A Corvallis wildlife center and animal hospital is struggling to keep its doors open. The facility is relying on community support more than ever.
Since opening in 1989, the nonprofit Chintimini Wildlife Center has taken in 40,000 injured or sick animals. Grants from the Wildlife Support Charitable Trust, the Kinsman Center, and Benton Community Foundation have all supported rehabilitation efforts and educational programs for grade-school children.
Alyssa Nelson, the center’s interim executive director, told KLCC that things have gotten especially tight due to cuts in government funding at multiple levels.
“With the declining donations for all nonprofits, the competition for grants due to the lack of federal funding available, especially for the environmental nonprofits and causes, has been increasing quite a bit,” she said.
The center is hoping to raise $40,000 in October, and ultimately $150,000 by Dec. 31.
“We get on average 2,200 patients annually, which is a lot to be taken in,” Nelson said. “We've already hit 1,500 patients for this year, including turtles, owls, foxes, eagles, squirrels. So many other things in between that as well.”
Recent examples of timely rescue and rehabilitation include a Western painted turtle that was found in July with a cracked shell, likely hit by a car. Chintimini staff repaired and stabilized the shell, allowing the turtle to heal. It was released back into the wild two months later.
Nelson said Chintimini Wildlife is the only rehab center within a 100-mile radius that accepts reptiles and amphibians for rehabilitation.
Another recent example of a wild animal rehabilitation is a young barn owl that was shot in her right wing. Her humerus was mostly shattered, with fragments of the bullet embedded in her wing. Nelson said the owl had two surgeries involving pins to help stabilize the wing, and was placed in a special outdoor enclosure with ramps.
Eventually, she was moved to a larger enclosure and demonstrated that she could fly and maneuver “beautifully.” Clinic staff released the owl back into the wild in late August.
Nelson said Chintimini aims to stay open as long as possible, but cuts may come to services and programs if the financial outlook doesn’t improve. The center serves multiple counties including Benton, which accounts for 36% of the animal patients it takes in. Others are Polk, Marion, Lane and Linn Counties.
“We would have to cut from some of those locations if we weren't able to meet our goals. We wouldn't be able to accept certain species in,” said Nelson. Cuts to outreach programs and rehoming ambassador animals - wildlife that reside at Chintimini for educational purposes - would also be a cost-saving measure.
Donations from community members, as well as sponsorships from local businesses and organizations, are also ways to help the center. Nelson said that there will be a lot of streamlining and cost-reduction in Chintimini’s operations to offset the limited funds and increased costs of food and medical care.
“We're willing to roll up our sleeves and work to see that it continues for decades more, and we need the community's help in order to do so,” said Nelson. “We're so appreciative for the community that we've had the last 36 years, and we're very excited for what the future holds for us.”
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