As development continues across Delaware, local wildlife faces increasing challenges, from shrinking habitats to more frequent encounters with people.
Now, the Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators (DCWRE) is working toward a major milestone: opening a dedicated wildlife rehabilitation center to help care for injured and orphaned animals across the state.
A Growing Need for Wildlife Rehabilitation in Delaware
For years, DCWRE has relied on a statewide network of dedicated wildlife caregivers, educators, and supporters to help animals in need.
The organization takes in hundreds of animals annually and responds to more than 3,000 calls from the public, all while operating primarily out of volunteers' homes.
That means individual rehabilitators often shoulder significant responsibilities, including providing space for recovering animals, coordinating veterinary care, and purchasing specialized supplies.
Many spend thousands of dollars of their own money each year on formula, enclosures, enrichment materials, and medical care.
According to DCWRE, the demand for these services has increased rapidly in recent years, creating challenges for an organization that has traditionally operated through home-based rehabilitation.
One of the major factors is Delaware's continued development. As more land is developed, wildlife loses access to natural habitats, food sources, and areas where animals can live without frequent human interaction.
For rehabilitators already caring for hundreds of animals, these pressures have made the need for additional resources increasingly urgent.
Image: Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators
A Dream That Started More Than 30 Years Ago
Her work with wildlife began in the 1990s, when she first took in orphaned animals needing care.
At the time, she had no idea those early experiences would eventually contribute to an organization serving wildlife throughout Delaware.
Over the following decades, DCWRE expanded into a statewide network connecting wildlife rehabilitators, educators, and members of the public who want to protect native animals.
Now, with the growing number of animals needing assistance and the increasing demands placed on individual caregivers, the organization believes it's time to turn that longtime vision into a reality.
Image: Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators
What the New Wildlife Center Would Offer
A dedicated rehabilitation facility would allow DCWRE to expand its operations and provide more consistent resources for both animals and the people caring for them.
The organization's plans for the center include several important improvements:
- Greater rehabilitation capacity: Space to accommodate more injured, sick, and orphaned wildlife.
- Dedicated medical care: Facilities and resources to provide specialized treatment for animals recovering from injuries or illness.
- Improved patient management: A centralized system for evaluating incoming animals, coordinating treatment, and monitoring recovery.
- Research and rehabilitation: Opportunities to conduct research and release recovered wildlife on-site.
- Education and training: A dedicated location for wildlife rehabilitation training, public educational events, and collaboration.
- Expanded volunteer opportunities: More flexible ways for residents to get involved, including those who lack the time, space, or resources to rehabilitate animals from home.
Beyond increasing the number of animals the organization can help, the center would create a space where experienced rehabilitators, volunteers, educators, and community members can work together.
It could also make wildlife rehabilitation more accessible to Delaware residents interested in getting involved but unable to provide animal care in their own homes.]
Image: Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators
How Delaware Residents Can Support the Wildlife Center
DCWRE has officially launched its fundraising efforts and is inviting Delaware residents to help make the new facility possible.
Community members who want to contribute can donate through the organization's fundraising.
The initiative represents an opportunity to strengthen wildlife rehabilitation resources throughout Delaware while supporting the volunteers who have spent decades caring for the state's animals.
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