Wild About Wildlife wants you

SCOTTSDALE – What happens to sick, injured, orphaned, displaced and abandoned wild animals?

Most often they are left to fend for themselves as there is no one to take care of them in the wild. But if an injured animal is discovered by a passerby, then Southwest Wildlife will care for the animal.

Since 1994, the facility has rehabilitated thousands of wild animals on its desert habitat facility northeast of Scottsdale and successfully released more than 70 percent of those wild animals back into nature.

Southwest Wildlife provides rehabilitation for wild animals at their on‑site medical center. Their goal is to provide each animal an opportunity to return to the wild as safely and quickly as possible, with minimum human contact.

As with all nonprofit organizations, Southwest Wildlife has to rely on fundraising to remain in operation.

Southwest Wildlife receives no federal or state funding for their operations and subsists entirely on donations, grants and the hard work of volunteers. The organization also relies heavily upon their business partnerships within the local community.

The “Wild About Wildlife X: A Celebration of the Bear” annual dinner and fundraising auction will take place at 6 p.m., March 24, at Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North, 10600 E. Crescent Moon Dr. in Scottsdale.

The organization has gathered an impressive collection of  items for this year’s auction. Nifty travel packages, jewelry, golf packages, and original art are some of the items lucky bidders will be vying for.

Reservations are $140 per person, $1350 for a table of ten, or $1600 for a Patron’s Table.

Patron’s Tables receive an honorable mention in the evening’s program.

To make a reservation or donation, call (480) 951‑3082 or visit southwestwildlife.org/WAW. To become a volunteer, call (480) 471‑0125.

All donations go towards the medical care, housing, feeding and daily care of wildlife at Southwest Wildlife’s facility.