New England Wildlife Center

Extremely disturbed to hear of the experience my new client (pet sitting) had with her ferrets at the clinic. Contrary to current veterinary best practice, the ferrets were vaccinated for both rabies and canine distemper during the same visit. Contrary to current veterinary best practice, it was not recommended to the client that they wait a while before leaving in case one of the ferrets had a bad vaccine reaction.
One of her ferrets went into life-​threatening anaphylactic shock in the car on their way back home to Boston. Luckily they hadn’t driven far and were able to get back to the clinic in time to administer emergency care, or this ferret could have died.
Clients should not have to be educated *Before* a vet visit on issues like this of which they may be unaware– It’s the Responsibility of the Veterinarian to be informed and up to date on current best practice and to have appropriate protocols in place. Because this vet did not, the client now does not know which vaccine nearly killed her pet and therefore must avoid both.

Poeple forget that there’s not a lot of wildlife facilities in Massachusetts. Yes there pet veterinarians but most want take snake, lizards and other wild animals.
They work with volunteers and will take any donations that they can get,(Including food).
They have all types of animals they come in. for the size of their community they take as many animals as they can.
We need to cherish these kinds of facilities and the more we can help, more we help the animals

I am not impressed with their services either.

The first time I visited the center it was to request respite care for a baby bird that had been brought to me by a neighbor who found it outside a Cumberland Farms store. It had fallen out of a nest in an overhang and could not be put back due to lack of access. It was featherless and had just hatched. I cared for it for ten days, but was scheduled to be away for three days and had no one to care for the bird. The center first refused to take it under any condition, but changed their stance after I begged, with the condition it would be permanent and they would not give the bird back. I was grateful they would would care for the bird that was healthy and would be reaching fledgling stage. Now I question if it ever did. At that time they required a minimum $ 25 donation.
This past week, I was driving on a numbered highway at approximately 10 p.m. when the car in front of me came to a stop. It did not move and I approached to see if the driver was ok. I then saw a young raccoon in the middle of the road. It appeared disoriented from the lights or perhaps had fallen out of a tree limb above. There were homes and businesses on both sides of the road and no location to relocate it safely on this busy stretch. Due to the amount of traffic, I scooped it up into a box and brought it home. The next morning I returned to the location but still could not find anyplace safe to leave it. Clearly it was still in need of parental care and appeared to be 5 to 6 weeks of age, or a few weeks shy of being able to fend for itself. I called NEWC which was closed, and drove thirty minutes to the center which was to open for drop offs at 10. When I entered with a cat carrier, I was immediately told by the receptionist that they did not take large animals because they did not have appropriate cages. I told her it was a baby raccoon and she then asked where it was found. When I told her Stoughton, she stated they only accepted animals from Plymouth and Norfolk counties! I told her Stoughton was in Norfolk county and then she said they had no room and I would need to find another rehab facility. At this point I was pretty frustrated and emotional. I asked her repeatedly for other rehabbers with no response. I was approached by a women who said she was the fundraiser and tried to console me by whispering even though I told her I was hearing impaired and could not hear her. Finally, the doctor whom I met the the first visit came out and said they would take the raccoon but it would be euthanized. His tone was severe and he was clearly angry and seemingly wished to make me feel bad. He succeeded. He never even looked into the cat carrier to determine the age or condition of the raccoon. In fact, no one even laid eyes on the animal. It was simply stated they did not take raccoons. When I balked that they display them on their webpage and Facebook page, one of the other workers tried to clarify this position by stating they were full. I was standing next to «The Baby Ward» that is showcased to the public with glass windows and could see it had only one creature in it. I stomped back to my car in an effort to locate another rehabilitation center on my cell phone, but could not find one within means. I then returned to the receptionist and asked again for an alternative rehab facility. She needed to look it up, but indicated there was one in Plymouth, a non option for me as it was another 1.5 hours round trip in the wrong direction. With no other options, I left the poor baby raccoon with this place to be euthanized. They actually asked me if I wanted the cat carrier back and made me wait another ten minutes to secure it. During this time the fundraiser once again tried to hush my displeasure and suggested we sit down and discuss the issue in private even though she was well aware I was late for work due to this process and bizarre hours for drop off of 10 to 2. I would love to talk to her further as I strongly suspect they are misrepresenting their functions and operations. I have been a follower of their Facebook page and I find it hard to believe that all the similar and exact creatures photographed and displayed as being rescued by them had the same start as my two creatures had, but I wonder if they had the same end? I question their ethics, compassion and professionalism, when they make a determination about the life of an animal they’ve never laid eyes on. For these reasons, I will no longer be making donations to this facility, nor will I be visiting them in the future. Not because they can not take every creature that comes through their door, but because they had no intention of even considering the care of this creature in the first place; a needy animal that very likely could have been released into the wild in a matter of one to two weeks. Not to mention the atrocious way I was treated as well.

I can not say enough wonderful things about Dr. Mertz he was my vet for about 20 years and would still be my vet If we did not move. He helped me care for 2 pet rabbits that I had had over the years. My last pet rabbit passed away very tragically and the entire staff of the NE Wildlife center call me to say they were sorry.
I LOVE Dr. Mertz and his boys as well !! Who now are following in his footsteps!!!
I can NOT say enough WONDERFUL things about him and the staff at the Wildlife Center!!!

NEWC is the top place for your exotic pets or injured wildlife. I can personally attest to the greatness of the Center. I bring all my exotic pets to Dr. Mertz and I’ve had a lot of exotic pets. To date, he’s treated my budgies, snake, hedgehogs, doves, and Quaker parrot, and that’s just in the past few years. I wish I found him earlier.
Basically you got, he can fix it! He regularly treats a cute little pig! He’s very honest and casual– nothing like some of the vets I’ve known.
As for the wildlife hospital portion: the wildlife get daily intensive care and hand-​prepared diets. The waterfowl get daily swimming time (if they’re able) and once an animal is healthy enough, it’s usually put outside in an enclosure for a few days to get used to being outside again, especially if it’s cold. They have an amazing flight cage for the raptors out back.
THERE’S NO CHARGE FOR BRINGING INJURED WILDLIFE. I know there’s been some instances of people dropping an animal off in a box by the back door because they think they’ll be an admissions fee. No fee, just a simple paper to fill out saying where you found it, etc.
During the «baby» season, interns are working around the clock to feed the baby mammals and birds. They start at one end of the room and work their way around. By the time they get to the end, they have to start all over again!
The Center also offers boarding. I’ve taken advantage of this for my vacations. I feel much more at ease leaving my pets with knowledgeable experts who know what to do in an emergency than a friend. I boarded two budgies and my snake for a little over a week and it was $ 60. Very reasonable!
This is a great place to take a weekend trip with the kids if they’re antsy and you don’t want to pay for the movies, etc. You can tour the facilities for a small donation, or pay a little bit more for a guided tour by a volunteer or intern. I think it’s $ 5 per person (or $ 10 per family) for a self-​guided tour, $ 15 per family for a guided tour. I strongly recommend the guided tour. Usually your guide will bring out some animals from the reptile room (where all the educational animals are) and you get much more info than just walking around.

Dr. Mertz was so wonderful and knowledgeable! After just a glance at our ferrets and their movements, he was able to accurately pinpoint their personalities, and when one of them was sick, he was able to quickly look at him and reassure me that it wasn’t anything serious. He’s super casual and willing to explain anything to you, if you ask about it. The fact that they are open past normal business hours and on weekends is also super-​helpful for people who have to work all day.

I highly recommend the Dr. Mertz, the Odd Pet Vet, and the staff of the NEWC. We took our guinea pig there for a check up when we first got him and noticed some health issues and was very satisfied with the care and time the Dr. took to explain things to me. Dr. Mertz is very knowledgeable about exotic pets, and seems to be someone who just really loves animals. Everyone who works there gives off the impression that they are dedicated to the welfare of the animals they take in and treat. I felt very comfortable using their boarding services too (only $ 10/​day) And you can’t beat the prices! I really appreciate that they keep vet care and boarding very affordable.
ETA: Dr. Adamski operated on our guinea pig to remove a huge tumor growing on his face. He did an amazing job with the surgery and the follow up care. While other vets wanted to charge us $ 1K+, NEWC only charged $ 250. We have taken the tour with our kids a few times and was shown so much attention. The volunteers took their time to educate us about all the animals there. The tour itself makes a great field trip for kids. My kids loved the exploring the top floor that has loads of things to explore. A simply amazing place and group of people.

Best care I could possibly have gotten for my pet rat Nebi. Dr. Mertz genuinely cares about the pets, the wildlife, and the humans. Everyone at the NEWC/​Odd Pet Vet are great, his youth crew of volunteers/​interns are some of the most caring and professional young people I’ve ever encountered. I am so grateful for the Center, Dr. Mertz, and his team!

I’m so grateful for the New England Wildlife Center. Dr Mertz is an awesome vet. He took really great care of our hamster Sammy. All the volunteers who work here are truly great people. I love coming here and seeing the animals and all the familiar faces I have come to know over the last 3 years. If you need a vet for an exotic pet, I highly recommend Dr Mertz.

I have been going to Dr. Mertz for care of my exotic animals for over 10 years (long before there was a NEWC) and I cannot say enough about how amazing he is not only as a vet, but as a human being. He has consistently gone above and beyond caring for all of my animals (gerbils, rats, ferrets, cockatiels). His wealth of knowledge is unrivaled and I would never trust my fuzzies and feathered loves to anyone but Dr. Mertz. Know that all of what you pay to have your animal seen goes straight to the NEWC, which is a fantastic place. I cannot urge you enough, if you are looking for a vet for your exotic animal, with Dr. Mertz your pet is in great hands.

Dr. Mertz is amazing. He knows his reptiles, which is a welcome relief in a area where there seems to be nothing but dog and cat vets.
He will see any animal-​so long as it is not a dog or cat. He is very casual and knowledgeable, and is quick to determine what might be wrong with your pet. I brought in my hatchling bearded dragon after she had been vomiting and lost weight. He weighed her, looked her over, and diagnosed her within 2 minutes. Doing a fecal confirmed — MBD and pinworms. He de-​wormed her and prescribed a calcium supplement, and we were out within 15 minutes. Within a month our little girl doubled in wight and length!
The only downside is the commute and the hours. They really aren’t your 9 – 5 place and most times you must leave a message for Dr. Mertz before you can make an appointment. But the quality of care you receive when you get in is well worth the wait and the drive!

Angels run this place for sure. So here it is Sunday early evening and my husband comes home with an orphaned baby squirrel that he found lying inert but alive in a parking lot. Fortunately we had had great experiences with the NE Wildlife Center twice in the past having brought them both an injured bird and injured rabbit for care, However on this Sunday night they were closed. We made do with a few tips from their web-​site about how to care for this baby until they opened the next day. You would have thought we gave birth to this squirrel ourselves, getting up hourly to feed it with a dropper .(oh yes we did)…but Fred, as my husband took to calling him, not only survived the night but in fact seemed down-​right frisky in a few hours. A phone call to the Wildlife Center the next morning got us a «drop-​off time-​slot» and Fred was released to caring and loving hands by noon. How can you not love a place that will accept any injured wild animal you might find and then care for it with the incredible vets and techs?
The Center does other great things like host educational programs both on-​site and at schools and they give tours of the interesting facility. They do this all with donor support and so we have gratefully renewed our family membership. I can’t say enough good things about this place.

We came across the Wildlife Center because we were looking for vets specialized in exotic pets. Dr. Greg Mertz, aka The Odd Pet Vet, came up as one of the results. We always bring our guinea pigs to him when they are sick and he is an excellant source of knowledge and truly cares about animals. He sees pets to raise money for the Wildlife Center.
This gave us the idea to check it out. They do a great job in educating about wildlife and visiting their center is a joy. All the volunteers there are happy to answer any questions you might have. They even offer birthday parties for kids there. It is a great way to spend an afternoon with your kids. It only costs a small amount to get in and it’s very hands-​on.

This is a GREAT place to take the parents or the kids! We went early August when they had the Awesome OPossum Pallooza, which was a lot of fun!
Laurie, (?sp) who works here, ran a scavenger hunt, full of fun opossum facts, with the team of the Wildlife Center and visitors. Laurie gave loads of fun facts about opossums. The fact that impacted me the most is that Opossum babies, of the only marsupial species found in North America, can live for a time off of the mother even AFTER the mother is killed, say by a car.
The New England Wildlife Center recommends NOT touching dead Opossum but if you find a fresh dead by the road side, and somehow notice live babies moving inside the pouch, never touch a dead animal. However, you can wrap up the whole Opossum, without touching it, in a blanket and take it to the New England Wildlife Center to properly extract the babies from the pouch (can require minor surgery). This way the center can help save the babies.
The Center has a Quiet Care room for babies, including Opossum and they had a bunch there when we visited.
The Center was raising a variety of orphaned birds as well.
The Center also has this COOL resident turtle that walks around the center (with a guide) and may approach you if he’s inside when you visit. When we visited the turtle was outside grazing, with his/​her guide.
This really is a great place for kids and adults (not just parents). I got to stare down a 9 ft python and pet a rather large Bearded Dragon. Be sure to wash your hands with the disinfectant found on the walls near the reptile area. Reptiles often have salmonella and failure to clean hands after touching them could be messy and dangerous for you.
Check the place out or just send them a donation. They do a lot of great things here and its a lot of fun to visit.