Thousands of wild B.C. animals are only alive today because of the work done at Elizabeth's Wildlife Center, but this vital work is becoming harder and harder each year, explained its founder, Elizabeth Melnick.
The Abbotsford facility is responsible for the rehabilitation of a wide range of wild animals, and has helped tens of thousands of little critters since it first opened in 1986. In that time, the demand for the facility's services has increased tenfold.
"When I started this 39 years ago, it was about 100 animals a year," Melnick said.
Last year, the centre admitted more than 1,200 animals, with this number expected to be surpassed by the end of this year.
She explained that the destruction of animal habitats from logging and construction was one of the biggest reasons behind this drastic increase in animals needing rehabilitation.
"The phones never stop ringing. I've already had 10 calls this morning, and that's nothing. We had 45 admissions in one day just a few days ago."
Melnick added that these animals aren't just coming from Abbotsford, with the centre accepting wildlife from as far away as Kelowna.
And when the facility does get a call about an animal in need, it's rarely just a single animal, but rather a whole flock of them, often babies seemingly left abandoned.
While she has no intentions of scaling back or shutting down, Melnick did explain that it's getting difficult to maintain this level of service without further help from the community.
"We're scraping the bottom of the barrel with our money," Melnick said, adding that the centre is not government-funded and relies on the generous support of the public.
The non-profit organization is in desperate need of not only monetary contributions, but also supply donations as well 鈥� mainly cleaning supplies including bleach, sheets/towels, non-latex gloves, and paper towels.
The looming threat of another Canada Post strike is also a major cause of stress for the centre, with Melnick explaining that the previous strike majorly set them back in terms of donations.
To get around this, she wants people to know that there are a variety of ways to give money to the facility, including through e-transfer, PayPal, Canada Helps, and more.
Another major way to support the animal charity is by volunteering, which is something that anyone over the age of 18 can do.
In addition to volunteering at the main care centre, there are also opportunities for people to volunteer as drivers to transport animals in need of care to the Abbotsford facility. This is something that is especially needed during the spring and summer months when the number of animals admitted to the centre drastically increases.
Anyone interested in volunteering or learning more about how to support Elizabeth's Wildlife Center can visit .
