Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre in Napanee, Ont. holds 15th annual fundraiser this weekend

Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre is the only organization of its kind in Southeastern Ontario.

Sue Meech, the centre’s founder, is licenced provincially and federally to care for and rehabilitate injured wild animals.

However, she doesn’t do it alone. The wildlife centre located on the western skirts of Napanee has a small army of 200 volunteers.

Sandy Pines has grown to the point where it sees 5,000 animals a year, ranging from deer and a range of raptors to every type of turtle that can be found in Ontario.

Further, animals rehabilitated at the centre can need drugs, specialized diets and even surgery, which leads to a budget in the neighbourhood of $500,000.

To meet those costs, the centre is holding its 15th annual art and jewelry sale this weekend.

2:10 Orphaned animals on the rise at Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre

The centre’s veterinary assistant, Julia Evoy, says the art and jewelry is donated by community supporters.

“People are donating art and jewelry to us throughout the year,” she explained.

Those donations will be on display for purchase at the Frontenac Mall in Kingston from Feb. 7 to 9, Evoy says.

“There’s all kinds of jewelry from custom jewelry to expensive items and then all kinds of art,” she said.

Evoy’s expertise is animals, she says that’s why they don’t determine the value of the items at the fundraiser.

“It’s all appraised and we have real good deals on it.”

In past years, the three-day sale has netted the charity an average of $4,000.

1:59 It only happens once a year, when the public is allowed inside the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre