Via City Wildlife.
The wildlife organization that took care of the snowy owl hit by a bus and a baby squirrel who fell out of a tree says it’s in danger of closing its doors without funding from the D.C. government.
“We have just learned that the Mayor’s proposed budget eliminates all funding for wildlife rehabilitation in FY2015,” an email from City Wildlife states. “If funding is not restored, City Wildlife will likely have to close its doors after September and will no longer be able to help DC’s sick, injured and orphaned wildlife.”
City Wildlife received $200,000 in funding in Fiscal Year 2014 from the Department of Health. The Current Services Funding Level section in this year’s DOH budget shows a “reduction of $1,552,000 to account for the removal of one-time funding appropriated in FY 2014 for various programs and services within DOH that include the Farmer’s Market Incentive program, the School Pantry Pilot program, support for rehabilitative wildlife services, chronic illness prevention, health development, and teen pregnancy programs in the District’s public and charter schools, as well as support for preventive measures in mother-to-child (vertical) HIV transmission.”
Anne Lewis, president of City Wildlife, said the money provided last year was a one-time grant, but the Department of Health planned to provide funds (it’s not clear how much) for Fiscal Year 2015. This is not reflected in the Mayor Gray’s budget.
An email request for comment from the mayor’s office and DOH was not immediately returned.
“We didn’t expect it just to be totally zeroed out,” Lewis said. “Not a happy surprise.”
City Wildlife is requesting a $200,000 grant again for this fiscal year. Lewis said that, while they raise private money ($124,000 last year), it’s not enough to fund a seven-day a week operation.
“What we can’t do is say, ‘Oh, we’re getting half the money, we’ll do half the services,” she said. “It’s either all or nothing because the animals have to cared for seven days a week.”
The current grant ends when the fiscal year does, in September. While they’ll have private money to spend, it won’t be enough for the whole year. “We’ll continue on until our expenses are greater than our income, and then we’ll close down,” Lewis said, adding that the exact date would depend on how much money they raise during the summer. “But I can tell you we’re not able to raise an entire year’s budget. We’re young.”
City Wildlife, which works closely with the D.C.’s Animal Control, opened in August 2013 and made a name for itself after it took care of a rare snowy owl that was hit by a bus in January.
“The city’s needed this for decades,” said Lewis, who’s been involved with Animal Control and the Washington Humane Society since 1990. Before then, there was nowhere to bring wildlife in D.C. “I know first hand how difficult that was both for animal control and for the wildlife.”
Lewis said she’s been “pleasantly surprised and gratified by community support.”
“People come in all the time and say, ‘Oh thank heavens you’re here. It’s about time,'” she said. “I think we are necessary, and I would hate to see the city go back to having no place to take wildlife in the city.”
City Wildlife is asking supporters to email members of the Council to provide for the funding. “We just want to remind all the Councilmembers what we do and why we’re necessary,” Lewis said.
Via City Wildlife.
