More Hope for Wildlife: Animal rehab centre expands operations to Cape Breton

Hope for Wildlife, a wildlife rehabilitation centre based in Seaforth, N.S., takes more than 7,000 animals into their care each year, and is now poised to help even more.

Hope Swinimer, the founder and director of Hope for Wildlife, says the centre is still busy right now, even though it is wintertime.

“It seems like year-round we have injured animals coming in for help,” she says.

“We’ve been working really hard to do a better job at what we do, so we’ve set up a triage veterinary clinics throughout Nova Scotia.”

The organization has clinics in the Annapolis Valley, the South Shore, and has recently expanded its operations to Lexington, Cape Breton.

Swinimer says the new addition is going to get animals to Seaforth in a more stable condition and avoid long road trips.

“Oftentimes the animals couldn’t withstand that kind of transportation, so now they’ll go to the triage centre,” she says.

“They’ll be stabilized, they’ll be warmed up -- if they need to be warmed up -- they’ll get pain medications, oxygen, everything they need, and then they’ll stabilized there and be transferred to Hope for Wildlife.”

Swinimer says anyone who as a question about a wild animal can give Hope for Wildlife a call from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 902-407-9453.

The Hope for Wildlife triage centres also have a 24-hour drop off service.

Swinimer says the reason for the expanded clinics is “two-fold.”

“One’s for the animals, but one’s also for the people. They’re able to bring a hit-by-a-car animal into us quicker and without as long a drive, so now it’s really convenient,” she says.

“Most people, within an hour, they can get to one of our triage centres. And they know the best thing is being done for that animal.”

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