OGDEN, Utah — Over a year after being evicted from their building next to the Dinosaur Park, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah is finally open and accepting new animals again.
"Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, can I help you?" executive director DaLyn Marthaler said as she answered the phone — words she is saying for the first time in over a year.
"Between our staff, our volunteers, and our community and the team, we've made the impossible possible,” she said.
They opened the doors of their temporary location at 332 S. Washington Street in Ogden to help animals in need, like a crow that came to them when they moved to this new building.
"Bling is called Bling because he came into us with this set of zip ties around his legs,” explained Marthaler.
In March of 2023, the WRCNU got word that Ogden City could not renew their lease at the property where they spent 12 years. The city decided to use the property to make room for the Dinosaur Park expanding next door.
"The first three months, I was a puddle on the floor in a corner,” said Marthaler.
They had 180 days to show that they could move into a different building, and that would give them six more months to move out. That’s when they bought a temporary property in Ogden, which is two buildings. In May 2023, they had to stop accepting new animals so that they could facilitate the move. The community stepped in to help get the new place suitable for animals.
"Having those people come out and pitch in and contribute financially, whether it was manual labor, whether it was dropping us off lunch for the day, whatever, it meant the world,” said Marthaler.
This temporary facility is only a third the size of their previous space, so they can’t take care of as many animals here. They have purchased a piece of land in Harrisville to be able to build a new facility there and hopefully get to take care of the animals that they just can’t cater to here.
"This facility won’t support having pools, and some of the aquatic features that we need to do, so no beavers, no otters, no geese, no ducks. We just don’t have the ability to care for them,” Marthaler explained.
They have a triage intake area, and from there, the animal goes to the room with the environment it should be in.
Being able to accept animals again means the sick and injured ones have a shot and making it, and it helps the humans who find them too.
"That suffering they’re feeling for the animal and for themselves and the stress is horrible, and then the animal is suffering, so us being able to be there for the animal and help that animal, give them a second chance, it's everything. I’m super excited,” said Marthaler.
This is a big step on their journey to help as many animals as possible.
