Local wildlife centre ready to open

Kawartha Wildlife Centre leasing temporary location

ENNISMORE — Olivia Vandersanden has found a building in Ennismore suitable to open a temporary wildlife rehabilitation centre.

The licensed veterinary technician is leasing out space in a former animal hospital on Robinson Road, in a long building in front of Ennismore Foodland.

The space, she says, is ideal for the Kawartha Wildlife Centre while work continues to develop a 200-acre property near Omemee where the permanent centre would be located.

Vandersanden says she needs to raise more money to pay for surveys of that property before structures are constructed.

This summer, however, she will install cages on the Omemee property for recovering animals. After being treated at the new Ennismore centre, they will stay in cages until they are healthy enough to be released into the wild. Last summer, Vandersanden says she received her licence from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for the Kawartha Wildlife Centre.

“The vet hospital in Ennismore was sitting vacant and the rent was cheap,” Vandersanden said.

The Ennismore location will be used as office space and for emergency care. An operation room will also be set up where a veterinarian can conduct surgeries.

But before the centre is fully operational, Vandersanden says it must pass a Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry inspection. She hopes that inspection is done by the end of April.

Until the centre passes the inspection, Vandersanden says she cannot accept animals.

In the meantime, Vandersanden and other volunteers will start sprucing up the Ennismore office. On Saturday, a team has agreed to help paint and install cupboards and counters. All material has been donated.

But help is still needed, Vandersanden says. If anyone wants to assist with the project, gift cards for Home Depot or Home Hardware will be accepted. That way she can use the cards to pick up items she needs for the centre.

Once the work is done and passes inspection, she says she will be able to accept injured animals. The centre will service the entire Kawartha Lakes region, an area lacking a rehabilitation centre for wildlife. The closest wildlife centre, she says, is more than an hour away.

NOTE: If interested in helping out, visit the Kawartha Wildlife Centre’s website at www.kawarthawildlifecentre.ca.

LANCE ANDERSON METROLAND This building on Robinson Road in Ennismore will be the temporary home of the Kawartha Wildlife Centre. Once up and running, injured wildlife native to Ontario will be treated before being released back into the wild.