I know driving is bad for the environment, but in Houston you have to drive AND you have to use AC in the summer (which I know is also bad). So to help ease my guilt, I have those Texas dolphin license plates where $22 goes to save Texas marine animals.
Now you would think I would just screw them onto my car and drive off....but nope, not me. I just had to put a face to my plate.
That face is Toby's.
Toby's currently in Galveston. In November, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network rescued him after he ended up on the beach.
"Basically, dolphins like Toby end up on the beach where they can't survive very long," said Heidi Whitehead, State Operations Coordinator of TMMSN.
Whitehead says many times the mammals end up stranded because they are ill and are not able to maintain their normal activity. In Toby's case, it was a combination of illness and a shark attack.
"Toby had some fresh open shark bites on his body. He was very thin and we found severe pneumonia in his lungs," Whitehead said.
THE ROAD TO RECOVERY
So now I'm feeling sad about Toby because being bit by sharks can't be fun -- especially as he's still a toddler in dolphin years.
But the good news is since being brought to Galveston, the young bottlenose dolphin has been been getting the medical treatment and the nutrition he needs.
"He's gained over 80 pounds since he's been with us. During that time he's been on various medications including antibiotics," Whitehead said.
But even though Toby is recovering, the organization is still concerned about releasing him back into the ocean because he's so young.
You can't blame them for being concerned. Whitehead says that usually marine mammals stay with their mothers until they are 2 or 3 years of age.
The team also thinks that Toby may not have learned all the survival skills he needs to live on his own in the wild because he is so young. Plus, after working so hard to save Toby, they would hate to send him out there without a fighting chance.
THE COST OF HAVING TOBY
The non-profit group is taking care of Toby, but he's not the only guy on their minds. They've also got a couple other projects on the go.
In fact, in addition to picking up close to 150 deceased marine mammals, the organization usually rescues about five to ten live strandings like dophins a year.
But even though they may be alive on the beach, there is usually only a 50 percent chance the animals will survive.
"Usually you can tell within the first couple weeks by how they respond to treatment if they are going to survive. Many times they are so ill that they cannot come back from their sickness," said Whitehead. "It's rewarding when you see one like Toby come back."
Seeing Toby swim and play does make their work worthwhile, but taking care of him has placed a huge strain on the TMMSN's budget. The cost of caring for one live dolphin can range from $200 to $400 a day. Toby also requires 24 hour supervision.
"We have about 300 active volunteers. Toby has anywhere from 50 to 100 volunteers working with him," said Whitehead.
So does my little license plate contribution help? Well, a little...especially as they hope the people who buy the plates will continue to do so every year and that will help increase their yearly funding.
But right now Whitehead says they need more volunteers and supplies, such as 3-inch pool chlorine tablets, bleach, bathroom cleaner, kitchen trash bags, disinfectant wipes, paper towels, antibacterial dishwashing soap and toys for Toby -- he really likes frisbees.
But they also need donations.
"Our greatest need now is donations towards Toby's care. The medication that he has been on has been very expensive. Plus, the upkeep and the amount of supplies that we go through has been tremendous," Whitehead said.
To help Toby or for a list of needed supplies, visit: http://www.tmmsn.org/rescue_rehab/rescue_profile/toby.htm
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