AUBURN — Like so many of the animals she’s saved over the years, Jennifer Marchigiani is in a spot of trouble.

The home she has always shared with an amazing variety of critters is in rough shape and her animal rescue, Misfits Rehab at 850 Garfield Road, is in peril.

“My house is literally falling apart,” Marchigiani said. “It started with a roof leak through the kitchen ceiling, and I thought it was just a roof issue. But after a roofer inspected it, I learned the real problem was rotting siding — the siding was pulling away, and it was junk to begin with. I contacted a siding company, and they confirmed that all of it needs to be ripped off, with other rotted areas replaced and all new siding installed.”

The entire roof needs to be replaced too.

“There’s moss growing, missing shingles, flashing issues around the chimney, and more,” Marchigiani said. “On top of all that, my deck is falling apart — the boards are splintering and lifting, exposing nails, which is dangerous. The cost for all these repairs is overwhelming, especially as a low-income household living on minimal monthly SSI.”

The trouble doesn’t end there.

Years ago, a plumber told Marchigiani that she needed about $15,000 to replace the plumbing — and that didn’t include the cost of a contractor to open up and repair the walls for access.

You can kind of see why it might be tempting to just walk away.

“If it weren’t for running my wildlife rescue out of this house, I’d try to sell it and get out from under the burden,” Marchigiani said, “but I’m not ready to give up on rescuing wildlife yet.”

For about 25 years now, Marchigiani has run Misfits Rehab. Ask anyone who cares about all creatures, big and small, and they likely have dealt with Misfits before.

Cher Bright, of Greene, is one of them. Ten years ago, she had a bat infestation at her home and at a time when finances were tight.

“I had limited funds as a single mom,” Bright said, “and a house that looked like the opening scene of Scooby Doo inside!”

Bright found Rich Burton, a local wildlife handler, who captured the bats, and Marchigiani, who took the creatures in.

“She treats every species with the same care and effort,” Bright said. “I have shown up multiple times with animals as a volunteer transporter. She is always in the midst of feeding, nurturing or assessing trauma. What’s more amazing is she has sacrificed her home for the cause. Jen never ‘heads home’ from work. The work of giving animals a second chance is her labor of love despite the uphill battle.

Rarely do I find truly selfless individuals in life but Jenn is one of them,” Bright said. “Her knowledge is incredible and her judgment always sound when it comes to ending suffering or healing those that can be.”

For Marchigiani, it’s absolute truth: No creature is too wee or insignificant to be deserving of help when help is what that creature needs.

“I’ve cared for all kinds of Maine wildlife — from mice and bats to porcupines, opossums and beavers,” Marchigiani said. “Pretty much anything native to Maine that’s smaller than a deer has found a safe haven here. This house is not just my home, it’s the heart of Misfits Rehab and the animals that depend on me.”

Others who work to rescue animals completely understand how much time and effort, just about all of it unpaid, is involved in the kind of work Marchigiani does every day.

“Jenn is amazing and I love her dearly,” Drew Desjardins, of Mr. Drew and His Animals, Too, said. “She works 23 1/2 hours a day. Her passion is like no other and I honestly do not know how she does it.”

Desjardins spoke at length about how anyone in the rescue business, by the very nature of the work, has to become a “professional beggar.”

The state will not provide funding for rescues, Desjardins points out, but they will charge the rescuer for a license. There are long trips to retrieve injured or sick animals. There are veterinary bills.

Marchigiani encounters all those problems on a daily basis, and yet keeps on swinging on behalf of the critters she helps.

“She continues on no matter what,” Desjardins said. “Migraine, injury, pain and lack of sleep. She is a superhero that is truly underappreciated and does it all without pay. She is tough; strong in a way people can never know. She deserves all the support in the world. I have never met a more selfless human being!”

As of Friday, many in the community were rallying in support of Misfits Rehab. People were donating to the GoFundMe page started to address the financial problems. Others were simply spreading the word and rallying anybody who cares about animals to the cause.

Like Desjardins, Marchigiani doesn’t like shaking the figurative tin cup and asking people for money.

“I hate that things are coming to this,” Marchigiani said. “I’m used to being the helper, not the one needing the help but … anything helps. I really am not ready to sell the house and give up rehabbing.”

As of Thursday afternoon, roughly $2,225 had been raised through the GoFundMe page, less than 30% of the amount being sought.

There are many in the community hoping that changes as word begins to spread about Marchigiani’s plight. Without financial help, Misfits Rehab will fall and in the view of many, a whole lot of the area’s critters will suffer mightily because of it.

“Our community will lose such an important and overlooked piece of coexistence,” Bright said, “if Misfits doesn’t stay afloat.”

For direct donations, Misfits Rehab is located at 850 Garfield Road Auburn, ME  04210.