The Blair County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center is an environmental awareness center established to provide sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife with specialized care; increase public awareness of the importance of wildlife and environmental issues through educational programs; study diseases, their treatments, and captive care of wildlife species. It has been a part of the Bellwood-Antis area for 18 years and is an outstudy program for Penn State University and Juniata College students.
According to founder Deborah O’Shell, it’s mostly pre-med and biology students who take the opportunity to work at the center. Semester credits and summer internships are available for both schools.
Everyone who works at the rehabilitation center does so on a volunteer basis.
The center was founded in the name of and dedicated to Glen Theodore O’Shell.
According to O’Shell, she started the center after her son passed away because it was something that he had always believed in. She wanted to keep that dream alive and started construction of the center on her own property, a lot of the time working alone.
“Really,” O’Shell said, “it started out in the basement of my home. Then I built the first building.”
Eventually a new building was constructed.
The center receives many phone calls from concerned residents every day. Calls come in at all hours, according to O’Shell. She said most of the calls are easily handled over the phone.
“About 3/4 of our calls are educating the public on what to do,” said O’Shell.
She said about seven out of every 10 calls usually end up with the animal being put back into the wild.
A lot of times resident are concerned about animals such as fawns and baby rabbits being abandoned, but often, the best thing to do is leave the babies alone. O’Shell said if the mother’s carcass is not lying nearby, then she will be back.
The best thing to do is call the center and the volunteers can provide information on what to do.
“Often I end up telling the caller to take the animal back to the exact spot where they found it,” said O’Shell.
When an animal is injured and in need of help, residents can take it to the center, where volunteers will provide care.
O’Shell said, “We take care of the injured, sick and abandoned. The healthy ones we want back in the wild. We take anything with a heartbeat.”
According to Pennsylvania law, residents can be fined for taking in a wild animal for rehabilitation. The best thing to do is contact the Blair County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to find out what should be done. The center is licensed and volunteers are able to bring injured animals there for rehabilitation.
The center has permits from the Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior for migratory birds and primates. It also holds permits for endangered species and a Rabies Vector Species License.
It has an education permit, making it a class C exhibitor. This means staff are able to present educational programs within the shelter and elsewhere.
Individuals are able to visit the center by calling 742-7439 to make an appointment. A $5 donation is asked of adults and $3 for children three years of age and older. Children under two-years-old are admitted for free.
The center is funded by educational programs, donations and the thrift store, located on Main Street in Juniata, across from Sheetz.
Currently, volunteers are helping to put new fencing around the compound. This creates a need for extra funding.
O’Shell said there are also plans for upgrades inside as well. She wants to add an area for clean and dirty surgery, x-rays and a holding area for animals in the old wing.
“Donations are greatly needed to finish the outside compound and other projects,” said O’Shell. “Volunteers are always needed too.”
Anyone with questions or who would like more information can call 742-7439 or write to RD2 Box 455, Tyrone, Pa. 16686 to receive an application. Donations may also be sent the that address. There is a wish list of items needed that is available upon request.
Individuals can visit the Blair County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center online at www.bcwr.org for more information.
