Wildlife Care Clinic       

The Wildlife Care Clinic is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to caring for sick, injured and abandoned wildlife.  Best Friend's Veterinary Center staff donates their time to caring for these animals.  They also donate medication and their technology in treating the animals injuries. This year the Wildlife Care Clinic has been very busy. Each year we treat between 300 to 400 wildlife patients.  Some of the animals attended to included an Bald Eagles, Kingfisher, Cedar Wax Wing, Great Horned Owl, Barn Owl, Saw Whet Owl, Blue Jay, Arctic Tern, Great Blue Heron, Pileated Woodpecker, Murre, Cormorant, Pine Siskin, Varied Thrush, Dark Eyed Junco, etc..

The need for the services Wildlife Care Clinic continues to be very strong. Currently, we are caring for a red tailed hawk, and several fledgling orphan birds.   

We continue our efforts to promote the well being of wildlife through education. We have been teaching children from preschool to high school the importance of caring for wildlife and protecting habitat. For adults, each year we have been invited to give presentations on wildlife preservation, enhancement and rehabilitation to those participating in the island county’s "Beach Watchers" lecture series. 

For restraint and capture of wildlife we have a special net gun which is capable of launching a large net over animals as large as an elk.  We also are trained in the use of medicines for restraint which are delivered by way of a dart gun or blow tube.

 Dr. Eric Anderson and his nurse Fernando evaluate an injured bald eagle that was brought to us with a possible injury to his wing. Dr. Anderson found upon radiographs that this eagle had 2 fractures in his wing.  The next day Dr. Anderson did surgery to repair the wing. 

April 2006: Staff doctors evaluate another bald eagle.  This eagle was found on West Beach in Oak Harbor caught in a seal trap.  Staff from Best Friend's Veterinary Center rescued the eagle from the trap and brought him back to the clinic for evaluation.  The eagle was in great shape with no apparent injuries from being caught in the trap. Dr Syring took him for a test flight behind our facility and did great. He was released back at West Beach later that day.

May 2006: Pictured are Veterinary assistants Julie and Kat helping hold this baby fawn while one of our doctor's exam him for injuries. He was brought to us by a client. This fawn was at a clients home in his yard, appeared to be abandoned, had not seen the mother deer in a few days.   This fawn was transferred to another facility in Washington that was able to provide adequate fostering for fawns.

March 2006 : Pia our licensed veterinary technician is holding a baby squirrel. This squirrel was brought to us from Anacortes.  He was found disoriented and in shock inside a client's house.  This squirrel was evaluated and was sent to another wildlife facility in Washington that had numerous abandoned infant squirrels that we currently in foster care.  He has been reported doing great!

Pia, and Fernando are admiring a American Kestrel. This Kestrel was brought to us by another client. He was found at Fort Ebey State Park on one of the trails.  He had a broken wing. He stayed at the clinic on medication and cage rest, he was too small to be surgically repaired.