Have you ever seen an injured animal and wondered if there was anything you could do to help them?  Surely, you’re aware of organizations that take in and rehabilitate wild animals.  People who run organizations like this are called Wildlife Custodians or Rehabilitators (Rehabbers).

In Ontario, there are over 70 organizations run by authorized wildlife custodians.  These rehabbers are legally able to provide wildlife rehabilitation and are overseen by the Ministry of Natural Resources.  You can find a list of them here.

These organizations are temporary homes to animals who have been injured, orphaned or are sick and help them until they are able to be released back to their point of origin.  They can also provide you with advice on how to help an animal in need.

Sometimes the best way to help a wild animal is by leaving it alone.  Baby animals are often taken into wildlife centres when people, having the best intentions, wrongly believe them to be orphaned.  When you see an animal in need, the best thing to do is to call a rehabber to see if it should be taken in or left alone for the best chance of survival.

Wildlife custodians provide an important service to people and to animals.  By protecting nature and supporting endangered populations, they help to maintain the health of our ecosystems.

Wildlife Rehabilitation requires significant time and resources.  Most Rehabbers get very few government grants and depend on donations to help run their organizations.

Wild for Rehab works to bring awareness to organizations that support wildlife and the environment.  We will be hosting a Gala to fundraise for two Ontario Rehab organizations in September 2024.  Please see our “Events” page for more information.