'We need help': Hope for Wildlife rehabilitation centre hoping for assistance

First at Five: Wildlife Needs Hope Funding and volunteers are at an all-time low as Hope For Wildlife approaches its busiest season.

At Hope for Wildlife, a wildlife rehabilitation centre in Seaforth, N.S., founder and director Hope Swinimer views the animals like family.

Foxes, owls, bald eagles and even turkey vultures -- name the species and it’s likely Swinimer has treated them over the decades.

Since 1997, Swinimer has helped heal injured animals, and provides public education while assisting wildlife in anyway she can.

“It’s about reconnecting people to their natural world,” said Swinimer. “Right now. we have about 250 patients here at Hope for Wildlife. but that will soon change because we usually get about 6,500 patients every year.”

These are lean times for Hope for Wildlife. Facilities are expensive to build and maintain and it costs more than $150,000 a year to feed the animals.

Cash flow is low and there is also a profound shortage of volunteers.

“We need help, we need manpower,” said Swinimer. “We need community members to come in and give us a hand.”

Volunteer Jo Tremholm said people do not need to offer their time every day.

“Only two days a week,” said Trenholm. “I work in Nunavut and I fly in and out because I’m a nurse. I come here when I’m home.”

There are currently roughly 250 volunteers signed on at Hope for Wildlife.

“We could use another 50 or 60 people,” said Swinimer, who added if those numbers don’t change, she has serious concerns about the viability of this facility going forward.