Wild Care Celebrates 25 Years of Success Stories

Wild Care Celebrates 25 Years of Success Stories, and a Focus on Future Growth

Wild Care’s work has been widely supported by the community for over a decade, enabling story after story of success, such as; a snapping turtle that was fatally wounded by a car, her eggs were removed at Wild Care and artificially re-nested at the Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Twenty five of the twenty six eggs hatched, and were released into the wild, continuing the cycle of life… This summer, three osprey chicks were re-nested after their nest caught fire a top a utility pole. Following rehabilitation at Wild Care for five days, and with community assistance, the chicks were reunited with their parents… These extraordinary stories, are examples of the work that Wild Care does every single day at their small facility, an antique farmhouse located at the Orleans rotary. Wild Care is incredibly grateful to the community, first responders, and for local business support, all empowering their tireless mission of saving wildlife, and making it possible to continue their important work since 1993.

“As Wild Care celebrates its 25th Anniversary this year, I feel extremely thankful for the growth we have experienced as an organization, and grateful for the incredible service we provide to wildlife and to the community”, states Stephanie Ellis, Wild Care’s Executive Director. “Many thanks to our amazing supporters who deeply value and support our work, and care about the well-being of Cape Cod’s wildlife and the environment. I am thrilled to be at the helm of such a critically important organization.”

As Wild Care looks at the next 25 years; the focus is on keeping pace with the growing demand of services. “We feel very fortunate that the community turns to us for animals in need,” states Ellis. “This year, we’ve provided care to over 1,770 animals. Last year, we received a total of 1,716 into our care. We’ve seen a drastic increase in animals coming through our door since 2015. As the human footprint increases, so does the impact on wildlife. But it’s not all doom and gloom, an increase in people also provides a greater opportunity for education, on how each and every one of us can reduce our impacts and adopt a lifestyle of co-existence with our wild neighbors.”

“Through our Wildlife Helpline, we’ve provided live counseling to over 8,500 callers this year. We’ve also provided over 30 educational outreach programs to schools, local groups, assisted living facilities, and nonprofit organizations throughout Cape Cod. Wild Care is not just a rehabilitation center. Wild Care’s mission includes advocacy, and education on how to protect and preserve wildlife and their habitats, for future generations to come.”

Wild Care’s short-term goals include increasing staff capacity, and renovating Wild Care’s kitchen and lobby. “We’ve outgrown our antique kitchen, and desperately need to expand to allow a more adequate cleaning and sanitation area, reserving a separate space for food preparation. A larger kitchen and food preparation space will ultimately enable us to accommodate more animals.” The new lobby will serve as an education center for visitors, and for people bringing us animals. Long-term goals include paying off mortgage expenses, continuing to acquire planned giving donors, and hiring a permanent Development Director to assist with ongoing fundraising needs.

“Wild Care is extremely goal-oriented. We have defined future needs that are most critical to advancing our animal care, expanding our patient capacity, and increasing the sustainability of our facility,” states Stephanie Ellis, Wild Care’s Executive Director. “Wild Care’s legacy, and our local wildlife, depends on it. I look forward to 25 more years saving wildlife, one animal and one person at a time. Thank you Cape Cod.”
How can you help Wild Care continue their 25 year legacy of service to Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts wildlife? Visit wildcarecapecod.org to make a donation, or contact Stephanie Ellis at [email protected] or 508.240.2255. If you would like to view the year end appeal with with details of Wild Care’s growth and success, please view below.