It all started with three little raccoons that needed rehabilitation. Laura Nirenberg took them into her home offering sanctuary, food and love. That started Nirenberg on her journey dedicating herself to the rehabilitation for wildlife, and over time her involvement with wildlife has evolved into a new venture with her graduation from law school and to the ethical treatment for wildlife leading to the foundation of the Center for Wildlife Ethics.
As an attorney, Nirenberg’s goal is to encourage the community in the humane treatment of wildlife and to avoid the unnecessary killing or orphaning of wildlife.
The mission for the Center for Wildlife Ethics (CWE) is quite clear: Wildlife conservation through justice and education. Some key components of the organization’s work include legal advocacy, including an ethical voice in wildlife management and policy practices, improved protection for wildlife and ecological systems and non-lethal solutions for wildlife conflicts.
The educational component for the CWE includes hands-on, practical experience for law students and the conservation component, to preserve wildlife habitat through acquisition.
Nirenberg advocates for wildlife because as she says you can rely on their concrete characteristics.
She said, “It is easy to work with wildlife because they are predictable. Wildlife doesn’t have a hidden agenda; no political agenda. With animals you can rely on their very concrete characteristics. You can get animals to do what you want them to do.”
Nirenberg wanted to focus her attention on protecting even larger numbers in wildlife, and she stated, “In 1996, while researching common practices within the ‘nuisance’ wildlife control industry, I was shocked to learn that much of the abusive treatment routinely inflicted on wildlife was not only deemed acceptable behavior by our state's wildlife agency, but also explicitly exempted from the animal cruelty statute.”
She added, “It was at this point that I began questioning my work as a wildlife rehabilitator, as it was growing increasingly difficult to reconcile my desire to nurture and protect these animals knowing that these same precious individuals would be released into a society that tacitly condoned state sanctioned cruelty. This realization is what led our organization's quest for proactive strategies to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.”
She continued, “With continued education and training, I took a trip to Toronto, Canada for training in humane wild animal eviction work, and ultimately it became my personal desire to dedicate my life to minimize unnecessary animal suffering. After even further research, it became apparent that public awareness surrounding the plight of our wild neighbors needed to be increased. It was also evident that law is an invaluable tool for molding public opinion. This knowledge is what inevitably led me to law school. Now in my capacity as the legislative attorney for Best Friends Animal Society, Co-chairman of the American Bar Association's, TIPS, Animal Law Committee, and as the Founding Executive Director of the Center for Wildlife Ethics, I am able to assist in molding public policy that supports animal welfare. And, when implementing policy isn't an option, I can always exercise legal recourse whenever warranted.”
Ideally people generally want humane treatment for wildlife conflicts. A conflict might include a raccoon moving into the attic to have her kits (baby raccoons).
Nirenberg said, “Be proactive with your home. Do a perimeter check from top to bottom checking for weaknesses. Check the roof and really look at where the roof peaks meet. Make sure there is a cap on the chimney. Look for any water damage; rotted wood provides easy access for a squirrel or a raccoon to get in to your home. Check for open soffits or unscreened air vents. Animals are opportunistic by nature and they are looking for a warm quiet place to nest. Proactively addressing structural problems prevents wildlife conflicts from occurring”
The Center for Wildlife Ethics evolved from Wildlife Orphanage, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1998 and dedicated to the welfare of native wildlife. Even though they no longer rehabilitate wildlife, Nirenberg and those that support CWE are making a difference in the lives of animals every day by fighting for their protection and the continued education for humane treatment to reduce wildlife conflicts.
This continued effort is why Laura Nirenberg is a La Porte County Life in the Spotlight.