A wildlife charity has launched a fundraiser after it was forced to put its ambulance service on hold as it was hit with financial challenges.
Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue in Blewbury, Didcot cares for injured wild animals including deer, foxes, badgers and swans and recently it has seen its demand skyrocket.
The charity offers a veterinary service and an ambulance service. However, with a drop in monthly donations to the charity it has been forced to put its ambulance service on hold.
Luke Waclawek, the owner of the charity, explained Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue has been a registered charity since last year. However, the organisation has been running for six years and when it started Mr Waclawek and his wife Ruth looked after 100 animals a year from home now they look after thousands.
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He said: “We have become a mainstream wildlife hospital with a huge expanse of area, even though we are relatively small in comparison to funding. It has come at an extreme cost.”
With the rise in bills and fuel costs the charity now costs about £200 a day to run.
Mr Waclawek said: “We have had to put the ambulance service on hold because we physically do not want to run the charity into the ground.”
He added: “It is hard when you are dealing with that sort of calibre of numbers and patients, which all require intricate knowledge.
“It is not just something anyone can do it does take training, experience and dedicated time. We have now come to the reality that we can’t grow anymore; we are not able to meet these demands.”
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Mr Waclawek believes the rise in sickness and injuries of wild animals is due to the overdevelopment of Oxfordshire.
He said: “How much more land can we take from nature, Oxfordshire is a hugely developed area, and we are losing greenspace every year. We are the ones dealing with the patients afterwards, we are seeing them coming in starving, sick, injured and lost.”
To help keep his charity running he is asking for “£1 for wildlife” from supporters. The charity has launched an online donation box, with a goal of raising £5,000, and it has already received more than £2,000.
Mr Waclawek write on the Facebook page: “I’m sure if people really genuinely care and want this service to bounce back, they will continue to support and help us continue to rescue wildlife that needs our help.”
Followers of the Oxfordshire Wildlife Rescue Facebook page have been offering their support with places to get grants and with cash donations.
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