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November 2008

Another winter season is rolling in. We have a few 'not yet ready for prime time' wild animals that will be overwintering here and released in spring when the conditions are much better for them and they are much fatter and older. Those animals born very late in the year won't survive their first winter on their own without a parent to assist them so they are overwintered and allowed to bulk up.

That means a steady supply of high quality food is needed for them and huge electric bills in keeping heated water buckets plugged in. Being that it is the end of the season, our bank balance is non existant and we use this time to try to raise the necessary funds for wildlife care in the upcoming spring baby boom season. It's just a few months away and we don't have much time to replenish the coffers. If you can help us with donations of $$$ and supplies it would be deeply appreciated.

We have two fundraisers in the month of December (and very end of November this year also).

PET PICS WITH SANTA PAWS...

We are holding our famous Pet Pics with Santa Paws at Pet Food Outlet on 824 Ontario Road, in Welland on Sat. Nov. 29 and again on Sat. Dec. 6 from 10 am to 5 pm. Click on the Events page tab on the left menu and get the details there and download your poster. Help us promote this event and bring your pets and pet friends to it! The proceeds go to a good cause so please help us to help the native wildlife for another year.

THE ANIMALS CHRISTMAS TREE MEMORIAL SERVICE AND OPEN HOUSE

Held on Saturday December 20 from 5 - 9 pm at 461 Wright Street in Welland. This meaningful service is a chance to honour those pets and friends of animals that are no longer with us. Purchasing a symbolic memorial light on the Animals Tree allows their names to be remembered and those memories cherished. Lights are $10 each and brochures can be picked up at Pet Food Outlet on 824 Ontario Road, or at 461 Wright Street in Welland or downloaded here on our website. Just click the Events page tab on the left menu and download your brochure. Please pass these on to friends and family members that mayh be interested in this service. They don't need to be present the night of the service, all names will be read during the dedication.

Remember the wildlife this winter and please adjust your driving accordingly especially in inclement weather. Wild animals are losing their habitats at an alarming rate and are struggling to find food and shelter. It is confusing to them to be travelling in what used to be wild spaces and to suddenly encounter bulldozers and pavement and heavy traffic, so please "Give wildlife a brake!"

Wildlife Rehabilitation Classes

We will be offering special training for those interested in working here as volunteers this season and those who wish to work from their own homes under a legal fostering agreement with us. Before you start looking after wildlife on your own or using the "internet" to find recipes to feed the animals, it's essential you get some type of training in the proper way to do this. We'll be offering specialized classes in species that you want to work with and help out with and those we most commonly work with here. Contact us for more information. We expect to start the classes the second week of January and will probably offer them on a weeknight or on a weekday evening.

NWH Computer Becomes a Boat Anchor...

Seriously our main desktop computer (an older P3) gave up the ghost (fried the video card). It's not in our budget to replace that so if anyone has a spare they would like to donate, we'd be happy to take it off your hands and put it to good use. It would be great if it was at least a P4 and had a large hard drive with good graphics capabilities because we do put them through torture here with what we use them for.

Special UV Lights Needed for Wildlife in Winter

We are in need of special UV lighting for our overwintering birds and mammals. These would be the type of spot light bulbs used for reptiles, that replicate sunlight, and those also that are black lights giving off heat at night but not bright light. We switch them off with timers and can also use a few extra timers (both indoor and outdoor types). It is important to replicate what that animal would be getting were it in the wild and we try to do that. Just another way to drive up the electric bill but it is a necessary thing for us to provide.

Foam Core Insulation Sheets

Our receiving/intake/isolation area is now almost ready but needs to be insulated with that rigid blue foam core insulation because it is located outside. Batts of insulation for the roof (paper back) are also needed. If anyone has any to spare or donate, we'd be happy to receive it, with thanks! Doing this will help reduce the heat in that area in the summer also and help us put that room to good use in winter with incoming animals.

OWREN's annual Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference and

Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Courses

Will be held in Niagara Falls, Ontario during the week of Feb. 9 - 14, 2009 at the Best Western Cairn Croft Hotel on Lundy's Lane. Registration is open to anyone interested in pursuing this profession or just interested in wildlife rehabilitation and obtaining their own authorization. Details can be obtained on OWREN's website at www.owren-online.org. The nezt OWREN conference won't be held this close to Niagara so take advantage of this unique opportunity now.

Seasons Greetings to all of you from all of us!! Stay safe and warm!

July 2008

Food and supplies shortage!

We are in dire need of:

dry puppy and kitten kibble and adult maintenance diets (high quality name brand, not canned, and not diet or weight reducing formulas
walnuts, chestnuts, pecans, other assorted nuts in shells,
birdseed (all types), parrot seed, budgie seed, finch seed, dove seed
pinecones, evergreen branches, branches with wild berries on them (we freeze these)

To help us continue necessary repairs and maintenance for our caging, we need:

pine shavings (large plastic bags, no cedar shavings),
building supplies (2x4's and 1x2's) minimum 4' lengths,
patio slabs,
fence boards,
1/4 and 1/2 inch or thicker outdoor plywood (minimum 4'x4' sized pieces)
privacy lattice,
foam core insulation sheets,

If you can help us with these needs by donating these supplies and food items to us, we'd be deeply indebted to you!!

Help us by building and donating a den box:

Dimensions: 18x18x18" (or 24x24x24") with a circular opening 10-12 inches in diameter at one end. It helps if the end with the opening is hinged for easy clean out. Thickness of wood can be 1/2 inch plywood. Contact us for more details if you can help.

Send us an email and we'll let you know where to drop off supplies: info@niagarawildlifehaven.org.

THANK YOU!

June 2008

Every year we face this same problem. We are full and out of funding to provide care for any more wild animals, especially raccoons. We're not out of time or willingness to rehabilitate the sick, orphaned or injured, what we're out of is cash to pay for the high cost of their care. At least a hundred hours a week is devoted to care and feeding for the over 500 wild animals that come through here each year. For free. We're not paid, and we're not funded by any level of government. It's only your compassionate donations that allow us to do the small bit we do. We could do much more but we just can't fund that from our own pocket. We didn't win a lottery. The animals don't have health insurance so we can't send a bill to the various levels of government and get reimbursed. That money has to come from somewhere.

We can't compete with other big name charity machines with full time paid fundraisers and paid staff. It's very difficult for an organization like ours to go up against them and get any notice.

They collect for humanistic causes, and we fundraise to cover the cost of caring for the injured and orphaned wild animals who don't have anyone looking out for them.

That has to change soon or we simply won't be able to keep these doors open. Development is gradually reducing the living spaces of our native wildlife and we have a responsibility to do something to offset that damage we do to them.

You can help by sending a donation. Mail it to:

Niagara Wildlife Haven c/o 461 Wright Street, Welland ON L3B 2K6.

Donate your time and help us by offering your skills and talents in cage building, den box building and most especially in fundraising. Without you, we cannot do this.

Niagara's wildlife needs you and they need you now.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for those of you who were able to give a little bit when you dropped off an injured wild animal. We deeply appreciate your kindness. You should feel good to know that it has made an enormous difference to a few wild lives who would not have made it without you. You are very special people!