Wildlife

If you have found wildlife in urgent need of rescue,
please contact Tidewater Rescue at 757-255-8710 or Wildlife Response at 757-543-7000.

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If you have found injured wildlife that is actively bleeding or wounded, please safely place wildlife in a carrier or shoebox and bring to the Virginia Beach SPCA during regular operating hours as listed below. Please ensure that wildlife is safely secured in lined box or carrier and please do not provide wildlife with food or water.

Wildlife Receiving Hours:
Monday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 10:00 – 4:00 PM
Thursday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Saturday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Sunday: Closed

If you have found injured wildlife outside of the Virginia Beach SPCA’s wildlife receiving hours, you may take injured wildlife to Bay Beach Veterinary Hospital. Please note that Bay Beach cannot accept uninjured, baby wildlife. Again, Bay Beach cannot accept uninjured, baby wildlife.

If you have found what you believe to be orphaned baby wildlife, please read the below information in its entirety before taking any action.

• Baby wildlife rarely need human intervention. Baby birds with feathers that are hopping on the ground are fledglings, and they are supposed to be on the ground. Leave them alone. Baby birds with few feathers can be returned to their nest. It is not ok to touch them.
• Rabbits in burrows in the ground should also be left alone. Their mother will only come to feed them twice a day, so just because you do not see the mother does not mean the rabbits are orphaned.
• Baby animals that are commonly found by humans are rarely orphaned and should be left alone or returned to the nest. Human interference can bring unintended harm to the animal and can cause great stress to both the animal and the mother.

If you have found a baby animal with a dead parent, please call Tidewater Rescue at 757-255-8710 or Wildlife Response at 757-543-7000 to connect with a licensed wildlife rehabilitator who can provide further assistance.

For a list of licensed wildlife rehabilitators in your area, please visit the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) website here.

Please note that the VBSPCA Wildlife Referral Line will no longer be monitored by a live person and any text messages and/or voicemails will not be seen or heard. Please call Tidewater Rescue at 757-255-8710 or Wildlife Response at 757-543-7000 for further assistance.

Thank you for your concern and compassion for the wildlife of our community.

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The Virginia Beach SPCA is the only animal shelter in the state of Virginia licensed to rehabilitate wildlife. Our Wildlife Program is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to providing experienced care to orphaned and injured wildlife throughout Hampton Roads.

The VBSPCA is grateful for the partnership with Bay Beach Veterinary Hospital, who have donated their time and resources to assist us in the care and emergency treatment of local wildlife outside of the Virginia Beach SPCA’s normal operating hours. Please help us respect Bay Beach and take only wildlife in need of urgent medical care to their location.

We strongly advocate coexistence with wildlife and work to educate and assist the community in understanding the nature of wildlife conflicts so that humane solutions can be utilized. The majority of wildlife conflicts can be resolved, and we strongly discourage trapping and relocation. Studies have shown that both methods are ineffective in addressing problems on a long-term basis, and may even result in higher wildlife populations.

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Wildlife Articles

• Wildlife 411: Coyotes
• Wildlife Dos and Don’ts
• Wildlife 411: Opossums
• Bay Beach and the VBSPCA Partner
• Endangered Species Day