VICTORIA -- As the days grow colder on Vancouver Island, an animal rescue centre has issued a holiday wish list for supplies to help with animal care this winter.
The BC SPCA Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre, or Wild ARC, is looking for a variety of supplies, ranging from office materials to animal care items to cleaning supplies.
According to Wild ARC manager Ginelle Smith, the animal rehab centre is looking for "monetary (donations) or supplies for us."
"We already have some things arriving here from Amazon that people are buying which is so sweet," she said.
A full list of Wild ARC’s supplies wish list can be found here. While all the items are in need, Smith says that some supplies are needed more urgently than others, like supplies that is used daily.
"We can always use bleach and toilet paper and garbage bags," she said.
As far as special items go, Wild ARC says it is in need of faunariums, which are tiny home structures for animals like mice or reptiles. Smith says that faunariums are needed this winter and can be repurposed for small birds like hummingbirds in the summer.
She adds that bottle nipples are urgently needed, which are used to feed animals, like infant raccoons. A standard flow version is best, says Smith.
While many organizations have been struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith says that Wild ARC has not seen a drastic dip in donations.
She thanks the Vancouver Island community for its generosity to the longstanding animal care centre, which first opened in Metchosin in 1997.
"We just want to say thank you to everybody for their continued support for our facility," said Smith. "We’re really appreciative."
Donations to Wild ARC can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily at the facility, located at 1020 Malloch Rd.
In 2019, the animal rescue centre cared for 2,869 injured or orphaned animals.
