SAVING THE WILD
W hen Cara Contardi found an injured Yellow Shafted
Flicker in 1996, little did she know she had found her life’s
calling. In 2008, after becoming an Authorized Wildlife
Custodian and registering with charitable status, she started
Urban Wildlife Care (UWC). With the help of three volunteers,
Cara immediately began playing an integral role in the rescue,
rehabilitation and release of our native wildlife.
Today, a team of over 40 professionally trained local
volunteers and professionals, care for approximately 500
animals annually.
During baby season, UWC handles upwards of forty calls
per day from people who have found injured or orphaned
animals such as squirrels, fox, raccoons, bats and rabbits,
plus answer a ton of email messages asking for advice. Once
animals are healed, or old enough and can handle it, UWC
releases them back into the wild – typically to the same
location where they were found.
Since UWC is governed by the Ministry of Natural Resources,
there are high amounts of paperwork to complete and rules
to comply by… It’s pain-staking work, and certainly not for
the faint at heart! UWC receives no government funding.
How you can help
Donations – Every nickle makes a difference! Donations
can be securely made online through the UWC website
www.urbanwildlifecare.com or by cheque payable to
“Urban Wildlife Care” and mailed to: 23 Betts Avenue,
Grimsby, ON L3M 2S7
Meet Cara, Laurie and Tara from UWC!
during Wildlife Rescue Days at
Royal Botanical Gardens:
March 14 and 21
Join the team members of UWC and discover some
of the challenges and successes they’ve faced when
working with wild animals.
Visit their display to learn more about what they do,
and buy a very cool t-shirt they’ve created,
in support of Urban Wildlife Care!
Learn more about the three R’s: Rescue, Rehabilitation
and Release! www.urbanwildlifecare.com
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Read + hear more: www.silvergoldmagazine.ca
URGENT donation of items – Especially leaf bags,
laundry detergent, bleach, large latex-free nitrile gloves,
wet dog and cat food. Also very needed: rubbing
alcohol, tissues, digital scales, puppy/kitten kibble,
heavy duty gardening gloves, storage sheds, bins with
lids, and large fishing nets. On-going needs include
towels, old fur coats, bowls, pet carriers and aquariums.
Full list of items are listed on the UWC website:
www.urbanwildlifecare.com
Items can be dropped off at the following locations:
Pet Valu - Burlington
(Upper Middle, Brant, and Appleby locations)
Global Pet Store - Burlington
(Appleby & New Street)
Live Right Pet Care - Hamilton
203 Main St. E., Hamilton (289) 389-5238