WINSLOW—Living in Maine, it’s a fact of life that wildlife will cross the roads and in the most unfortunate circumstances, sometimes will get hit by cars.

Kristen Linscott, 32, was returning home from work on August 27,  driving behind a pick-up truck around 8:15 p.m. when she watched, horrified, as the truck plowed through a family of raccoons crossing the road.

“I’m guessing the driver was distracted because the person didn’t put on the brakes or swerve to avoid the raccoons or anything,” she said. “There was no other traffic coming from the opposite direction, so there was no reason the driver couldn’t have braked–but the driver didn’t stop and kept on going.”

She made a U-turn on the road and pointed her headlights toward the middle of the road, where one still raccoon was lying.

After a semi-truck and a car passed around the raccoon,  Linscott kneeled to see if it was still alive.

“I felt so bad for her,” she said. I could tell she was still alive and breathing and I went to get my sweatshirt to wrap her up in it, not knowing if she was going to reach around and bite me, but she just allowed me to pick her up and put her in the car. Her mouth was a little foamy and bloody.”

Linscott remembered a man named Don Cote in Vassalboro whom her parents used to bring abandoned baby raccoons. She called, apologizing for bringing the animal in so late and he told her, “It’s not late at all.”

“As soon as I brought her to Don, he checked her over limbs and told me there were no broken bones, which I was relieved about because she still wasn’t moving,” said Linscott.

Duckpond Wildlife Rehab Center is run by Don Cote, 85, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, who has run his wildlife rehab center for five decades with his wife, Carleen, who has since passed away.  As one of more than 25 wildlife rehabilitators throughout Maine, Cote is the crucial link between whether an injured wild animal lives or dies. The goal is to rescue, heal, and release animals into the wilderness. The Wildlife Care Center survives through donations, which provide the lifeline of needed medical care and food.

After reaching home, Linscott organized a GoFundMe campaign for Dote Cote, raising more than $1,800 for this animal and his wildlife center. As it turns out, many wildlife rehabbers depend upon the services of different facilities within the state, so Winnie was transferred to and is now being rehabilitated at the Wilderness Miracles Wildlife Rehab in Bowdoin.

Run by Kathi McCue, the nonprofit rehab center also takes care of injured, orphaned, and sick wildlife to return a healthy animal to the wild.

“Winnie came to me with a soft tissue rear leg injury,” said McCue. ‘It takes time, medication, and rest to heal and it’s now been about three weeks. At first, she hid in the corner not wanting to be touched, and over a few days,  I gained her trust to pick her up and help her move her legs with physical therapy. Now she’s graduated to a bigger cage with a hammock. She’s crawling up and down, lying in that hammock like a little diva. She now hangs out with another little raccoon recovering from being hit by a car. His name is Wally and they love each other.”

Like many rehabbers, her Wilderness Miracles Wildlife Rehab also relies on community donations. McCue said rehabilitating Winnie costs around $1,000, though she has personally spent up to $5,000 to save other animals with veterinary help.

Linscott went above and beyond and stopped into the Wilderness Miracles Wildlife Rehab in Bowdoin to bring a monetary donation, as well as a few groceries for McCue. Linscott has been invited to witness Winnie’s release back into the wild once she is ready.

“’I’m really grateful that she made it into the hands of the wonderful people she did who truly care about helping animals, and that she’s healing with them,” said Linscott. “That’s the best thing I could have hoped for.”

Related: If you care, leave them there: What to do, whom to call when discovering baby wildlife

Related: Rescue of debilitated wild raccoon siblings captivates animal lovers everywhere

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com