Meet Betsy: From Backyard Rescue to Lifelong Mission
This month, we’re featuring Betsy Shank, CWR (Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator), founder and executive director of Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. With fifteen years of experience, Betsy has dedicated her life to helping injured and orphaned wildlife, and her journey began in the most unexpected way: right in her own backyard.
It all started on April 16, 2010.
“While mowing the yard, I found a baby squirrel,” Betsy recalls. “After realizing he was still alive, I frantically started picking the maggots off him and hit Google with a pace unknown to most. I learned a lot that day, most importantly, what a rehabilitator is and what they do.”
That tiny squirrel changed everything. What began as a chance encounter quickly became a calling. “I found my first squirrel that day,” she says simply, “and I found my calling in life.”
Almost a year later, Betsy’s path took another unexpected turn when she lost her corporate job. Rather than view it as a setback, she used it as an opportunity to stay connected to the animals she had come to love. She launched a small sewing business making bedding and enrichment items for small caged animals, especially for wildlife rehabilitators.
“The sewing business gave me the wonderful fortune of meeting rehabilitators from all over the United States and abroad,” she explains. Through those connections, Betsy found mentorship, friendship, and an entire community of people who shared her passion.
Over time, she worked through the complex licensing process, sub-permitting under another rehabilitator and steadily building the foundation for her career. Today, fifteen years later, she continues to serve her mission with the same compassion that began in her backyard.
At Acorn Acres, Betsy and her all-volunteer team care for all non-predatory animals, from mice to beavers and Virginia opossums, but they specialize in squirrels, bunnies, and woodchucks. “Fun fact,” she adds, “woodchucks are actually the largest members of the squirrel family.”
Her expertise comes from years of close, hands-on care. Each animal, no matter how small, plays an essential role in the ecosystem, and Betsy’s work ensures they all have a second chance at life.
Becoming a Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (IWRC) was another milestone that required deep commitment. She prepared for nearly a decade before pursuing the credential, which now requires 50 hours of education across multiple disciplines and at least 5,000 hours of wildlife rehabilitation–related experience.
Only a small number of rehabilitators in her state hold the designation, making it a meaningful accomplishment within the wildlife community.
But for Betsy, the CWR was not about prestige. It was personal.
“When I told people I worked with squirrels, some acted like it didn’t matter. I wanted to prove to myself that I really do know what I am doing. It was the hardest thing I have ever taken on. Terrifying, honestly. But I did it for me.”
When asked what part of her work she finds most rewarding, Betsy doesn’t hesitate. “Watching an injured adult learn how to ‘squirrel’ again,” she says, “and watching a baby squirrel on release day.”
Those moments, when an animal transforms from fragile to free, make every sleepless night worth it. “Raising a baby from 10 grams and watching it climb its first tree and do spinouts in the dirt,” she adds, “that’s the best feeling in the world.”
Of course, the work isn’t without challenges. “Funding,” Betsy admits. “We are 100% dependent upon the generosity of our community. We’re completely volunteer-based. There’s no payroll.”
To keep their mission alive, Acorn Acres hosts open house days, sells merchandise, and offers educational programs, the latter being their main source of revenue. Yet despite the constant need for funding, Betsy’s focus never wavers. Every dollar raised supports compassionate care and public education, ensuring both people and wildlife benefit from the work Acorn Acres does every day.
Routine and enrichment are vital parts of rehabilitation, especially for squirrels. “They’re very schedule and routine oriented,” Betsy explains. (They always want to stay on schedule.) Her team keeps feeding and care times consistent, creating a predictable rhythm that helps the animals feel safe.
As for enrichment? “The number one thing we use is toilet paper tubes and applewood sticks.” Simple items, yet essential for encouraging play and natural behaviors.
Elliott the Groundhog
As part of our Rehabilitator of the Month feature, we asked Betsy to choose an animal in her care that she’d like to shine a bit more light on. Without hesitation, she began sharing the story of Elliott the Groundhog.
Elliott’s life began under a garage in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, where his mother raised him and his siblings. One day, he was injured, though no one knows exactly how. While his brothers and sisters continued to grow, Elliott stayed small, weak, and very sick, unable to use his left arm.
Then one day, something remarkable happened. He walked up to a woman and sat on her foot; without saying a word, Elliott asked for help.
“In the wild world,” Betsy explains, “squirrels are the only animals that will actively seek a human for help.” For a groundhog, which is part of the rabies vector species in Pennsylvania, this was unusual and potentially dangerous, but it was clear he needed help.
Sarah happened to be a volunteer for Red Creek Wildlife Center. Following all the proper safety protocols, she brought Elliott to the center for treatment. Despite their best efforts, he continued to decline until Red Creek called Betsy.
“They told me, ‘We have a groundhog that needs you to love him,’” Betsy recalls. “That was a big deal. Someone with so many years of experience, and they called me.”
At the time, Betsy already had Poppy the Groundhog, and knowing that groundhogs benefit from having a same-species companion, she agreed to take Elliott in. Two days later, on August 2, 2022, he arrived at Acorn Acres.
Elliott was in rough shape, congested, underweight, and nursing an abscessed arm. After several vet visits, eight weeks of antibiotics, and lots of care, he finally began to recover. Soon, Betsy introduced him to the world as Poppy’s little brother. “He looked like a deranged hedgehog,” she says with amusement.
Since then, Elliott has become a star at Acorn Acres. “I was really spoiled with Poppy,” Betsy says. “She was the best. She was a diva. But Elliott is a comedian.”
He’s full of personality and mischief. “He’s a perpetual two-year-old with short, furry legs,” she says. “Groundhogs are drama in fur suits, and he lives up to that every day.”
His demands are specific and memorable. “He loves cuddly things, and the sky is falling if he doesn’t have a sweet potato,” Betsy says. “We call them Potato Emergencies.”
Now fully recovered, Elliott proudly serves as Chief Chuck of the clinic, keeping watch over everyone, giving nose boops, and spending time with his best friend, resident opossum Belvedere. “He knows he’s Chief,” Betsy says. “And he’s very comfortable running the clinic.” When he’s done making his rounds, he snuggles into one of his shred nests that he made at the clinic, a reminder that even the Chief needs some downtime.
Growing Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns
For Betsy, wildlife rehabilitation is much more than compassion. It is science. “It is a science and a professional career,” she says. Behind every rescue are years of training, study, and precision care. It’s biology, medicine, and behavioral science working together to give each patient the best possible chance of survival.
Support from the community is vital to that mission. “Monetary donations are the best,” Betsy explains. “They enable us to purchase what we need when we need it. We don’t always know what’s coming through the door.”
Every animal brings unique challenges, and flexibility is key. “We use the Wild Bites and Picky Blocks religiously and have done so since 2010,” she says. “We use the 32/40, 20/50, and Moose Formula. That one’s for the rabbits.”
She prefers that her shelves are stocked with trusted essentials like Purple Possum feeding tubes, Miracle Nipples, Codan syringes, and of course a Henry’s shaker bottle.
Acorn Acres operates under a motto that perfectly captures their spirit:
“Mighty Oaks From Little Acorns Grow.”
It’s more than words. It’s a philosophy. Every animal that enters their care, no matter how small or fragile, has the potential to grow, heal, and thrive. That same resilience shines through Betsy and her team.
She credits her success to a network of supporters, volunteers, family, friends, and fellow rehabilitators. “All of the above,” she says gratefully. “And the team at Henry’s.” Her husband, she adds, is her biggest supporter and her reality check. “He’ll tell me to knock it off when I need to.”
Looking back on fifteen years of rehabilitation, Betsy offers gentle advice to her younger self:
“Your job is not to save them all. Sometimes your job is to provide a peaceful passage. Pace yourself. Rome was not built in a day.”
Those words reflect the balance she’s learned between compassion and acceptance, effort and endurance.
And through it all, her passion remains unchanged.
“I get to wake up every day and live my dream,” Betsy says. “And there aren’t many people who get to do that.”
You can make a real difference in the lives of animals like Elliott by choosing an item from the Acorn Acres’ Henry’s Registry. Every bit of support, big or small, helps them continue this incredible work. Click HERE to donate today!
To learn more about Acorn Acres, click HERE to visit their website and follow Acorn Acres on Facebook to keep up with Betsy and her crew!
If you are interested in becoming a featured rehabilitator, click HERE!
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