Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 11

LEFT: Spud the eastern red bat; Nico
the eastern spotted skunk.
BELOW FROM LEFT: Ruby the bobcat;
Calliope the mink; Gamera the
common snapping turtle; Laurel the
gray fox.
Always, the goal is to get the animals back into the
wild, " where they belong, " Russo points out. Those
that can't make it on their own become ambassadors
in the For Fox Sake outreach program, visiting school
kids, scouting groups and other audiences.
For Fox Sake has come with its share of challenges,
including the dire need to quarantine each new critter
to rule out highly contagious diseases, like parvo
viruses, that could wipe out the population.
But the greatest test came on Easter night 2020,
when an EF3 tornado barreled through Russo's
neighborhood, ripping holes in her roof and destroying
everything inside.
" Right after the tornado, I stepped outside and the
whole [shelter] was just gone. The fences were gone.
The cages were gone. It was just a nightmare scenario. "
Because the seasonal influx was still a few weeks
away, most of the patients, including a river cooter
and six baby skunks, survived. Only one fox disappeared
in the chaos.
Every single time I even walked past
her pen, I would hear this growling and
snarling and then, later, screaming if I
didn't go away fast enough.
Thanks to an outpouring of donations, says Russo,
" We were able to build better and bigger than ever. "
For Fox Sake has since expanded its educational program
to include more animals, including the newest
addition, Mallow, an albino raccoon.
" I've got three special-needs kids and it takes a lot to
raise them and take care of the animals, but it brings
me so much joy and so much satisfaction that I can't
imagine my life without [For Fox Sake], " says Russo.
" The feeling I get when releasing an animal-there's
not even a way to describe it. It brings me a sense that
I'm doing something with my life and making a difference
for these creatures. "
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2024 11

Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024

Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 3
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 4
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 5
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 6
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 7
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 8
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 9
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 10
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 11
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 12
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 13
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 14
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 15
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 16
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 17
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 18
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 19
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 20
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 21
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 22
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Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 25
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 26
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 27
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 28
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 29
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 30
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 31
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 32
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 33
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 34
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 35
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 36
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 37
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 38
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Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 40
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 41
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 42
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 43
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Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 49
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 50
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 51
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Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 53
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 54
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 55
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 56
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 57
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Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 59
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 60
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 61
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 62
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 63
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 64
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 65
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - 66
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country Nov/Dec 2024 - Cover4
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