We are dedicated to the protection and well-being of all animals–domestic and wildlife.
The S.A.F.E. Foundation’s vision is a commitment to saving and improving the lives and health of animals in need. Helping to protect their natural environment is key to their survival. We offer assistance to animal shelters to find loving forever homes for homeless animals with a goal of eliminating euthanasia. We look for opportunities to work with organizations that provide rehabilitation to animals in a safe, natural environment critical to their survival. The S.A.F.E. Foundation will join animal rescue groups to successfully relocate animals displaced by natural disasters, forest fires, and loss of habitat.
Save Animals From Extinction
Make a Difference… Volunteer
As a volunteer, you are key to the success of helping animal shelters get these animals adopted into their loving forever homes. Volunteers are the “unsung heroes” who do this because of their love and concern for animals.
As a volunteer…
1. You will be making a difference to get animals ready to be adopted.
They need care, grooming, feeding, health checks, clean living quarters, human interaction, affection, exercise, socialization, and playtime.
2. You will be making a difference in your community.
Abandoned and scared animals wander neighborhoods and city streets. They are rescued and brought to a safe environment to the local animal shelter or rescue center where you’ll be caring for them until they’re adopted.
3. You will be making a difference in your sense of responsibility.
The awareness knowing that these animals are completely dependent upon you. The shelter and its staff will also depend upon you as a representative of their organization.
4. You will be making a difference not only in the lives of the animals, but also in the lives of many people.
When families and individuals adopt an animal into their forever homes, their lives will be enriched with unconditional love and appreciation from their newly adopted “family member” that you had cared for.
5. You will be making a difference in your life with a sense of purpose.
You’ll experience fulfillment knowing you are doing something that matters. It will change the lives of these innocent animals and their new families who adopt them. As you care for and interact with these special animals, a bond will form and you’ll be thanked with lots of affection, lots of purring, and lots of wagging tails.
6. You will be making a difference in your mental and physical health by staying active.
Whether you are retired, working, or a student, spending some time helping out at an animal shelter or rescue center, you will feel a lift in your mood and life. You will be with other people who share the same interest in helping animals find their forever homes. Enjoy fresh air and a little exercise taking the dogs on walks, playing catch, and grooming them. Or engage the cats with play time to enjoy their entertaining personalities or enjoy quiet time with them as nap and purr on your lap. Spending time with these incredible animals is enjoyable, fun, and very rewarding.
Whatever your reason may be for volunteering, when you make the commitment to volunteer, you will be making a difference not only in the lives of many animals, but also your own. Contact your local animal shelter.
Be their hero and change their world…ADOPT!
Do you want to do more? For just one dollar a day, your donations can help save the lives of many of our fur friends.
In The Spotlight
During the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, many nonprofit organizations, animal shelters, and others “jumped into action” to rescue and relocate animals-both domestic and wildlife, or made space in their facility to give shelter and aid to animals in need, or took in injured wildlife to care for and rehabilitate with the goal of being able to release them safely back into the wild if their injuries were healed and they would be able to take care of themselves if released.
The S.A.F.E. Foundation contacted several of these organizations and shelters to see how we could be of assistance and how we could support these “heroes.” The S.A.F.E. Foundation purchased and shipped any items they needed; not surprisingly, their lists were long and varied.
For example, requests included food for all types of animals, baby formulas, toys, heating pads, travel cases, transport cages, small animal hammocks, towels, cleaners, burn ointments, bandages, blankets, gloves, various animal treats, bathing tubs, litter boxes, litter, etc.
One of these organizations the S.A.F.E. Foundation helped was the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center (WWCC) in Huntington Beach, a well-known nonprofit rehabilitation center in Orange County.
The WWCC graciously agreed to meet with us and give us a tour. Upon arriving we met with the Executive Director, Debbie McGuire, who showed us around accompanied by technician, Newt Likier, who was well-versed on everything from the animals to the facility’s inner workings.
It was clear that everyone we met there took their work seriously and has a deep compassion for and commitment to animal welfare and to all the animals they’re caring for. We were so impressed!
However, it was hard not to get angry when we saw baby (and adult) animals that were injured or abandoned due to human carelessness. The Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center offers schools the opportunity to bring students to learn about the ecosystems and the animals that live in them. There are several interactive stations students can have fun with.
The Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center and all of its volunteers and staff are professional, knowledgeable, hard-working, and committed! Orange County is lucky to have such a valuable resource here that does amazing work in rehabilitating and releasing wildlife. They depend on donations to provide for the animals. Please take the time to visit the WWCC and you’ll be inspired to donate not only your money, but your time in a local rescue center or shelter near you!
Learn more about the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center with the Q&A interview the S.A.F.E. Foundation did with the Executive Director, Debbie McGuire.
SPOTLIGHT Q&A
Q: When was the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center established? At the same location it is now?
A: QUICK HISTORY: In 1972, we became the first licensed wildlife rehabilitator in the state of California. First operating in Anaheim, CA out of the North Orange County School District Regional Occupational Program. We were then known as the Alliance for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education (AWRE). On Feb 7, 1990, at 4:53 p.m., 1.4 miles out from the shores of Huntington Beach, the anchor of the American Trader Oil tanker punctured a hole in its hull, spilling 400,000 gallons of Alaskan crude oil onto Huntington Beach and Newport Beach sickening more than 4,000 animals. The first incoming birds were housed at the Huntington Beach Junior Lifeguard Tower and were then moved several days later to a temporary facility on Terminal Island in Long Beach. CDFW, USFWS, and other organizations came to help us treat the oiled birds. Only 600 (approximately 15%) of the affected animals and birds survived treatment at a makeshift facility. It was obvious that we were not prepared to respond to such emergencies. An oil-soaked bird lying helpless on a beach stained with black crude oil – it’s a haunting image, one with which we are all too familiar with in Southern California. By 1989, the year of the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska, the wildlife community had already been networking to rescue affected wildlife from devastating disasters. The 1990 American Trader oil spill in Huntington Beach further mobilized the wildlife care community in Southern California. This major event brought concerned individuals, local and state government officials So Cal Edison, and citizen groups such as AWRE and the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy (HBWC) together to begin planning for the WWCC. On March 31, 1997, with the assistance of CDFW, OSPR, So Cal Edison, and others, the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center (WWCC) opened at our current location. We officially changed our name with the move.
Q: What is the basic Mission of the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center?
A: Our mission is to educate the public about the human impact on wildlife and mitigate that impact through the rehabilitation and release of injured, orphaned, oiled, and sick wildlife.
Q: Is the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center a nonprofit organization? Besides public donations, do you receive funding from any federal, state, or local agencies?
A: We are a 501(C)3 charitable organization. We receive some funding from a few city animal controls and competitive grants.
Q: What types of animals do you care for and rehabilitate?
A: We care for and rehabilitate all native California species, with only a few exceptions like skunks and crows. We don’t take any marine mammals.
Q: On average, how many animals in a month are treated? Is there a busy season?
A: Our busy season is spring and summer (or baby season). At that time we are caring for over 1,000 patients.
Q: What animal species tend to be more difficult to treat? Why? And the easiest? Why?
A: This is a hard question. We see over 200 different species of animals every year. One of the more difficult species is the tiny hummingbird. They are small and have very fast metabolisms which means they must eat often. So, they are difficult because they require a lot of care. If a hummingbird suffers a wing fracture, it’s almost impossible to mend it correctly so that they can hover and fly. One of the easiest is the band-tailed pigeon because they pose no danger to us.
Q: How do these injured and rescued animals come to the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center?
A: Members of the public, life guards, and animal control officers bring us our patients.
Q: Are many of the injured animals or those that are rescued due to human causation?
A: Most of our patients are here because of humans, either directly or indirectly.
Q: What types of injuries or rescues caused by human actions do you encounter?
A: Fishing gear entanglements, pellets/arrows/other projectiles, window strikes, glue traps, oilings, vehicle collisions, cat and dog attacks, poisoning, wildfires, etc.
Q: How do you and the staff stay motivated during these emotionally taxing cases?
A: It’s important to remember that we are giving these animals a chance they wouldn’t otherwise get. We are actively helping to improve the lives of our patients, and that matters.
Q: Is the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center’s goal to release animals once they’re rehabilitated back into the wild or in a safe environment? What circumstances might prevent this?
A: The wild is our primary release location. We wait for good weather and the right time of day for different species. Rain, wildfires, and human interference can get in the way.
Q: During the treatment of wildlife, how do you ensure that once they’re rehabilitated, they haven’t been habituated to humans?
A: We leave the animals alone as much as possible. Once the medical aspects are done, animals go to outdoor enclosures to finish the process and gain their strength back. The only time they are bothered is for feedings and cleanings. For baby animals, we use face shields and ghillie suits to disguise our human faces.
Q: Are there any situations that would require you to use a tracking device on released wildlife to monitor their movements for their safety?
A: During unusual events like oil spills or mass strandings, we may federally band birds. Birds can only be banded after special permission is granted by the USGS. We just installed a MOTUS tracking antenna on our building to track the movements of birds. Our antenna, the first in Orange County, helps gather information on migration, roosting sites, longevity, and if they encounter any mishaps.
Q: Does the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center partner with any federal, state, or local organizations (or agencies) that protect and monitor the released wildlife?
A: We partner with the CDFW, OWCN, USFWS, and MOTUS.ORG through Canada Birds.
Q: Besides volunteers, who is on staff- i.e., veterinarians, technicians, etc.?
A: We have thirteen paid staff. We have one licensed part-time veterinarian on staff, One Executive Director, two administrative support staff, eight wildlife technicians, and one volunteer coordinator.
Q: How many volunteers do you have currently?
A: We have approximately 250 volunteers.
Q: If someone wants to become a volunteer, who should they contact?
A: To volunteer, please apply on our website, www.wwccoc.org/volunteer. Our volunteer coordinator will contact you for further information and instructions.
Q: How can people make monetary donations to the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center?
A: Mail in a check. Attend our Fundraiser – Wildlife Baby Shower on Saturday, May 3rd. go to our website at www.wwccoc.org/donate. Choose something off of our Amazon wishlist.
PayPal: http://bit.ly/3CPTLLz
Amazon Wishlist: https://a.co/3iSR2xF
Zelle: debbie.mcguire@wwccoc
Q: Does the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center have a Wish List of items you’re in need of that people can purchase and donate to you? Where can they find that information?
A: Amazon Wishlist: https://a.co/3iSR2xF
QUICK LINKS
Find helpful information-use these quick links:
Contact Us
Address:
S.A.F.E. Foundation
P.O. Box 80177
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Phone: (833) 609-0684
DISCLAIMER