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Coyote
Rescue, Rehabilitate & Educate

Pacific Wildlife Care has been serving wildlife in the San Luis Obispo area since 1984.

Owl
Who We Are

Donors, volunteers & staff working together to support the wildlife of San Luis Obispo County through rehabilitation and educational outreach.

Ducks
What We Do

Pacific Wildlife Care treats nearly 3,000 wild animal patients every year, from over 200 different species. Our goal? To return healthy animals to the wild! We also provide educational presentations for local organizations and schools.

Raccoon
Why it Matters

"Wildlife rehabilitation is a process of coming to know something quite unlike you, to understand it well enough not only to keep it alive but also to put it back, like a puzzle piece, into the gap in the world it left behind."
-- Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk.

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Help Us Build a Forever Home for Wildlife!

Pacific Wildlife Care is thrilled to announce our plans for a new, permanent home in San Luis Obispo. Located on a beautiful 10-acre property, the Kim and Derrel Ridenour Wildlife Rehabilitation Center will enable us to better serve our community’s wildlife. Our comprehensive goal of $11.5 million will secure funding needed for the construction of this transformational project and create a sustainable future for PWC.  Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, we’ve raised $5.7 million towards the $7 million needed for initial planning and construction needs. Additionally we have raised $3.8 million in legacy gifts to help create a sustainable future for PWC. 

With construction starting in early 2025, your support is vital. Donate today to help us create a brighter future for wildlife in San Luis Obispo County.

Behind the Scenes at PWC

Pacific Wildlife Care (PWC) has been an advocate for wildlife in San Luis Obispo County since 1984. 

From that time we have grown from a small group of dedicated home rehabilitators into a successful non-profit organization with a well-equipped rehabilitation center, a full-time wildlife veterinarian, a small paid staff, and nearly 200 volunteers.  In addition to the Rehabilitation Center, which is open every day of the year, we maintain a Wildlife Hotline that the public can call to report distressed wildlife (injured, sick, orphaned) and to receive information about our local wildlife.

Home-Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education

The Latest from PWC

Pacific Wildlife Care News

Pacific Wildlife Care Facebook

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Facebook Posts

Some of the baby animals we treated this year to brighten your feed ❤️ #wildliferehab #babyanimals #protectwildlifeImage attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

Some of the baby animals we treated this year to brighten your feed ❤️

#wildliferehab #babyanimals #protectwildlife
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53 minutes ago
Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Volunteer Appreciation Event this weekend! We celebrated with donuts and beautiful views at Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria. We’re incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated group of volunteers who give their time, energy, and resources to help wildlife. Whether they’re rescuing or transporting animals, prepping diets and medications, washing dishes, educating the public, or supporting our events, all our volunteers play an essential role in PWCs mission. Our volunteers’ passion, commitment, and hard work inspire us every day and make a meaningful difference for wildlife in San Luis Obispo County. We couldn’t do it without you! A big thank you to Assemblymember Dawn Addis who presented PWC with an Assembly Resolution, acknowledging our achievement in conservation and community engagement. We are honored! We are so grateful to our community and thankful for our volunteers ❤️Image attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

Thank you to everyone who joined us at our Volunteer Appreciation Event this weekend! We celebrated with donuts and beautiful views at Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria. We’re incredibly lucky to have such a dedicated group of volunteers who give their time, energy, and resources to help wildlife. Whether they’re rescuing or transporting animals, prepping diets and medications, washing dishes, educating the public, or supporting our events, all our volunteers play an essential role in PWC's mission.

Our volunteers’ passion, commitment, and hard work inspire us every day and make a meaningful difference for wildlife in San Luis Obispo County. We couldn’t do it without you!

A big thank you to Assemblymember Dawn Addis who presented PWC with an Assembly Resolution, acknowledging our achievement in conservation and community engagement. We are honored!

We are so grateful to our community and thankful for our volunteers ❤️
... See MoreSee Less

18 hours ago
As clocks roll back and nights become longer, you may see nocturnal wildlife more frequently 🌘 Here are three nocturnal critters you might see around SLO County: 🌙 Virginia opossums are the only marsupial found in the U.S. They have 50 teeth (more than any other North American mammal!), which they use to munch on a wide variety of foods, including insects, rodents, fruit, and carrion. When threatened, opossums may play dead, hiss and growl, show their teeth, and drool. This can look scary (great defense!), but opossums pose no real danger to humans. 🦨 Striped skunks are also omnivores and eat a variety of garden pests, including beetles, grubs, wasps, and mice. Well-known for their stinky spray, they actually use this as a last resort. When threatened, they stomp their feet, lift their tail, and make hissing sounds to intimidate a predator. If that doesn’t work, their specialized glands spray potent fluid; they have enough for about 5 sprays and it takes ~10 days to regenerate. Skunks are generally pretty slow movers – unfortunately, this means they often end up as roadkill, as drivers may expect them to run off roads faster than they can. 🦉 Great Horned Owls are powerful predators with excellent eyesight and sensitive hearing. They prey on animals of all sizes, from mice and gophers to skunks and other owls. Like other owls, they often eat their prey whole and later regurgitate the indigestible material as a pellet. Listen for their “who-who” hooting at night! If you see these critters, please give them space and let them be on their way. While nocturnal animals are generally most active at night, you may see them during daylight hours, too. Keep nocturnal wildlife safe: 👉Do not feed wildlife – bring food inside, including pet food. Cover and secure trash and compost 👉Take extra care while driving at night 👉Keep cats inside 👉Do not trap “nuisance” wildlife 👉Turn off nonessential exterior lights, close curtains to keep interior light inside 👉If you don’t want critters seeking shelter around your home, seal up entry points to attics, sheds, and decks (once you’re sure no animal is in there already, of course!) #WildlifeFacts #Owl #Opossum #SkunkImage attachmentImage attachment+2Image attachment

As clocks roll back and nights become longer, you may see nocturnal wildlife more frequently 🌘 Here are three nocturnal critters you might see around SLO County:

🌙 Virginia opossums are the only marsupial found in the U.S. They have 50 teeth (more than any other North American mammal!), which they use to munch on a wide variety of foods, including insects, rodents, fruit, and carrion. When threatened, opossums may play dead, hiss and growl, show their teeth, and drool. This can look scary (great defense!), but opossums pose no real danger to humans.

🦨 Striped skunks are also omnivores and eat a variety of garden pests, including beetles, grubs, wasps, and mice. Well-known for their stinky spray, they actually use this as a last resort. When threatened, they stomp their feet, lift their tail, and make hissing sounds to intimidate a predator. If that doesn’t work, their specialized glands spray potent fluid; they have enough for about 5 sprays and it takes ~10 days to regenerate. Skunks are generally pretty slow movers – unfortunately, this means they often end up as roadkill, as drivers may expect them to run off roads faster than they can.

🦉 Great Horned Owls are powerful predators with excellent eyesight and sensitive hearing. They prey on animals of all sizes, from mice and gophers to skunks and other owls. Like other owls, they often eat their prey whole and later regurgitate the indigestible material as a pellet. Listen for their “who-who” hooting at night!

If you see these critters, please give them space and let them be on their way. While nocturnal animals are generally most active at night, you may see them during daylight hours, too.

Keep nocturnal wildlife safe:
👉Do not feed wildlife – bring food inside, including pet food. Cover and secure trash and compost
👉Take extra care while driving at night
👉Keep cats inside
👉Do not trap “nuisance” wildlife
👉Turn off nonessential exterior lights, close curtains to keep interior light inside
👉If you don’t want critters seeking shelter around your home, seal up entry points to attics, sheds, and decks (once you’re sure no animal is in there already, of course!)

#WildlifeFacts #Owl #Opossum #Skunk
... See MoreSee Less

3 days ago

Freedom Friday! This young Turkey Vulture came into our clinic in mid-October after being hit by a car in San Luis Obispo. Although he was not standing, x-rays revealed no broken bones. He was treated with pain medication and a safe, quiet enclosure to give him time to recover. After 10 days, he passed a flight test and was ready to return home.

#turkeyvulture #freedomfriday #wildliferelease #homesweethome #wildlife #backtothewild
... See MoreSee Less

4 days ago
 

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Info

Mailing Address: PO Box 4613, San Luis Obispo, CA 93403
Center Hours: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm daily
with extended hours April to September
Wildlife Hotline Hours: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm daily
with extended hours April to September
501c3 number: 77-0196350

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Our mission is to support San Luis Obispo County wildlife through rehabilitation and educational outreach.