Local
Phil Jenni on running the nation’s busiest wildlife rehab — based in Minnesota

They’re the busiest wildlife rehab center in the U.S. — located smack in the middle of the Twin Cities — and on pace to treat over 22,000 animals this year.
Phil Jenni with the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota joins to explain how they do it, some of the big plans they have for the future and share a couple of the weirder rescues he’s experienced — including an amazing story about beavers in Minnehaha Falls.
La Crosse Talk airs weekdays at 6-8 a.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk wherever you get your podcasts.
On the first Monday of June this year, 200 people lined the door of the rehab with animals of varying sorts. That first week last month, they saw 1,400 animals.
Jenni talks about how they manage that workload — which includes having multiple veterinarians on staff — and gives advice about what you should do if you come across what looks like an animal in distress.
The Wildlife Rehab is an independent nonprofit that is totally donation run. Jenni discusses of how they’re trying to build a new, 22-acre facility out of town that will be a self sustainable rehab sanctuary and waterfowl nursery.
He also talks about how people can get involved and finishes off the conversation with two great stories about wildlife rescues.
