The fourth annual Caring for our Wildlife online auction, a fundraiser for the Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre, will open at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 and close at 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. You can bid on approximately 300 items including unique works of art, jewelry, experiences, handcrafted treasures, and more, and all proceeds support animal care at the centre.
Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre is a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility and a registered charity, located in the City of Greater Sudbury. The Centre serves an enormous geographic area – about 130,000 square kilometers of northern Ontario.
“There is an extreme need for wildlife rehabilitation in northern Ontario, and we’re attempting to fulfill that need for the vast area we cover,” said Gloria Morissette, the centre’s authorized wildlife custodian, in a release. “This annual online auction is one of the ways we pay for food, medical equipment, and housing for our wild patients. The communities really come together to make it a success every year, and we’re so grateful for their support.”
One supporter in particular, Northern Legacy Horse Farm, pledged to match the total dollar amount the auction raises.
“We’re happy to support Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre. We’ve seen that they’re not only helping individual animals, but also providing a valuable service to the communities of northern Ontario,” said Craig Fielding, one of Northern Legacy Horse Farm’s owners. “Many of the wild animals in their care are there due to human activity, and we think that helping them is just the right thing to do.”
Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre has taken in animals from as far away as Kenora, Timmins, North Bay, and Manitoulin Island. In 2022, the Centre cared for 800 wild animals – each with its own special dietary, housing, and treatment needs. The costs add up – reaching $80,000 last year.
Lisa McIvor, the volunteer who has led the auction for the past four years said in the release that “People want to help Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre, and this online auction is an easy and enjoyable way for us to work together to ensure that northern Ontarians have access to wildlife rehabilitation services,” she said. “This year especially, every donation and every bid will have twice the impact thanks to the generosity of Northern Legacy Horse Farm. We’re grateful for their support, and the support of all our donors, bidders, and our presenting sponsor, the Sudbury Regional Cat Hospital.”
The Turtle Pond Wildlife Centre also:
- Helps to protect biodiversity (i.e. all species of turtle are at-risk in Ontario).
- Acts as an educational resource for people who come into contact or conflict with wildlife.
- Provides a place for people to bring orphaned, injured, or ill wild animals where they’ll receive the best possible care and a chance to return to the wild.
- Cares for wild animals that people aren’t allowed to keep without a license - wildlife is everyone's responsibility.
- Protects public health by being alert to the possibility of zoonoses (diseases that can transfer from animals to humans).
You can find the fourth annual Caring for our Wildlife online auction at 32auctions.com/turtlepond2023
