A wildlife rescue center in the Midlands needs your help so they can continue to help injured animals
"I was walking in my yard and I found this little bird laying on the ground," Heather Hook said.
Hook is a self-proclaimed animal lover and just couldn't go without helping a baby bird she found.
"We kept him overnight because I wasn't sure where to go and we did a little bit of research and found this place," she said.
This place is Carolina Wildlife, and they take care of everything from birds to possums to deer.
"We're the main resource for Columbia right now, some local vets will deal with wildlife animals, but in Columbia we are the only active permitted songbird rehabilitators in the area," Director Jay Coles said.
Coles said he's already seen a 20 percent increase of animals brought in over last year.
But, with lots of demand and a budget that relies on donations, the organization hit a bump in the road.
"The first week in June we realized that we had run out of funds," he said.
Carolina Wildlife reached out to their Facebook followers and the response was great, but donations still won't take them to the end of the year.
"We could operate the center well into the middle of August, however any animals that are taken in in August that's a commitment for us for the next 12 weeks," Coles said. "We have to know that we've got funds available to get through whatever animals we take in until we can get them to release."
Coles says it takes about $62 to treat each animal until release, and without Carolina Wildlife, there will be no local rehab center.
"I think animals are important and I really think that it's worth spending money or giving money to help that cause," Hook said.
To donate you can go to www.CarolinaWildlife.org.
Or mail in donations to:
Carolina Wildlife
5551 Bush River Road
Columbia, SC 29212
