Grants for Animal Rehabilitation Centers

With human habitat expanding, encounters between wildlife and humans are also increasing, as are injuries. Grants for animal rehabilitation centers not only help centers rehabilitate injured wildlife; they also help centers educate the public. Funding for wildlife rehabilitation centers range from mystery dinner theaters to private donations, while grants awarded by various organizations, agencies and foundations help fill the budget gaps.

  1. Significance

    • Injured fawns are frequently brought to animal rehabilitation centers.

      Rehabilitating an animal may require capture, transportation and veterinary services, in addition to standard care and preparation for release. Volunteers often help with many of these tasks, but some centers additionally use salaried staff. Expenses also include food, enclosures, veterinary supplies, climate controlled treatment facilities, staff training and more.

      Additionally, centers that do a great deal of education, such as Oregon's Wildlife Images, build facilities for the public, such as learning centers for presentations and youth camps, and they conduct outreach programs in the community at events, schools, etc. with ambassador animals (among the center's permanent residents that are disabled in ways that prevent successful release).

    Controversy

    • Critics suggest grant monies could be put to better use than for wildlife rehabilitation. The general argument is that humans shouldn't interfere with nature's course. Advocates of wildlife rehabilitation, such as the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, note the majority of injured animals landing in the care of a rehabilitator were injured or fell ill as a direct or indirect consequence of human activity, accidental or purposeful; for example, vehicle collision, nest tree destruction, poison, shooting, window collision and other human-generated causes.

    Benefits

    • The river otter is among the 72 percent of the mammals cared for by wildlife rehabilitators are released into their natural habitat.

      According to a 2007 survey conducted by the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA), nearly 100,000 wild animals were rehabilitated by their members (centers and certified individuals) in just that one year: approximately 39,000 mammals, 64,000 birds and 2,300 reptiles and amphibians. Of these, 72 percent of the mammals, 60 percent of the birds and 69 percent of the reptiles and amphibians were released.

      The NWRA also reports that their members educate more than 8 million people annually. Funding not only helps these centers to rehabilitate wildlife and to educate the public, but through doing so, it helps preserve a natural, national resource: free-ranging wildlife.

    Types

    • The types of grants available for rehabilitating wildlife vary widely. Some are geographic specific, others worldwide. Grants may or may not require matching funds. Some grants apply only to specific types of projects. Some can be used for capital improvements, such as building enclosures, others cannot. Many but not all grants require the applicant be a nonprofit or government agency.

    Finding Grants

    • Research at a public library can locate wildlife rehabilitation grants; however research online can also find the necessary information, including grant criteria and application directions. The "Resources" section below includes links to more than a dozen of these grants for animal rehabilitation centers, as well as to websites that list these types of grants.