WILDLIFE RESOURCES

FIND A LICENSED WILDLIFE REHABBER

https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/injured/rehabilitators/

This is a comprehensive list of wildlife rehabilitators statewide. It is accurate and up-to-date. If there is no listing for your city/county, look for a rehabilitator in an adjacent county. Do not call the Department of Wildlife Resources or the Wildlife Helpline.

Please remember it is illegal to keep or care for orphaned, sick, or injured wildlife unless you are a licensed wildlife rehabilitator.

Please be mindful that rehabilitators are private citizens. Telephone calls to rehabilitators should be limited to daytime hours only. The phone numbers listed may not be able to accept text messaging so please call them directly.

WILDLIFE REHABBERS IN OUR AREA

Valerie Ackerman, Spotsylvania, 5409729603

Fox

Kelly Ashley, Spotsylvania, 5407603812

Squirrels

Judie Graham, Culpeper, 5408256407

Opossum

Karen Lamb, Brandy Station, 7033429032

Opossum, Raccoon, Small Mammals

Kimberly Cameron, Bumpass, 5402057681

Amphibians, Birds, Fawns, High risk rabies species, Lizards, Raptors, Small Mammals, Snakes, Turtles, Waterfowl

Bonnie Bryant, Oakpark, 5712180322

Small Mammals

Karen Brace, Fredericksburg, 7037722766

Opossum, Rabbits, Squirrels

Please note, sometimes local rehabbers are at capacity and can’t take any more animals, or they are not equipped or authorised to treat a certain species. Luckily, there is a large network of volunteer wildlife transporters who can help get wildlife to a hospital or rehabber, even if it’s outside of our immediate area, so that the animals can get proper treatment.

WILDLIFE CENTERS

Wildlife Center of Virginia (WCV)

540-942-9453

Staff at the Wildlife Center of Virginia are available seven days a week, 9 AM to 5 PM, to help provide

assistance with wildlife issues. Center veterinarians are

also on call after hours to deal with wildlife emergencies.The Wildlife Center of Virginia can assist wildlife rescuers with finding a local rehabilitator and/or transporters.

Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC)

540-837-9000

BRWC is open from 9AM to 5PM every day, including

weekends and holidays. Leave a message after hours.

ONLINE RESOURCES:

Virginia Wildlife

https://www.facebook.com/groups/virginiawildlife

this facebook group is a great resource for wildlife information and another place to post when you are in need of immediate assistance. The admins are all experience wildlife rehabilitators.

WILDLIFE HOTLINES:

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There are several regional associations of wildlife rehabilitators that sponsor telephone hotlines. If you find an injured or orphaned animal and you are in or near one of these areas, please call the hotline and leave a message. Messages are generally checked throughout the day, and an appropriately permitted rehabilitator will return your call.

WILDLIFE HOTLINES

Richmond:

Area Rehabbers Klub [ARK] 804-598-8380

Northern Virginia:

Wildlife Rescue League [WRL]. 703-440-0800

Hampton Roads:

Wildlife Response Inc. [WRI] 757-543-7000

Virginia Beach:

Virginia Beach SPCA Wildlife 757-263-4762

Evelyn's Wildlife Refuge 757-434-3439

Winchester:

Blue Ridge Wildlife Center 540-837-9000

Roanoke:

Southwest Virginia Wildlife Center 540-798-9836

WHAT HAPPENS TO TRAPPED WILDLIFE?

Unfortunately, nuisance wildlife trapped by homeowners or licensed nuisance animal trappers must be euthanized and not relocated.

The reasons for this are many:

the welfare of relocated animals is often poor and survival is low;
relocated animals usually don’t stay at a release site and could become a problem for others;
moving animals is unlawful because of the potential for disease transmission (moving mammals could add to the spread of rabies, distemper, parvovirus, and sarcoptic mange to mention a few); and
there are already healthy populations of these species across the state and few suitable locations for release.

Simply put, you would be giving your problem to someone else. If everybody dropped off their trapped wildlife in the city parks or just outside of town there would be an unnatural concentration of animals in these areas that further increases disease risks for wildlife.

(from the VDWR Website - https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/urban/)

MORE FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE RESOURCES:

What To Do with Injured and Orphaned Wildlife

Help with Human-Wildlife Conflicts with links to species-specific laws and info