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PHOTO: Amy Messier and one of her beloved raccoons. (Submitted photo)
By Jayne Winters
It is with much sadness and great appreciation that this month’s column is written in memory of Amy Messier, who died unexpectedly on Dec. 4. Amy was a volunteer at Duck Pond Wildlife Rehab Center for almost 20 years. Although she wasn’t able to work most of this past year because of a couple of surgeries, she was looking forward to resuming her critter care in the spring.
Amy was born in Rhode Island in June 1962, and is survived by two sisters, two brothers, and several nieces and nephews. She held clerical and administrative positions, including as a human resources director, but her passion was her deep love for animals. She volunteered as a wildlife rehabilitation technician at wildlife rehab centers across the country before moving to Vassalboro, where she met Don and Carleen Cote at Duck Pond. She devoted countless hours cleaning and disinfecting cages, as well as feeding and tending to the needs of hundreds of young, sick and injured wildlife.
I met Amy in late 2019, when I began writing Critter Chatter following the passing of Don’s wife, Carleen. If I remember correctly, Amy was preparing meals for resident opossums and porcupines, but it didn’t take long for me to learn that her favorite critters were the young raccoons. From several posts I’ve seen on Facebook, she was always willing to help other rehabbers learn “tricks of the trade,” and her passing is truly a loss not only to family and friends, but to the wildlife community.
I recently asked Don if he had any special stories about Amy. He said when she first started as a volunteer, she worked closely with Carleen, as they both had a fondness for raccoons. He remembered a five-year period when there was an explosion of injured, sick and orphaned raccoons, ranging from 135 to a high of 194 admissions annually. Amy and Carleen had their hands full, and their common interest led to a special friendship. After Carleen’s passing in 2018, Amy was in charge of the coon admissions and oversaw their care.
Amy was also a computer whiz kid. Don doesn’t have a computer, but Amy used her own to set up an email account for Duck Pond, as well as a Facebook page (neither are currently monitored or maintained, so please do not use until further notice). Don noted that Amy often used the internet to order supplies, query diseases and treatment information, and established multiple invaluable contacts with other rehabbers.
While looking through some of Carleen’s columns, I found one from 2008 in which she wrote: “A volunteer, Amy, and I check all the tarps to cover the pens for tears to see if they need to be repaired or replaced. In years past, we have attached the tarps with bungee cords. These became playthings for the coons to chew on, then with a strong wind, the tarps would blow off the pens. This year we changed our game plan. We would anchor the tarps with wire. We gathered up all the needed materials, opened the tarps and decided which way they go over the pens (most of the time, we get it wrong, putting the short side over the pen and having to start over again!). This whole process requires climbing up on ladders. One day, after having to climb across the top of the pen, then moving back to the ladder and attempting to step down, the ladder fell over. Hanging by my elbows, I screamed for Amy to come to my rescue! Of course, the curious raccoons wanted to join in the fun, and grabbed at the tarps and wire and played with my hair.” It’s easy to envision this scenario playing out, I’m sure with laughter punctuating the yells for help.
I didn’t know Amy well, but our love for animals was a common denominator. We texted right before Thanksgiving and she was upbeat, anxious to resume tending to her furry friends and offering the TLC she so generously provided. She will be greatly missed.
The continued assistance from other rehabbers is truly appreciated, as Don has had to cut back on admissions and long-term residents. To make critter care at Duck Pond more manageable, check Maine Vet Med or the state Department of Inland Fish and Wildllife for a rehab center closer to you.
— Donald Cote operates the Duck Pond Wildlife Care Center on Route 3 in Vassalboro. It is a nonprofit federal and state permitted rehab facility supported by his own resources and outside donations. Mailing address is 1787 North Belfast Ave., Vassalboro ME 04989; telephone is 207-445-4326; email is not being monitored at this time.
