$149,738 raised by 660 donors
100% complete
$135,000 Goal
Every year, Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR) provides care for thousands of injured, orphaned, and sick wild animals rescued from throughout Northern California. Founded in 1991, GCWR provides lifesaving care to wildlife in crisis and returns them back to their natural habitat where they belong. Permitted by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, our Wildlife Intake Center has helped more than 55,000 wild animals a second chance at life.
Who We Help:
We care for injured, sick and orphaned wildlife, many of which have been impacted by:
Our Impact (2025):
What Your Support Makes Possible:
Why Wildlife Rehabilitation Matters:
By saving wildlife, we:
Why Give Today?
Wildlife emergencies don't wait. Your donation, no matter how small, helps ensure that when an animal is hit by a car, orphaned or displaced by wildfire, there is a trusted community resource with experts available to help.
Looking Ahead:
We are expanding onto our 15-acre property to meet the growing need and to ensure GCWR has the capability to support the highest standard of care for the tens of thousands of wild animals who will need help in the decades to come.
Rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured, sick and orphaned wildlife while advancing public awareness and understanding of the critical role of wildlife within the ecosystems we share.
Northern California is home to some of the state’s richest and most diverse wildlife, a source of pride and ecological importance. But with that comes a growing responsibility.
Accelerating habitat loss and other human-caused impacts are placing unprecedented pressure on native wildlife. As a result, more animals than ever are being displaced, injured, and orphaned, and they need help to survive.
When Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR) was founded in 1991, Placer County’s population was approximately 180,000, and we cared for about 300 animals each year.
Today, the county’s population has more than doubled, and GCWR now treats nearly 4,000 animals annually, drawn from across the surrounding region.
At the same time, the severity of injuries has increased, requiring more intensive medical care, longer rehabilitation periods, and significantly more space. Our current facility, originally built 60 years ago as a domestic animal shelter, is no longer sufficient to meet this demand. While we have purchased a 15-acre property to help meet the demand, we still need resources to fully develop the property so that we can move all of our operations.
Without expanded resources, we risk turning animals away or limiting the level of care we can provide.
Our Most Urgent Needs
• Critical Care Resources:
Specialized nutrition, medication, medical supplies, and appropriate enclosures for approximately 4,000 wild patients each year.
• Skilled Staffing:
Trained Wildlife Technicians who provide daily, hands-on care, under the guidance of community veterinarians. Their work, supported by dedicated volunteers and interns, ensures we can remain open 365 days a year.
• Facility Expansion:
Our current Wildlife Intake Center is aged, undersized, and requires significant maintenance. We have purchased a 15-acre property that allows us to invest in a long-term solution, designed specifically for wildlife rehabilitation. We have already built 15 animal enclosures on the property and are now working on the infrastructure that will allow us to fully move our operations, including refurbishing the donated modular buildings, bringing in power and water, and paving the driveway and parking lot. Enhancements will include a dedicated medical and surgical suite, which will facilitate expansion of veterinary partnerships, strengthening wildlife care across the region.
• Bear Cub Rehabilitation:
Our specialized apex predator enclosure on our 15-acre property provides critical space for orphaned Black Bear cubs, with capacity for up to 8 cubs at a time. Black Bear cubs are expensive to rehabilitate as they eat large amounts of food and require a high-calorie diet.
Gold Country Wildlife Rescue is committed to embracing diversity and fostering an inclusive environment for employees, volunteers, Board members, and supporters. In our interconnected world, the ability to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds is crucial for our community, organization, and planet.
We believe that a truly inclusive and equitable workplace is one where everyone, regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, language, sexual orientation or identity, race, religion/spirituality, socioeconomic status, national origin, education, or disability, feels valued and respected.
Organization name
Gold Country Wildlife Rescue
other names
GCWR
1991
Mission Category
Animal Related
Operating Budget
$1,000,001-$5 million
Organization Need
Funding: Unrestricted
Demographics Served
Animals, General population
Local Counties Served
El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Yolo
Address
11251 B AvenueOther
P.O. Box 4162Placer, CA, US
El Dorado, CA, US
Sacramento, CA, US
Yolo, CA, US
Nevada County, CA, US