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.
The Latest from PWC
Pacific Wildlife Care News
Red-tailed Hawk 24-1516: The Final Chapter
The multi-episode saga of RTHA 24-1516 had all the dangers and plot twists of a summer blockbuster. The nestling hawk […]
Golden Eagle 24-1834: The Mystery and Challenges of a Very Large Bird
The story of Golden Eagle 24-1834 was a medical mystery full of clues, detective work, challenges, and one red herring. […]
A Very Good Badger
“Charming” is not a word used in wildlife rehabilitation, but everyone was secretly charmed by American Badger 24-936. More precisely, […]
The Summer of Baby Bats
In the sweltering July heat, baby Mexican Free-tailed Bats dropped to the ground like unripe fruit. These tiny mammals need […]
A First for PWC!
On Friday, July 26th a California Department of Fish and Wildlife Services biologist brought an endangered California Condor into PWC’s […]
Hanging by a Wing
Such an innocuous thing – a piece of string, likely from a kite. Innocuous, maybe, to the human eye, but […]
Facebook Posts
Some of the baby animals we treated this year to brighten your feed ❤️
#wildliferehab #babyanimals #protectwildlife ... See MoreSee Less
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
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
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