Back Page Backyard A Menagerie of 'Misfit' Animals

James Whittier lives in Spofford, New Hampshire, with his wife, Allison and daughter, Freya. He works as a continuous improvement engineer at Lactalis US Yogurt, but his real passion has always been animals. His big goal in life is to become an animal rehabber and help educate the community. I've heard you have quite a few well-cared-for animals. What animals do you have, and how did you end up with all of them? We have become like the home of misfit toys. Over the past seven or eight years, people have asked us to care for animals that they were unable to. We build them all their own little environments and make sure they have a good, happy life. One of the projects we just started — after the Cheshire Fair — we found that a lot of kids won the fish and couldn't do anything with them. We walked around and asked them if they wanted us to take them and take care of them. We ended up with seven or eight of them. We put them in a big 40-gallon feeding trough, and we built a big pond for them. We have some rescue chickens. I have a bearded dragon that my niece couldn't care for anymore. We got a spotted leopard gecko from One Stop Country Pet Supply that was too old to be adopted. They also asked us if we had room for a release dove, and we got a one-eyed hamster. And I can't forget our other pets: two old English bulldogs, Buckey Barnes and Hope Van Dyne — I am a big Marvel fan. We have a cat who is 12, and we have guinea pigs. They are the best little lawn potatoes ever. Freya's personal goal is to get an animal from every continent. Her mom has definitely said no to the penguins, though. What would you say is your most unique animal? I would say I love the bearded dragon, but our axolotl is our strangest one. He's a good boy, but he's silly. Normally, they are in pretty muddy water and can't see very well. We have to put the feeding tongs right down to him, and if you time it wrong, he will try to eat the tongs. Have you always had a love for animals? My mom instilled a love for animals at a very young age. We were always taking care of animals that were found that were hurt, and we had lots of pets growing up. You learn a lot about life through taking care of animals. Do you have any goals to become a rehabber in the near future? You have to be a licensed rehabber in New Hampshire. Before you can get your rehab license, you have to be an understudy with a licensed rehabber for two years. I have reached out to some local rehabbers to do it, but they are really busy. Once I can start that, it will get the ball rolling. I have brought some animals to my daughter's school to educated Freya's class about them. I enjoy sharing, especially with children, my five "tion" (shun) points. Preservation: Taking care of what we are given. Conservation: Not wasting our resources when we don't have to. Education: Learning about all the animals and plants we see and meet. Rehabilitation: Helping when we need to but knowing when that is. Action: You don't have to save the world to change it; just jump in when you can, and little things added up to make a big difference. Do you have plans to get more, or do you find you need to downsize? I am all about growth, and Allison is happy with what we have. I always keep that one in the back pocket. I know if I find a hedgehog, then she would be all about it. There's a million more animals that I would love to get to know. PHOTO: James and Allison Whittier and their daughter Freya, 9, with some of their rescue animals in Spofford, NH. Freya holds Chip the Guinea pig; Hercules the Bearded Dragon is on James' shoulder, he's also holding Nineva and Bucky, the White Olde English Bulldog; Allison has Hope, the Brown Olde English Bulldog.