WATCH: Proposed rehab centre hopes to cut down on wildlife euthanasia

• Location selected in Kelowna
• Opportunities to volunteer

For Sydney Platz, seeing a wildlife rehabilitation centre set up in Kelowna will be a dream come true.

That’s why she is spearheading an initiative to do just that.

The founder of Wild Things Rehabilitation Society is working with Maria and Trent Kitsch to open a wildlife rehabilitation centre on a piece of land in East Kelowna.

“We noticed a huge gap in services in the Interior,” Platz, who works in veterinary medicine, told Kelowna10. “We were seeing so many wild animals come in and no resources to rehabilitate them whatsoever … and all those animals were being euthanized.”

She decided something needed to be done and has laid the project’s groundwork over the past few years. She’s received training and worked along colleagues at the Southern Okanagan Rehabilitation Centre for Owls (SORCO).

The team recently applied to city hall to amend the zoning at 2605 O’Reilly Road to accommodate the future facility. It will come before lawmakers soon for consideration.

This location has been selected for its ecology, as it mimics or matches the natural habitat of many of the animals that will be cared for.

Efforts will be made to minimize disturbing the forest as it is a sensitive area, and a location that is far and few between in the city.

“Kelowna does not have very many forested plots of land left that are undisturbed,” she said. “For us to find a spot that could be accessible to the public but still private enough that these animals are not in the public eye is really important to us.”

Platz expects the site to house a modular office building, as well as some outdoor enclosures to accommodate birds and small mammals.

While the Ministry of Environment determines what species can be rehabilitated, Platz said the focus will be on songbirds and small mammals like raccoons, squirrels, and marmots. Raptors and predatory birds will not be included.

“To be able to not have to euthanize animals that could potentially be released back into the wild is the most important fact for us,” she said.

She said education will play a major role in Wild Things Rehabilitation Society’s work. She said there is a high degree of human-wildlife conflict in Kelowna and very few resources to turn to. To begin with, Platz wants to establish a phone line that can offer advice and, eventually, implement community education. This will include outreach and school education to teach the community to be better stewards of the environment.

She is planning to host some town halls in the coming weeks and months to help nail down a timeline for the project. In the meantime, she anticipates working to assist in rescues when needed and helping transfer animals to other facilities.

She urged anyone who wants to help to visit the society’s website. Platz is on the hunt for volunteers to train on several fronts. She plans to host a seminar shortly to gauge interest and start basic training.