Hero earns documentary feature after years of unsanctioned rescue work: 'We need it'
As the Journal Pioneer explained, Gallant's love for nature and animals led to the launch of P.E.I. Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc., a rehabilitation operation she runs out of her home. While she received a license to do the work legally in 2021, that didn't stop her from helping animals in need even before becoming official. Despite the risk, she's always had a heart for taking care of injured or abandoned animals.
"I've never been able to turn down anything that's little and wants to live," she told CBC Radio Canada.
Her love for animals goes back to childhood, and she's had plenty of experience nurturing them back to health.
"I grew up with wild animals being part of the family," she added. "We were those people that you brought any sick or orphaned anything to and I just carried on the family tradition, I guess."
Now, she's one of the few people in the province with a wildlife rehabilitation permit. The work keeps her busy, as she gets about 800 animals needing rehabilitation and release every year. When you walk into her home, you'll see dozens of cages filled with baby squirrels, birds, raccoons, skunks, weasels, guinea pigs, and other animals on the island needing help.
"Usually, there's cages completely surrounding me," Gallant told the Pioneer. "I call it command central, and (I) sit … with baby birds, baby squirrels, baby whatever. Baby weasels, mink, whatever needs constant feeding."
That's part of why she initially hesitated about being in the documentary, as she doesn't have a designated facility for the animals yet. She eventually agreed, however, realizing the documentary would be a great opportunity to raise awareness of P.E.I. wildlife and rescue.
"Any publicity about wildlife and how you shouldn't be feeding them certain foods – or you shouldn't be feeding them at all, because you're making them too dependent on humans. It's all good information," she said.
With the changing climate making it harder for animals to survive because of more frequent extreme weather events, animal rescue operations — such as Pasadena Humane in California — have seen a big increase in wildlife that needs rehabilitation.
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Rodgers hopes the documentary, called Wild Hearts, will encourage people to reconnect with nature and care for the animals that call it home. Filming will begin this month, and the four-part documentary will air on Bell TV sometime in late 2026.
"I hope they get a feel-good feeling. And the ones that didn't know they have a wildlife rescue choice, they'll find out about it," Gallant said. "Any publicity about wildlife rehabilitation in the Maritimes is good. We need it."
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Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Yahoo
Giving your kids a '90s-style summer is all the rage. Is it even possible to pull off now?
Are screen-free, unstructured summers too good to be true? In a now-viral Instagram post from last year, Nebraska mom Markay Cunningham narrates a typical summer day for kids in the '90s: Food was a box of ice pops plopped on the ground, water came from the hose around the corner, and the rule was to stay outside unless you're hurt or it's storming. In the clip, Belinda Carlisle's 'Heaven Is a Place on Earth' plays in the background. It's a snapshot of the quintessential summer vacation of yore: unstructured time, low supervision and not a screen in sight. No wonder everyone's reminiscing about '90s summers and trying to re-create the magic for their own kids. The question is, Is it really what today's parents want? 'It's kind of making me feel like shit,' Big Little Feelings co-founder (and Yahoo parenting ambassador) Kristin Gallant recently said on Instagram. 'I think it's a great concept if it works for your family. The problem is, for a lot of us it just doesn't.' 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Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Your kid's temper tantrum doesn't mean you're failing as a parent: How I stay calm and connected in the chaos.
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Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
What It Costs to Get the Life You Want
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Sign up for The Wonder Reader, a Saturday newsletter in which our editors recommend stories to spark your curiosity and fill you with delight. Explore all of our newsletters. Article originally published at The Atlantic
