WHITEHOUSE, Ohio — Sarah and Sawyer Ryley spend a couple hours each Saturday with an opossum. Yep, those funny-looking marsupials.
"It's fun seeing the animals. They're really cute," Sawyer said.
But what led them to the animals is not so cute. The Ryley's car wouldn't start. Surprising news would come from the mechanic.
"There was a giant squirrel nest in the car and there was a baby with it, so they called Nature's Nursery," Sarah said. "We got home and the squirrel was in our driveway for days, pacing around."
Sarah worked with the wildlife rehabilitation center to successfully reunite mom and baby.
As for the car, no happy ending there. In fact, five trips to the shop and it's still not fixed, but Sarah isn't mad.
"She was doing what any mother is supposed to do. She was looking for a home for her baby. She was taking care of her, and if it were my baby ripped out from underneath me and didn't know where it was, I'd be panicking and pacing the driveway as well. So I related with her," Sarah said.
The Ryley's were touched by the situation and became volunteers for the non-profit.
"We go out there and change their bedding. Give them food and water and clean their cages," Sawyer said.
"It's really neat to do this together. It's given us an opportunity to bond and talk about the animals and work on this as a team," Sarah said.
The Ryleys are part of the Family Volunteer Program. Natures Nursery is always looking for more just like them to help get animals back into the wild.
"It's important to have the family unit do something together," volunteer coordinator, Rita Chovan said. She added, "It is not a glorious job. It involves a lot of poop."
RELATED: Nature's Nursery getting a new home
But the Ryley's don't seem to mind.
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