shifts throughout the day between the hours of 9am-8pm Mon-Sat and 9am-6pm on Sunday. Our hours are subject to change without notice, based on volunteer availability.
Georgia Wildlife Network is a 100% volunteer owned and operated 501(c)(3). We do not receive pay or government funding of any kind. Donations received by GWN are used to pay for the website and hotline costs,, purchase equipment for transport, and to pay it forward to the rehabbers to buy food, housing, and medicine for the animals when able.
Please do not hesitate to ask any questions via GeorgiaWildlifeNetwork@gmail.com or text us at 404-954-0093. If you are ready to sign up, you can complete our form here. If you do not receive a confirmation, please e-mail us.
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Thank you for taking a walk on the wild side with us!
Sincerely,
Heather Thomas
Executive Director, GWN
GeorgiaWildlifeNetwork@gmail.com
404-954-0093
