Lack of funds forces Wild at Heart to close for good

As of Dec. 2, and after more than a decade of taking care of injured and orphaned wildlife, Wild at Heart is done.

Veterinarian Rod Jouppi is the founder and past president of the wildlife centre located in Lively, just west of Greater Sudbury.

He says the decision to close was not an easy one and it was not made quickly.

"We have never been able to bring in enough money during the year to do what we do and it's expensive," he said.

"We do not get any payment from any level of government or anything on an ongoing basis so it's a struggle every year," explained Jouppi.

Fundraising efforts, bank loans, and even personal loans have not been enough to keep the centre afloat. 

He says the Wild at Heart board has tried — without success — to find a major partner or someone to work with the wildlife rehabilitation centre, or take it over.

Jouppi volunteers his services, as do the board members, but he says it costs a minimum of $125,000 to $150,000 annually to run the centre.

"We get the odd grant for students from time to time . . . but we don't have any continuity of even an employed person," said Jouppi.

Jouppi says it's left pretty much up to him and his wife and a few other volunteers to be there every day.

"You cannot have an organization that depends only on one or two people because that's not sustainable," he said.

Pet Save is taking over the Wild at Heart property and building. That organization has been rescuing abandoned and abused dogs and cats for almost 20 years.

But Jouppi explains that Pet Save will not be rescuing wildlife.

"You cannot mix wild animals and domestic pets," said Jouppi. "That's not allowed under Ministry of Natural Resources regulations and they don't have expertise in that area."

Jouppi is hopeful that someone else will step up to provide a wildlife service similar to that of Wild at Heart.

"But I can't see anyone doing something the size of ours without some kind of continuing revenue,' he added.

"I think we've done a lot of good for many years in northern Ontario," said Jouppi. "I really hope that there's a level of government that sees fit to support a wildlife centre in the future. You can't have healthy people on our planet without healthy animals."