Wildlife in Need Emergency Response of Pennsylvania

Goal: $15,000.00

Specific Need

How will your donation help Wildlife In Need?

This year Wildlife In Need PA (WIN) will be promoting a public awareness campaign focused on keeping Crawford County’s waterways clean and safe for wildlife, residents, and visitors. WIN continues to receive calls regarding wild birds, including Bald Eagles, Barred Owls, Great Blue Herons, songbirds, ducks, and geese, entangled in discarded fishing line, lures, and bobbers. In addition, many of the animals rescued near waterways were found to be suffering from lead toxicity caused by the ingestion of lead sinkers and lead shot.

Crawford County has approximately 19 waterway access areas overseen by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Pennsylvania Game Commission, the French Creek Valley Conservancy, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the Crawford County Conservation District Watershed Program.
Funds for materials are needed to construct and install fishing line receptacles in 15 areas where there currently are none. Bird protectors will be installed on new and existing receptacles at fishing access locations throughout Crawford County. Funding would also support the creation of signs and decals promoting clean, safe, and beautiful waterways, as well as informational rack cards to be distributed at the I-79 rest stops in Crawford County, Welcome Centers on I-80 and I-90, Wildlife In Need outreach booths, and other community displays.

Clear plastic containers displaying the project theme logo and Wildlife In Need contact information will be utilized. Collected fishing line will be deposited inside the containers, while educational materials placed within the containers will provide anglers with information on preventing wildlife entanglement and encourage the use of non-lead fishing alternatives. Directions will be included to direct anglers to deposit the discarded fishing line in the fishing line receptacles located at the fishing access areas.

Volunteers will be recruited to regularly collect and properly dispose of the fishing line from the receptacles.

By combining education, prevention, and accessibility, this campaign will promote long-term stewardship of Crawford County’s waterways while helping protect the health and safety of wildlife, residents, and visitors alike.

We need your donations to help promote this campaign.

Your donations will also help our organization invest in the tools and infrastructure necessary to expand our capacity to respond to animals in need. In 2025, WIN responded to well over 5,556 calls. WIN volunteers serve as a vital resource for the public as well as for Pennsylvania wildlife rehabilitators, the Pennsylvania Game Commission, law enforcement agencies, and local businesses. We have reached a point where we can no longer operate solely as an all-volunteer organization. To improve our response and better serve our community, we plan to transition from paying an external communication service to establishing our own dedicated dispatch team. In order to provide more timely and effective assistance, we must begin compensating dispatchers—the first point of contact for concerned citizens reporting animals in need of rescue. To make this transition possible, we need your financial support.

Our goal for this year’s Crawford County Gives campaign is $15,000.

We respectfully ask for your help in reaching this goal and strengthening our ability to care for wildlife in need.

Mission

1) To provide a statewide dispatch network for capturing and arranging transport of injured, orphaned and sick wildlife within the state of Pennsylvania.

2) To provide charitable and legal service to veterinarians, PA licensed wildlife rehabilitators and state and local wildlife officials by providing a service to capture and transport sick, orphaned or injured wild animals to a wildlife veterinarian or wildlife rehabilitation center for treatment and continued care; and return the wild animal(s) as requested by the wildlife rehabilitator to the location near where it was found, to be released back to their wild and natural habitat.

3) To provide education about Pennsylvania wildlife to the general public by private consultation and lectures.

4) To publish information through our website, educating the public on Pennsylvania wildlife and wildlife issues.

5) To provide education and practical experience for volunteers interested in becoming permitted in Capture and Transport.

6) To engage in other activities related to promoting the welfare of Pennsylvania wildlife and educating the public about wildlife related issues.

Profile

Wildlife In Need PA (WIN) is an all-volunteer, statewide organization dedicated to helping Pennsylvania's sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife.

Our volunteers respond to wildlife emergencies by capturing then transporting animals to licensed wildlife rehabilitators, helping ensure they receive the specialized care they need.

Through volunteer training, community outreach, and public education, WIN also works to reduce preventable wildlife injuries and strengthen connections between communities and Pennsylvania's wildlife.