Animal Adoption Program

The Wildlife Center of Virginia cares for thousands of animals each year, including about 20 permanent animal residents whose injuries or behavioral modifications mean they cannot be returned to the wild.

These animals – including hawks, owls, opossums, and snakes – are important ambassadors for the Center. Many appear with our education staff at school assemblies, in classrooms, and at other events across Virginia. Other animals greet visitors to the Center’s hospital clinic in Waynesboro.

Through Caring for Critters, generous supporters of the Wildlife Center “adopt” one of these education animals.

Your Caring for Critters donation helps provide food, shelter and medical care for the sponsored animal … supports the Center’s educational programs … and helps provide state-of-the-art emergency care to thousands of animals admitted to the Wildlife Center each year.

Caring for Critters also makes a unique and memorable gift … for a child … student … friends and family. Sponsorships can also be made to an entire class at your local school.

As a Caring for Critters sponsor, you [or your gift recipient] will receive a special Caring for Critters sponsorship packet, including:

• The sponsored animal’s biography
• A photo of the animal
• Detailed information about the characteristic of the animal’s species, and
• A personalized certificate of sponsorship

Please help support the Wildlife Center by adopting one … or more … of these wonderful Center animals:

Eagles, Falcons, & Hawks

• Edie [American Kestrel]
• Norfolk Eagle [Bald Eagle]
• Kettler [Broad-winged Hawk]
• Junior [Golden Eagle]
• Scarlette [Red-tailed Hawk]

Owls

• Gustavo [Barred Owl]
• Misty [Barred Owl]
• Buzz [Great Horned Owl]
• Mama G’Ho [Great Horned Owl]
• Alex [Screech Owl]
• Pignoli [Screech Owl]

Other Birds

• Jaz [American Crow]

Opossums

• Ferdinand
• Garv
• Hillary
• Lily
• Virginia

Snakes & Tortoises

• Cleo [California King Snake]
• Spike [Common Snapping Turtle]
• Cornelius [Corn Snake]
• Severus [Eastern Rat Snake]
• Squirt [Garter Snake]
• Emma [Russian Tortoise]

Meet all of our Education Animals

OR  … Sponsor a Special Animal in Need

While animals being treated at the Wildlife Center stay, on average, about 10 – 12 days, some require extended care.  For example, in February 2008, the Wildlife Center admitted a turtle whose hibernation was disturbed when it was dug up, and chewed on, by a dog.  The turtle’s shell was extensively damaged but was repairable.   Turtles heal slowly … and after 457 days of Wildlife Center care, the turtle was released back to the wild.

If you sponsor a “Special Animal in Need”, we’ll select one of our patients that we expect will need extended care at the Center.  You [or your gift recipient] will receive components of a regular Caring for Critters sponsorship package … plus updates on your patient’s status. 

A six-month Caring for Critters sponsorship is $25. A full-year sponsorship is $50.

A Caring for Critters sponsorship is available via Paypal.  Please use the “Special Instructions” field on the final screen to let us know the animals you’ll be sponsoring. 

Or contact the Center at (540) 942-9453 or email us at wildlife@wildlifecenter.org.

News stories about the Center’s Caring for Critters program:

People Can Sponsor Center’s Animals, The Free Lance-Star

Injured Animals Help Teach, The Free Lance-Star

Donor Privacy Policy

The Wildlife Center of Virginia never sells, rents, trades, or otherwise shares our supporters’ names, mailing addresses, email addresses, or other personal information with any other organization. The Wildlife Center never sends out mailings on behalf of other organizations.