If it’s unable to claw out of a growing deficit, Ontario’s largest raccoon rescue sanctuary may be forced to close its doors by the end of September.
Located on 50 acres of land in the City of Kawartha Lakes, southwest of Peterborough, Mally’s Third Chance Raccoon Rescue and Rehabilitation Sanctuary for the past 11 years has been rescuing and rehabilitating injured and orphaned raccoons and releasing them back into the wild.
In June 2022, the sanctuary went from being a registered foster to an independent wildlife custodian authorized by the province.
While their title changed, the demand for service hasn’t as the sanctuary remains at capacity with up to 100 raccoons on site under the watchful eye and caring hands of a team of volunteers.
However, the facility receives no provincial funding and relies on public donations, notes owner/operator Derek (he requested his last name not be released to protect the location of the sanctuary to avoid unannounced animal drop-offs).
The challenge — and the sanctuary’s deficit — is magnified when supporting raccoons from birth to release costs the sanctuary more than six times the amount of funds from donor, he says. The centre receives about $3,200 a month in donations.
And as his own personal finances are draining to support the site, Derek expects to close the doors to Mally’s on Sept. 30, giving public notice on July 31.
“It’s been a lot of work and a lot of stress and we didn’t see an end,” he told Global News.
“The board told us it was unsustainable to carry on. It was depressing.”
Cairo Bastianelli, the sanctuary’s wildlife rehabilitator, says the situation is “emotionally and financially exhausting.”
“We get phone calls every single day and we want to help every single raccoon,” said Bastianelli. “But how do you do that when you don’t have the funds?”
Mally’s Chance is named after a baby raccoon found abandoned 14 years ago. Despite Derek’s attempts to feed her, the animal died, igniting his passion to learn more about the highly independent and usually solitary, nocturnal mammals.
“Basically the animal died in my arms,” he said. “So that created a lot of emotion and a big passion to want to do more.”
But animal care comes at a cost.
“We never know, if we can help one tomorrow or not,” the sanctuary stated on July 31. ” We have exceeded our limits for some time now and are unable to proceed supplementing the needs. Our passion has taken all we have — money, heart and soul.”
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, wildlife custodians authorized under the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act are not entitled to any remuneration.
“Typically, custodians fundraise and take donations to offset the costs they incur,” stated Marcelo Maya, corporate communications officer.
“(The) MNRF remains committed to supporting wildlife custodians. MNRF recognizes the hard work and dedication of wildlife custodians and will continue to work with them on the health and sustainability of Ontario’s wildlife populations.”
Ontario Wildlife Rescue — which raises money for wildlife rescue centres and assists in their startups — says funding shortfalls are becoming all too common at animal rescues.
“We have to come up with something better than what we currently have, where these centres are quite literally, sort of existing on the edge, all of the time,” Donald told Global News.
The organization estimates at one point there were up to 200 wildlife rescues in Ontario — a number that has dropped to nearly 50.
“This year — as far as I remember — is probably the worst year ever,” said Donald. “The number of injured or orphaned wild animals has sort of gone through the roof.”
Fundraising push
In a last-ditch effort, Mally’s Third Chance launched a fundraising campaign on its website and social media pages.
And the support has been fur-midable — 462 people have committed to be a monthly sponsor, including a “large United States sponsor,” totalling nearly $12,000 a month.
That commitment is over half of the $20,000 a month needed to keep the facility in operation.
“We really have no words to express the kindness we are seeing towards these animals,” Derek stated on the sanctuary’s Facebook page. ” I honestly didn’t expect this. We are emotional on how to respond and remain confused now on how to proceed. What I do know is that there is hope from what we are witnessing.”
Derek says the sanctuary in the short-term it will remain “reserved” for animal intakes to ensure they can safely manage the animals they will have to care for over the winter until its licence expires next spring.
— with files from Germain Ma/Global News Peterborough