Little Mittens Animal Rescue Association

09/02/2026

🍸🐾 SAVE THE DATE! 🐾🍸

🐾🍸 Cocktails for Critters returns November 28, 2026! 🍸🐾

We’re excited to share an early look at this year’s event—and we have some exciting new additions in the works!

🎟️ Please note: Tickets are not on sale just yet. We’ll make another announcement as soon as ticket sales officially open, so stay tuned!

We can’t wait to celebrate with you! 🐾🍸🎉

08/30/2026

OWNER FOUND
Anyone recognize this pup? It’s been hanging around Turning Point for a few hours.

08/27/2026

Anyone going to Invermere either later today or early tomorrow morning that could drop a couple animals off at the vet for us?

08/25/2026

Looking to get one, possibly two herons from revelstoke to us in Golden. Please message if you can help!

08/23/2026

Wow… That Was Quite the Storm Last Night! 🐾

If your dog was trembling, pacing, hiding, panting, or desperately looking for somewhere safe during last night’s thunderstorm, they’re not being dramatic or “misbehaving.” Thunder can be a genuinely terrifying experience for some dogs.

What may look like “just a little nervousness” can actually be a significant fear response and forcing a dog to simply get used to it can make things worse.

At Little Mittens, we’re fortunate to partner with a Fear Free Certified Professional Behaviour Expert who helps us better understand fear, anxiety, and behaviour in the animals we work with. We’re excited to share some of their guidance for helping dogs through thunderstorm season.

Create a safe space
Give your dog access to a quiet, comfortable place where they can retreat during a storm. An interior room, basement, or cozy covered space may help reduce the sights and sounds. Let your dog choose where they feel safest.

Let them stay close
If your dog seeks you out, comfort them! You are not reinforcing fear by providing reassurance and support. Your calm presence can help them feel safer.

Turn down the storm
Close windows and curtains and try white noise, a fan, calming music, or the television to help mask thunder and reduce startling sounds.

Use food, but only if they can eat.
High-value treats, a stuffed food toy, lick mat, or favourite chew can help create positive associations. But if your dog is too frightened to eat, don't force it. A dog refusing food is telling you they're already overwhelmed.

Never punish fear
Your dog isn't being stubborn, dramatic, or disobedient. Fear is an emotional response. Punishing, correcting, or forcing a frightened dog through a storm can increase their fear.

MOST IMPORTANTLY
Practice when there isn't a storm
Thunder recordings can be used as part of gradual desensitization and counterconditioning. Start at an extremely low volume while your dog is relaxed and pair the sound with something wonderful.
The golden rule: If your dog is reacting, you've gone too far.

Turn the intensity back down to a level where your dog can remain comfortable. Flooding a fearful dog with loud thunder sounds is not an effective way to overcome a phobia.

Severe fear deserves professional help.

If your dog trembles, pants, hides, paces, tries to escape, becomes destructive, drools excessively, or shuts down during storms, speak with your veterinarian and a qualified behaviour professional. Medication may be an important part of treatment for some dogs and can be used alongside a behaviour modification plan.

Most importantly, don't wait until your dog is in full-blown panic to start helping them. Behaviour change takes time, and early intervention can make a huge difference.

We’re proud that our partnership with a Fear Free Certified Professional Behaviour Expert allows Little Mittens to help our community understand behaviour through a compassionate, evidence-based approach.

Because fear isn't something an animal should be punished for. It's an emotion we can help them navigate.

08/22/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Little Mittens Animal Rescue No Longer Permitted to Accept or Rehabilitate White-Tailed or Mule Deer Fawns

GOLDEN, B.C. — August 22, 2026 — Little Mittens Animal Rescue is saddened to publicly announce that we are no longer permitted to accept, transport, or rehabilitate white-tailed deer or mule deer fawns under new conditions added to our provincial wildlife rehabilitation permit.

Little Mittens was informed of these changes earlier this summer. At the time, we had hoped to receive additional guidance and clarification before issuing a formal public statement. As the summer has progressed and calls regarding fawns have continued, we feel it is important that our community understands the situation and why we are no longer able to respond to these animals in the way we have in previous years.

This is not a decision made by Little Mittens Animal Rescue.

The new restrictions are part of provincial and regional efforts to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in British Columbia.

We have been advised that rehabilitation of white-tailed deer and mule deer is no longer permitted within Region 4. This also includes deer originating in other regions that would be transported to a rehabilitation facility within Region 4 before eventually being returned to their area of origin.

Provincial wildlife officials have explained that controlling the movement of ungulates is one of the measures being used to reduce the risk of CWD spreading throughout British Columbia. One particular concern is that CWD-positive females can transmit the disease in utero, meaning a fawn could potentially carry CWD before the infection is detectable.

CWD prevalence in British Columbia's wild ungulate population is currently estimated at less than 0.1%, and maintaining that low prevalence is an important provincial management objective.

For our organization, this has been extremely difficult news.

Fawns have always been among the wildlife our community calls us about during the spring and summer months. When someone finds a genuinely orphaned, injured or compromised fawn, our instinct as wildlife rehabilitators is to help. Being told that we can no longer legally provide that care has been heartbreaking for our team.

We also recognize the importance of protecting the larger wild deer population from a devastating disease. We understand why CWD prevention requires serious precautions, even when those precautions create incredibly difficult situations for individual animals.

What should you do if you find a fawn?

Please do not take the fawn home, attempt to raise it yourself, or transport it to another location.

A fawn found alone is not necessarily orphaned. Mother deer commonly leave their young hidden and unattended for long periods while they feed and will return later.

If a fawn is visibly injured, has been confirmed orphaned, is in immediate danger, or you are unsure whether it needs assistance, please call before intervening. Although Little Mittens may no longer be legally permitted to admit white-tailed or mule deer fawns into rehabilitation, we can still provide guidance and help determine the appropriate next steps.

The new permit conditions also affect other members of the deer family. Moose and elk may be considered on a case-by-case basis, subject to geographic restrictions and preapproval from the Regional Manager and Provincial Veterinarian.

We had hoped that by waiting we would be able to provide our community with more answers and clearer direction. Unfortunately, fawns continue to need help, and people continue to call us looking for somewhere to take them. We felt it was no longer appropriate to remain quiet about a change that directly affects wildlife and the people trying to help them.

Little Mittens Animal Rescue will continue communicating with provincial officials, seeking clarification where possible and advocating for clear and humane options when members of the public encounter wildlife in distress.

We know this announcement will be upsetting to many people. It is upsetting to us as well. We ask for patience and understanding as we navigate a restriction that was not our choice while continuing to do everything legally within our ability to help wildlife in our region.

08/19/2026

Looking for a time sensitive ride !
Looking to get a kestrel from either
Fernie/Cranbrook to Invermere
Fernie to Trail
Fernie to Vancouver to OWL Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society
Needs surgery ! Please message if you can help!

08/18/2026

Little Mittens volunteers are always on call! 🦇

This weekend, one of our volunteers was enjoying breakfast at Big Bend when a staff member noticed a little brown bat inside the restaurant.

Of course, our volunteer went straight to work—carefully catching the little bat and safely releasing it outdoors.

You never know when a wildlife rescue call might come in, and our amazing volunteers are always ready to help, even over breakfast!

Thank you to our dedicated volunteers for being there when wildlife needs a helping hand. ❤️

08/15/2026

Looking to get a few critters from Nelson/Castlegar area to us in Golden if anyone is coming this way

08/14/2026

💔 Our hearts are with our friends at Interior Wildlife. 💔

It’s incredibly difficult to find the right words when people who have dedicated so much of their lives to helping others both human and wild suddenly need help themselves.

Our friends at Interior Wildlife have suffered an unimaginable loss, losing their home as well as their entire wildlife acreage. A place that wasn’t simply property, but a sanctuary built through years of hard work, compassion and dedication to the animals who needed them.

Anyone who knows the people behind Interior Wildlife knows just how incredibly kind, generous and devoted they are. They have spent countless hours answering calls, helping animals in need, supporting fellow rehabilitators and giving wildlife a second chance. They are wonderful people, and our hearts are absolutely broken for them.

Right now, they are facing the overwhelming task of figuring out what comes next and rebuilding what took years to create.

A GoFundMe has been started to help them through this devastating time, and we would love to see our community rally around them the same way they have rallied around wildlife and others so many times before.

If you are able to donate, even a small amount will help. If donating isn’t possible, please share their GoFundMe far and wide. Every share matters. ❤️

From all of us at Little Mittens Animal Rescue, we are sending so much love to our friends at Interior Wildlife. We are thinking of you, standing beside you, and hoping our incredible animal-loving community can help carry you through this. 🐾🦅🦉🦊

Sometimes the rescuers need rescuing too. ❤️

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-eva-and-jonathan-recover-from-the-summerland-wildfire

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/interior-wildlife-rehabilitation-society/?sm=1

I'm reaching out on behalf of Eva and Jonathan, two dear friend… Falko Kriel needs your support for Help Eva and Jonathan recover from the Summerland wildfire