AWay with Animals

Christine Mills never met an animal she didn’t like, so she feels right at home at Masonic Village at Warminster. Every day, she tends to the village’s two birds and cares for the goldfish that swim in a large fish tank. During the spring and summer months, she feeds the koi fish in the outdoor pond.

“Right now, I’m training the birds to say, ‘hello,’ and to get on my finger, since they’ve never really been handled before,” she said.

“When I clean the cages, I take the birds into the chapel where they hang out and wait. Their wings are clipped, so they can’t fly away.”

Christine has always had an interest in animals and owned cats for several years. She began learning about birds as a wildlife rehabilitation technician for 16 years at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Philadelphia. She spent four to five additional years at other wildlife centers after the main center closed.

“We took orphaned or injured native wildlife and did what was needed to make them healthy and heal their bones,” she said. “Then we let them back into the wild.”

Christine specialized in rabies vector species (RVS), or wildlife species that had been identified as the most common carriers of the rabies virus, including raccoons, skunks, bats, woodchucks, groundhogs and foxes. Christine received shots so she wouldn’t contract rabies while handling the animals, or if she did, she would not become deathly ill.

Most of Christine’s experience came from onthe-job training, reading, taking rehabilitation classes and attending conventions.

“I never went for a rehabilitation license,” she said. “I was happier being one of the senior volunteers. You need a certain number of years of volunteer work. You work your way up to bigger and larger projects and animals. It takes time.”

When she was working professionally, Christine spent her days as a software engineer. She’s a trained scuba diver as well. For many years, she enjoyed underwater photography and taking photos of fish and coral reefs.

Christine calls herself a “doer,” who learns by seeing, watching, listening, reading and “common sense.” There is always more to learn about animals.

Recently, Christine looked after recreation coordinator Trisha Lamb’s personal canary while she was on vacation. “Canaries don’t talk, but they do sing,” she said. “This one hasn’t yet. He was getting used to me watching him first.”

Masonic Village at Warminster has its own pet therapy policy, through which approved animals visit regularly. Families are also allowed to bring their pets in to visit loved ones, as long as their registration/vaccination status is updated.

As a certified Eden Alternative® community, Masonic Village at Warminster strives to promote active and caring environments which encourage self-worth, camaraderie and excitement for residents and employees. Visiting pets align with this philosophy by bringing variety and spontaneity into daily life. Children and volunteers also visit regularly, giving residents the opportunity to build meaningful relationships.

“We allow dogs and cats, but so far, no other exotic animals have come to visit us,” Trisha said. “A few months ago, we had miniature ponies visit, and more recently, the Elmwood Park Zoo brought over some critters. Our human resources manager brought her dog, Stella, throughout the pandemic since we were shut down to outside visitors. She is well loved here.”

Animals are a part of many residents’ lives, past and present. For Christine, caring for the pets at Masonic Village is a continuation of a lifelong passion, giving her purpose while bringing happiness to residents and staff.