Lehigh WildCare

It seems like just yesterday that we began operating Lehigh WildCare at my home, but 5 years have passed already! So, what have happened during those years? Well, it has been busy!

Every year, Lehigh WildCare has taken care of about 1,000 orphaned and injured wild animals that have been brought to us by approximately 800 concerned members of the community. Each year, a group of approximately 20 dedicated volunteers have fed, watered, cleaned, provided medical care, and supported business operations to help all those animals, and we’ve answered about 2,000 callers with questions about wildlife.

We have built relationships with our wild ambassadors. Due to their injuries these animals are not releasable back into the wild. Now they help us to spread the word about the importance of humans and wildlife finding a middle ground in which to co-exist. Lehigh WildCare have participated in wildlife-related exhibits and offered quite a few educational talks, and our educational program is just getting stronger. We have the help of Sue Newquist, our Education Director, and she’s full of great ideas and enthusiasm.

Lehigh WildCare became a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation and later on a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization. The Lehigh WildCare bank account amounts to nearly $3,000 thanks to the generosity of many wonderful, caring people.

As always, Wright Veterinary Medical Center has supported us and wild animals with their expertise in animal care and kind generosity.

Lehigh WildCare have been featured in a 30 minute local TV show, Community Spotlight, and in several local newspapers.

This year, 2007, we will be confronting the every day challenges plus some new ones. My intention is to find a permanent place for Lehigh WildCare other than my home and to find the means to pay a salary for a full time assistant. Caring for the animals occupies most of my time and in the past I didn’t pursue this goals as adamantly as I should have. Hopefully this coming year we will make some progress in this area thanks to the help of … who else? … great volunteers, the backbone of Lehigh WildCare!

We are starting a search for grants too, so we can have the support of the big organizations. And last but not least “Wild News”, Lehigh WildCare’s yearly newsletter was borne during the end of the year 2004.

All of which is to say, Lehigh WildCare isn’t just an operation at my home, it has been truly a community effort.

Thank you all for caring.

Teresa Stevenson
Lehigh WildCare Founder and Director