Hope for Wildlife caring for more than 500 animals in Nova Scotia

Hope for Wildlife sees a spike in patients and the costs to care for them.

The busy season for Hope for Wildlife in Seaforth, N.S., has officially begun.

The organization, which offers rehabilitation programs for wildlife, says they currently have more than 500 animals in their care. Last week they admitted 110 patients.

“We are admitting dozens of patients a day now, so their need is great,” the group said in a Facebook post.

Hope for Wildlife, which started in 1997, says it has rehabilitated and released more than 40,000 animals. More than 50 animals came in on Monday alone – many of them orphaned babies.

“We’re getting turtles already, we’re seeing baby skunks, which is early, groundhogs, lots of ducklings and geese, lots of whitetail deer fawns,” said Hope Swinimer, founder of Hope For Wildlife.

The wildlife rehabilitation centre also has about 25 chipmunks, baby birds and lots of raccoons. And, for the first time, Swinimer is now able to take in seals.

“We now have a rehabilitation permit to rehabilitate seals in Nova Scotia, so we saw all kinds of seals this year, harbours, greys are our two most common,” she said.

Swinimer says the centre wouldn’t be able to operate without a large number of volunteers, staff and interns.

With an annual budget that tops $2 million, fundraisers are important and the rehabilitation centre’s 50/50 draw plays a big part in that.

“It’s difficult to make ends meet. It’s very expensive to feed all these animals, they have very special dietary needs and just the maintenance at the facility,” said Swinimer.

While animals are brought in year-round, Swinimer says the peak time is now until the end of August.

-With files from CTV Atlantic’s Jonathan MacInnis.

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