Photogarph courtesy WEST Wildlife Rehab
Cincinnati Gives Challenge Participant, donate here: www.cincinnatigives.org/W-E-S-T-Wildlife-Rehab
ESTABLISHED 2018
MISSION Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and return to the wild sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife while fostering peaceful coexistence between people and the wild creatures who share our communities.
SERVING OUR COMMUNITY We intake sick, injured, and orphaned native mammals like opossums, squirrels, cottontail bunnies, and red foxes that are found and brought to us by the public. Orphans are raised to be wild to ensure they have a good chance at survival upon release. Animals who are too sick and injured to be rehabilitated are given a peaceful, pain free passing through humane euthanasia administered by veterinarians.
• We receive frequent calls to our helpline about wildlife (usually squirrels, raccoons, and bats) that have taken up residence in garages, attics, walls of homes, and other areas where they don’t belong. We have been trained to educate these callers about humane options for exclusion and removal of unwanted guests who almost always are seeking a safe space to give birth and rear their young.
• WEST spends a lot of time educating the public about state laws. For instance, it’s illegal to be in possession of wildlife for more than 48 hours without a state permit, so if you find a baby squirrel, raccoon, opossum, etc., it is not legal to keep it and raise it on your own as a pet.
• We do education/outreach programs for schools, scouts, garden clubs, nature centers, etc., accompanied by one or more of our non-releasable wild ambassadors.
• We get many calls and messages from outside our service area and try to help people find rehabbers in their geographical areas.
• In January 2025, WEST worked with the Humane Society of the United States and the Ohio Wildlife Rehabilitators Association to help rescue over 300 animals from a horrific fur farm in Ashtabula County, Ohio. Two of the rescued skunks are now WEST education ambassadors.
LEADERSHIP
Beth Kelly, cofounder and president of the board
Jonna Vaughn, vice president
WEST is currently in the process of considering new personnel for the board position of Secretary.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
• Purchase items from our Amazon wish list: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/LOOKJ9B75K3C/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2
• Do you have extra eggs from chickens or ducks? We’d love them for our foxes, opossums, and skunks!
• Are you a hunter with extra deer meat? We’ll take it!
• WEST holds a training for animal care every February. Check our website for updates.
• We always need help with enclosure building, transport, and fundraising!
(513) 201-5683
www.westwildlife.org
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