Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary in Ottawa

The Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary

Every year thousands of Ottawa residents need help dealing with wildlife problems: raccoons or squirrels nesting in the attic, skunks living under the porch, coyotes roaming the outskirts of our city. Every year hundreds of Ottawa residents also seek help for injured, sick or orphaned wildlife.

As the only non-profit authorized wildlife rehabilitation centre in the Ottawa area, we treat and care for small wild mammals until they are healthy enough to be returned to their natural habitat. We also offer advice on co-existing peacefully with wildlife through our telephone hot line and our website. (Read our Spring 2009 Newsletter for tips on getting ready for spring.)

Grand Opening, June 13, 2009

Can it be just a little over a year since Earl McRae wrote about the plight of RVWS, overcrowded with no resources to build an expansion? And Mike Kruse and his sister Carol read the column and stepped up to take over the project? We can never thank enough all the volunteers and businesses who pitched in with sweat or materials to build our wonderful new Sanctuary...and everyone who sent donations of cash or food to help the animals. The Grand Opening on June 13, 2009 was surely a day to celebrate and give thanks to all!

The highlight of the afternoon, of course, was a tour of the new facility and watching through the special one-way viewing windows as the baby raccoons, squirrels and skunkswere fed. But the music and food were fabulous as well, thanks to the generosity of Zip.ca and The Grateful We're Not Dead band.

Click on Construction of our New Wildlife Rehabilitiation Centre for a look inside the Sanctuary and the construction process. It's beautiful and we are so grateful for the help of the community!

If you wish to help RVWS help the animals but couldn't join us on June 13, you could make a cash donation at Canada Helps or please check our Wish List for other ways to help. Perhaps you could tell your friends that we need their help too.

Register for OWREN (Ontario Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Network) Wildlife Rehabilitation Basic Skills Courses

If you are concerned about a bird, reptile, turtle, bat or deer, please click here to Find Another Wildlife Rehabilitator in this area.

For tips on wildlife care, please click here to check out the RVWS Spring 2008 Newsletter. For answers to other questions, browse our website using the Site Map.

If you have used our hotline or brought an animal to us, please click here to fill in our FEEDBACK FORM and return it by e-mail or regular post. We are always looking for ways to improve our service.

We are so grateful to all our sponsors, benefactors and volunteers for helping us to help the animals.