Sheri Kassalias is an opossum rehabilitator and dog rescuer who agreed to foster three baby opossums who all came her her through different tragedies of their own.
Two of them lost their mother to a car accident and the third to a dog attack. Sheri agreed to nurse them back to health and care for them until they were ready to be released back into the wild.
Two of the opossums recovered well and left without hesitation. The third – named ‘Opie’, had other plans.
“Opie was so sweet he demanded to be held. He climbed up my sleeve,” said Kassalias.
Opie’s adoration for Kassalias began rather early on. He began grooming her and licking her as if she were one of his own.
She was told by another rescuer that her bond with Opie was special as they aren’t usually known to be quite so friendly to humans. They also warned her that she would either have to cut ties completely in order for him to be releasable or commit to keeping him forever.
“So here we are almost two years later,” says Kassalias.
Opie is now a full-time family member at the Kassalias residence in South Carolina where he shares his home with Sheri, her husband, a 14-year-old pit bull, a Boston terrier, a 25-year-old tortoise and a foster dog.
In this household, Opie is treated exactly as everyone else. This includes walks, treats, and visits from Santa.
Besides being an amazing house opossum, Opie has a part-time gig making public appearances at educational events. He is registered wit the USDA and travels with Kassalias to schools and other places to educate people about his species and show off a few little tricks.
Kassalias is a real big advocate for opossums and is trying to reverse their bad reputation. She claims that they will not rip up your garden, climb into annoying spaces and eat all of the pests in your yard without requiring much at all in return. “I love that they give back to nature instead of taking from it. They are gentle even when injured,” she says.
“He is an amazing ambassador,” says Kassalias. Opie frequents other community events such a dog adoption days and charity calendars.
Opie even used his most recent birthday as a chance to host a fundraising event. He got a special cake made from fruits and in return asked guests to make a donation to the Opossum Pouch Rescue or donate food, blankets, and other supplies for the animals living at the shelter.
Unfortunately, the party was a somber occasion as it marks the near end of Opie’s life. Typically, an Opposum will only live about 2 years. He’s showing some physical signs of slowing down but never fails to light up any room he enters.
Opie’s has brought so much joy to this family’s lives while doing so much for opossums just like him.
“Regardless of how much time I have left with him, I know I have done absolutely everything in my power,” says Kassalias. “If his longevity was based on love, he would live to be 100.”
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