Delaware wildlife rehabilitators are raising money for a dedicated wildlife center

Wildlife rehabilitators across Delaware are raising money for a dedicated center, WDEL reported on October 19, 2026, from Ellendale. The Delaware Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators and Educators now depends on volunteers who take injured and orphaned animals into their homes. The group says it cares for hundreds of animals a year and answers more than 3,000 calls from the public.

A building would give people one place to bring an animal, let the volunteers take in more of them, and add medical care that a spare room cannot match. Tonyea Mead, a rehabilitator, said they also hope to run education programs there. Sherry Hulse said a lot of the current cost, food, housing, and veterinary bills, comes out of caregivers' pockets. Albert Rizzo tied the need to habitat loss: as development spreads, more animals are pushed out of the places they used. The center they are describing would also be a place to release animals, train volunteers, and study patients. It is a fundraising project, not a building with the doors open.