Wildlife In Need Center

Home
Wildlife In Need Center

The Wildlife In Need Center: Connecting people and wildlife through rehabilitation, education and research. (262) 965-3090
Address:
W349 S1480 S. Waterville Rd.

Oconomowoc, WI 53066 The Wildlife In Need Center is dedicated to wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education. WINC rehabilitates injured and orphaned wildlife and releases healthy animals back into their natural habitat. WINC also delivers educational programming to area elementary schools and to residents of all ages including scout groups, civic groups and senior citizens. The overall m

essage of the programs is to encourage an understanding and appreciation of Wisconsin wildlife and to provide practical, real life applications on the best way for humans to interact with wildlife.

15/09/2025

As the leaves begin to change colors and fall, please remeber fallen Leaves are used by a variety of wildlife every year. The are home to many invertebrate species and provide vital nutrients to the soil once they decompose.
Some species, like this Blue-spotted Salamander, live in burrows below the leaf litter. Others like Eastern Gray Squirrels and Virginia Opossums use the leaves to insulate their homes. In order to help the wildlife in your area consider leaving the leaves in your yard. Wild birds also continue to eat the dried stems and seedheads from the flowers that grew in your yard this year.

14/09/2025

This Eastern Bluebird was admitted after he was discovered in someone's pool. Since he was trapped and unable to get out of the water he inhaled some of the pool water. Once inhaled it went into his lungs resulting in a respiratory issue. He is now fully recovered and was recently moved to an outdoor aviary prior to his release.

While swimming pools are fun for us they can be dangerous for wildlife. When wild animals get into a pool they can drown or become injured while they try to escape. Luckily this is easily preventable by using a pool cover, fence or by having some type of ledge or floating escape ramp to allow them an easy way out.

13/09/2025

Fall is almost here! And so is the event of the season—the Wildlife In Need Center’s Fine Wine and Dine event!

Join us for an unforgettable evening to sip, savor, and support wildlife. Enjoy a delectable dinner, appetizers, soup, salad, and dessert, all expertly paired with exquisite wines.

Our silent auction will kick off online a week before the event, so stay tuned and get your bids in early—we have some fantastic items lined up!

Do you have your tickets yet? Please RSVP via the link below before October 2nd. Hurry, as tickets are selling fast! To donate or purchase tickets click here: https://helpingwildlife.networkforgood.com/events/89903-13th-annual-fine-wine-dine-event

A big thank you to our sponsors: Aquatica, Waukesha State Bank, and TKO Miller.

For more details, including the menu and wine pairings, please visit our website here: https://www.helpingwildlife.org/events-2023/13th-annual-fine-wine-and-dine-dinner/

Hope to see you there!

12/09/2025

This beautiful juvenile Red-tailed Hawk was found lying in a parking lot barely able to move. She had limited function in her legs due to spinal trauma, likely from some sort of collision. Initially, her legs were too weak for her to stand. We provided her with anti-inflammatory and pain medications, fluids, nutrition, and plenty of much needed rest.

As she healed, she slowly started to regain strength in her legs. One morning we were pleasantly surprised to find her standing on her own! As time went on, her legs continued to get stronger, and she was perching well.

She was then moved to a small outdoor aviary to practice her landings as she restrengthened her legs. She then spent time in our large flight aviary (sharing the space with a Great Horned Owl roommate) to allow time to recondition her flight and perfect her landings. We are so happy to share that she fully recovered and was just released yesterday!

11/09/2025

🌌✨ The Skies Were Alive Last Night! ✨🌌
Over 1.36 MILLION birds soared across Waukesha County in just one night as they migrate south for the fall! 🐦🔥 That’s millions of wings beating overhead while most of us slept.

Want to track the magic yourself? The BirdCast Migration Dashboard shows real-time movement: https://dashboard.birdcast.info/region/US-WI-133

💡 And here’s how YOU can make a difference for these incredible travelers:
🌟 Make windows bird-safe – decals, tape, or UV stickers prevent deadly collisions.
🌟 Lights out at night – most birds migrate after dark, and bright lights confuse them.
🌟 Keep cats indoors – our feathered friends need safe passage.
🌟 Offer food + water – feeders and baths provide critical pit stops along their journey.

Each small action helps turn our community into a safer stopover for millions of birds passing through. Let’s give them the best chance at reaching their winter homes! 💙🕊️

10/09/2025

For this we could use some help gathering supplies to care for the many patients currently in our care.
For our growing squirrels in mammal nursery, we need lots of whole unsalted nuts, rodent blocks, and batteries for our scales that we use daily to weigh them.
For our raccoons, we could use some bags of in-shell peanuts and cleaning supplies such as nitrile gloves, 13 and 39 gallon garbage bags, bleach, and paper towels.
For our healing turtles we could use more filter replacement cartridges.
Additionally, we need more bungees for setting up enclosures and securing branches and den boxes for many species such as squirrels, raccoons, and raptors.

Thank you all for your continued support, we are so grateful for our supportive community! Our Amazon Wishlist can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1DORO61XYAICK?ref_=wl_share

07/09/2025

Are you or anyone you know interested in getting involved in helping wildlife? If you are interested our next orientation is on September 14th from 1:00-2:30 pm.
Please call 262-965-3090 and leave a message with your name and phone number to RSVP and visit our website for the application to fill out and bring with you. We look forward to meeting you, our future volunteers, at our next orientation!
Our volunteers fill a variety of roles and are vital in our day-to-day operations. Our animal care volunteers assist with the daily care of our hospital patients. Our office volunteers are the start of our admission process, taking phone calls and registering animal patients as they arrive. Education volunteers help provide care for our resident animal ambassadors and help with educational programs. Our maintenance volunteers help our facility stay in tip top shape!
More information about volunteering is here: https://www.helpingwildlife.org/get-involved/

06/09/2025

This juvenile Cooper's Hawk was found circling and ataxic (off balance) in the middle of the road. He was suffering from neurologic issues and was also very thin and dehydrated. We provided him with medications, fluids, nutrition, and time to rest in order to help him recover.

As time went on, his neurologic symptoms resolved as he regained his strength and became more nutritionally stable. He then went through a reconditioning period in our large flight aviary to regain his stamina and flight conditioning. We are happy to share that he was recently released!

05/09/2025

This American Robin came in as nestling with a broken wing. Over a few weeks he steadily grew and his wing fully healed. He was recently released back to the wild. Robins have broods containing 3-5 eggs and can have three or more broods each year!

05/09/2025

This we are celebrating the generosity of some incredible supporters! 💚

✨ Mission Possible – Thank you for your gift of $2,800 to WINC! Your support helps us provide compassionate care for injured, sick, and orphaned wildlife.

✨ Theo – Our hearts are full thanks to this sweet young donor who handmade a colorful fleece snuggle sack for our mammal patients and donated a crock. What a wonderful way to care for our wild neighbors at such a young age! 🥰

✨ Roundy’s – We are so grateful to Roundy’s Corporation for donating $1,500, raised during their Family Fun Day at the DockHounds. Your partnership makes a direct impact on the lives of the animals we treat every single day.

✨ Neighborhood Lemonade Stand – For the second year in a row, this amazing group of kids baked treats, squeezed lemonade, and raised an incredible $520.80 for WINC! Their teamwork and generosity inspire us all. 🍋💛

Together, these thoughtful gifts ensure the Wildlife In Need Center can continue connecting people and wildlife through rehabilitation, education, and research. Thank you for giving a hoot! 🦉

02/09/2025

WINC's Education Ambassadors are getting ready to show you their best at Wildlife In The Park this Saturday from 4-7pm at Cory Park in Dousman.

You'll learn fun facts about native Wisconsin wildlife too. Come and check out our mobile gift shop! There will also be books, mugs and plush stuffed animals of your Wisconsin wildlife favorites.

Enjoy good food and treats like bratwurst, hot dogs, sloppy joe’s, Hot Fudge Sundaes, snacks, soda available for purchase. There will be games and face-painting for kids of all ages too! The event is free and open to the public. All of the funds raised at this event support the Wildlife In Need Center and our mission. We can't wait to see you!

31/08/2025

This Eastern Spiny Softshell Turtle was brought to the Wildlife in Need Center after she was caught by people who were fishing. She had swallowed their hook which then became stuck in her esophagus tissue. In order for us to safely remove the hook she was sedated and an endoscope (a thin scope used to look at tissue inside the body) was used to find the hook.

Since many fishing lures are made to look like fish, they can easily be mistaken as a tasty meal by wild animals. Once ingested they can cause injury to animals’ face, mouths, and GI systems. Animals may also become tangled in the monofilament line that is left attached to many of these hooks. This leaves them trapped, resulting in numerous injuries as the animal struggles to get free.
Please dispose of any fishing line, tackle or trash properly. If you see some in the environment, please pick it up, even if it’s not yours. These small acts make a giant impact for animals and saves lives.

Due to the barbs on the hook, the hook had to be carefully pushed through her skin to cut the barbs prior to removing the rest of the hook. The laceration on her throat required sutures and she was treated with antibiotics. Thankfully she was brought in right after she had swallowed the hook, minimizing the damage done. After a month in care she was fully healed and was released.

Address

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 16:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 16:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 16:00
Thursday	09:00 - 16:00
Friday	09:00 - 16:00
Saturday	09:00 - 16:00
Sunday	09:00 - 16:00

Telephone

+12629653090

Website

http://www.helpingwildlife.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Wildlife In Need Center posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Pet Store/pet Service?

Country:

City:

15/09/2025

14/09/2025

13/09/2025

12/09/2025

11/09/2025

10/09/2025

07/09/2025

06/09/2025

05/09/2025

05/09/2025

02/09/2025

31/08/2025

Address

Opening Hours

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share