NW's wildlife rehabilitators need more help

Spring and summer are busy times of year for the Northwest’s wildlife rehabilitators, but such organizations need more help, especially in Washington state.

“We do what we can, but we don't have enough volunteers here or enough paid staff here to go out and collect wild animals," said Marcie Logsdon, a wildlife veterinarian at Washington State University. "We, for the most part, rely on the public and good Samaritans to bring them to us."

There are only seven permitted wildlife rehab centers in Eastern Washington, including a site at WSU.

Logsdon says she’s hopeful more Northwest residents might be interested in becoming wildlife rehabilitators, or volunteers to help transport animals that need help. There’s a need to transport these animals from the Tri-Cities, Spokane, Clarkston, and Lewiston areas.

Logsdon says people interested in becoming rehabbers in Washington have to do six months, or 1,000 hours, of volunteer work at a wildlife rehabilitation center.

Read the full story on the challenges that Northwest wildlife rehabilitators face,and learn about volunteering opportunities, at Northwest Public Broadcasting.