A place for wildlife to live in harmony
Monroe farm is one permit shy of becoming an animal rehab clinic
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

JEFF GRANIT staff Renee Hobbs points to her pig pen as a rooster takes a walk along a rail fence on the small Federal Road farm slated to become the Harmony Wildlife Clinic.

Those who know Renee Hobbs might say her Monroe Township house looks like a zoo, and it would not be considered an insult.

She has ducks swimming in her pool, a pea hen knocking at her door and yelling for food, and a potbellied pig roaming the halls of the home she shares with her husband, Tim.

Other animals that inhabit their 12-acre property on Federal Road include eight cats, a flock of exotic chickens, a few peacocks, a livestock guardian dog, and several goats, one of which just gave birth. Aside from the resident creatures, Hobbs also opens the doors of her budding wildlife clinic to injured, orphaned, diseased and displaced animals.

The Hobbs residence will soon be officially known as the Harmony Wildlife Clinic once she is able to gain a state permit. At present, Hobbs is able to triage animals for a period of 24 hours until she transfers them to the Mercer County Wildlife Center in Lambertville, where she completed her apprenticeship and continues to volunteer.

JEFF GRANIT staff Monroe Township Animal Control Officer Frank Faraone delivers a raccoon to Renee Hobbs for triage and evaluation at her Monroe farm Tuesday morning.

"[The idea to open the clinic] kind of smacked me in the head," Hobbs said. "It was like a 'eureka' moment, and I've sort of been moving toward that ever since."

Hobbs had hoped to open the nonprofit clinic by last spring, but a lack of funds stalled the process. Building outdoor cages is the last requirement she must fulfill to obtain a permit from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). She now plans to open this spring.

Harmony will be the only wildlife clinic in Middlesex County.

The clinic itself is inside her home and is fully equipped with cages, food and medicines for the animals. The outdoor cages are required because, in order to keep an animal long term, outdoor facilities must be available to get the animals reaccustomed to their natural habitats before release.

JEFF GRANIT staff Hobbs removes the raccoon from its cage.

Hobbs sees a clear need for the clinic. As a result of the large amount of development that has taken place in the county, more and more animals are in need of care, she said. Many are brought to her after being hit by vehicles on the road.

"It's very difficult to say no," she said. "And that's one of the good things about wildlife. I'm legally obligated to release them."

Tim Hobbs is a good sport about the various creatures they share their home with, his wife said.

"He tolerates it," Renee said. "He's a wonderful man, and everyone who knows me and knows him says he's a saint."

Hobbs specializes in treating small mammals, like squirrels, raccoons, opossums and rabbits. Raccoons require special facilities, and she is required to have a rabies pre-exposure shot to work with them.

Animal control officers (ACOs) from around Middlesex County bring the animals to Hobbs, who is the only rehabilitator in the county. ACOs are not allowed to leave their jurisdiction with the animals, so Hobbs takes care of transferring them after they have been triaged.

Recently, an egret was found in Jamesburg Lake at Thompson Park. An ACO and a resident rescued the bird by untangling it from a fishing line it had become caught in, then brought it to Hobbs. The bird was emaciated, with bruising and scraping on its wings and legs, Hobbs said. After being treated at the center in Lambertville, it was brought back to Hobbs to be released at the lake where it was found.

"That was beautiful, to be able to release him and see him fly off," Hobbs said. "He just seemed so relieved and so happy to be back home. That's why we do this."

In some cases, there is not such a happy ending to the animals' stories. Several months ago, Hobbs took care of a red-tailed hawk that was hit by a car. After chasing it through the woods, she was able to capture it and care for its broken wing. A volunteer veterinarian in Mercer County determined that the wing was not badly broken, and that it would callous and reset itself. After several months, there was no improvement, and the hawk had to be euthanized.

"It's such a shame to do. It's heartbreaking," said Hobbs. "We know we have to do it, but it's difficult for us as well."

There are other occupational hazards involved in working with wildlife. Hobbs said the animals are often temperamental while she is caring for them.

"You get bitten and scratched and bruised. It's funny, because my friends tell me I look like a 7-year-old boy," she said.

Hobbs transitioned out of her full-time partnership with an advertising agency in Princeton in order to devote more time to the clinic. She continues to work as a graphic designer, but now from home.

"It was kind of a lifestyle change that I'd been wanting to make for a while," she said. "It was very scary at first, but I've been lucky."

In April, Hobbs sent out a call for donations to help open the clinic. She said she received a good response, between people offering financial support, and others who were willing to volunteer. To build the outdoor cages, she will need about $2,000 for lumber, welded wire screening and hardware, she said. She will also need volunteers to help build them.

While having the cages built will make the clinic fully operational, there is always a need for donations to help with the day-to-day costs of running it.

For more information on Harmony Wildlife Clinic or to help out, contact Hobbs at (732) 446-5648 or e-mail her at harmonywc@comcast.net.