Wildlife Medical Clinic
About the Wildlife Medical Clinic
Mission
Our mission is threefold: to provide care and treatment to sick, injured, or orphaned wild animals to the point where they can be returned to the wild; to provide hands-on training to veterinary students; and through our public education program, to teach the members of our community about the environment in which they live and the wildlife they share it with.
What We Do
The Wildlife Medical Clinic accepts ill, injured, or orphaned wildlife (except for skunks and bats) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Upon presentation, the animals are triaged and then assigned to a team of 8-10 volunteers (generally veterinary students) who are responsible for treating the patient.
The primary goal in treating wild animals is to help animals recover to a state in which they can be released into the wild. Wild animals must be 100% before being released into the wild in order for them to hunt or forage for food, as well as stay out of danger. Unfortunately, many of the animals we receive are so debilitated (in order for them to be caught in the first place), that they will never be released. A rabbit with a lame leg will quickly fall prey to another animal, and an owl that can't fly will slowly starve to death. If an animal is not able to be returned to the wild, the WMC elects to humanely euthanize the animal.. Occasionally permanent homes are found for the patients where they will be cared for and protected. Presently the WMC has 4 non-releasable permanent residents whom we use for educational purposes.
Funding
The WMC is a non-profit organization that depends solely on fund-raising, donations, and grants for its operating budget. The College of Veterinary Medicine donates the Clinic space and utilities but all testing, feed, treatments, and surgery costs are covered by the WMC budget. Individual animal care is provided for by WMC volunteers comprised primarily of veterinary students in their first three years of the veterinary school curriculum. Approximately 90 volunteers each semester work in treatment teams and are responsible for on-call duty to receive wild animals presented to the WMC 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Donations are used to provide food as well as medical equipment and even diagnostic testing, specialist consultation, and therapeutic and surgical treatments to our patients.
If you would like to support the WMC's mission of conservation, public education, and veterinary teaching - Make a donation to the WMC! Donations can now be made online!
Information about injured or orphaned wildlife
Executive Board
Managers: Linda Yang, Nicki Rosenhagen
Co-Chairs: Denise Studer, Yael Farah
Resident Coordinators: Joanna Sekowska, Stephanie Zec
Public Relations: Jess Hulesch, Sarah Reich
Secretary: Holly Richards
Treasurer: Leo Congenie
Fundraising: Amanda Dolinski, Paulette Santonacita
Conservation: Nicki Rosenhagen
Webmaster: Greg Matheson