Many Shocked and Sadden by the Sudden Passing of Wildlife Hero

Today the wildlife care community along with many others are remembering a true hero in their circle. Yesterday the news broke that Missy Runyan had passed away. Tributes to Missy and all she did to help wildlife in the Hudson Valley continue to be posted to social media. (UPDATE: 10-7-2021-Today a gofund.me was started to help Missy's dream of helping wildlife in the Hudson Valley continue.)

FFF Wildllife via Facebook 4-30-2021

If you are wondering why that name seems so familiar it is because when it came to saving and caring for wildlife in the Hudson Valley there was no one like Missy. Even if you never met her in person your were bound to have heard of her work. Missy was the founder of the Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center.

I had the privilege of speaking with Missy around this time last year when she was busy rehabbing eagles who were being exposed to lead poisoning from most likely lead bullet fragments entering their food stream. Missy was passionate about her work and had a way of explaining things so everyone could understand. She didn't just talk about about problems that effect our wildlife she took action.

FFF Wildlife via Facebook 4-24-2021 2

Missy seemed to have and endless amount of energy. She cared for so many animals through her organization Friends of the Feathered and Furry Wildlife Center (FFF Wildlife Center). If she wasn't rehabbing an eagle she was helping raise an orphan bear cub or teaching us not to disturb a fawn found in a garden. Following her work through social media enlighten me to so many things that we can do to care for our forest friends.

I learned of Missy's passing on Facebook from a posted shared by Lost Pets of the Hudson Valley. When I went to the FFF Wildlife Center's page I saw that they had one single post stating that due to a person issue they were not accepting any intakes at this time and they left contact information for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) so you can find a wildlife rehabber near you.

As we learn more about plans to honor Missy and her work we will share the details here in an update.

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