Dean and his brother, Sam, were found as babies in Arlington, VA in the spring of 2024 and were illegally kept by the finders. They were turned over to a rehabber in November 2024 and transferred to Awesome Possumz in May 2025.  They immediately went to Blue Ridge Wildlife Center for exams, and radiographs revealed that Sam had bad hips and a very enlarged heart. Sadly, that was the end of the story for Sam.  Dean had one wonky (that’s a medical term 🙂 ) hip, but it was manageable and not causing him pain. Due to his hip and being too friendly, he became our first 2025 ambassador. Like his Supernatural television show namesake, he was quite the ladies’ man!

We lost our big, handsome boy on January 30, 2026.  Through his care process, Blue Ridge Wildlife Center had found that he had no hip sockets, and both of his forearms were deformed. With careful and attentive care, we were able to give Dean a comfortable and well-cared-for life. For a while, his condition didn’t slow him down. Then it did. A lot.

As a wildlife rehabber and educator, it is vital that I ensure that the animals in my care have a good quality of life. That quality was no longer there for Dean. He is no longer in pain.

Though he was only an ambassador with us for about a year, he touched a lot of hearts. Mine most of all. Run free, handsome boy.