Who We Are
Our mission: Inspiring Coexistence Between Humans and Wildlife
Our History
West Shore Wildlife Center was founded in 2019 by Emily Garrigan to meet the need for more wildlife rehabilitation centers in Pennsylvania. Emily started the center with a focus on prevention and care for Eastern Cottontails. However, she quickly expanded her care to Virginia Opossums, Mallards and reptiles. In 2024, the wildlife center moved from being based out of Emily’s home to our own facility in Dover, PA. Now, the wildlife center cares for nearly all native species with a team of professional staff and dozens of volunteers.
As we strategically plan for the future and an even larger impact, we hope that you join us on our journey. We continue to expand the number and variety of species that we are able to care for. We continue to expand our library of resources for individuals, government agencies and corporations.
Our Mission
With the decline of wild, natural spaces, more and more wild animals are living in our neighborhoods and cities. This close proximity of wildlife to humans causes a variety of conflicts. Through our programs, we hope to ease the tensions between humans and wildlife in a way that works for all of us, and to release our patients back into the wild so that they can continue living free. We also hope to inspire everyone to be better neighbors for our health, the animals and our planet.
Our Non-Profit Organization
We are a 501c3 non-profit organization. Our work is funded by donations and all of our resources are spent on our mission. We do not receive any federal or local funding to rehabilitate wildlife and educate our communities. As the only wildlife rehabilitator in York County, PA, we also support surrounding counties that have no wild animal rescues, such as, Adams, Dauphin and Cumberland. Our PA wildlife rescue is made possible through the support of our community as we strictly rely on donations from people like you!
Our Programs
We provide emergency wildlife rehabilitation services for sick, injured and orphaned Pennsylvania wildlife. These services are available free of charge to all Pennsylvania residents, governmental agencies and businesses.
When you find an animal in need, we are able to provide professional advice based on the natural history and behavior of each species. The knowledge that we share helps prevent injuries and the spread of diseases to people and their pets.
We also have access to a network of wildlife care professionals to quickly connect individuals and businesses with the best resources. Sick, injured and orphaned animals are admitted to our wildlife rescue center so that we may provide around-the-clock care to thousands of animals each year with the intention of releasing them back into the wild.
We also provide education and one-on-one counseling to prevent wildlife from needing our services. Our safe and effective solutions are aimed at the source of the problem. Our free animal rescue services are an alternative to traditional pest control companies. We never recommend inhumane techniques, such as, removal or culling of native wildlife. All of our techniques are backed by years of personal and professional experience with a wide variety of native wildlife species. We also provide educational programming to inspire empathy and understanding for the wildlife around us. Our wildlife programs are available to both adults and children alike.
Our Core Values
Compassion - A commitment to treat all of our individual wild animal patients with respect and empathy in understanding the struggles our local wildlife face daily.
Innovation - Using our successes and failures to create new data-driven solutions that better allow humans and wildlife to coexist in ways that are good for all. Our success thrives on the unique backgrounds and ideas of each of our team members.
Ambition - A strong dedication to achieving success in our mission to inspire coexistence, no matter how hard the work or the challenges that we face. With a forward-thinking mindset, we are always striving to have a greater and more positive impact.
Optimism - A hopeful outlook on the work that we do and what we can achieve together in our community. We see many opportunities to make a positive impact on our neighbors, both humans and wildlife.
Enthusiasm - An intense passion, enjoyment and excitement for the work that we do and the wildlife that we serve, upheld by each of our team members.
Inclusion - Appreciating and accepting the individual perspectives and feelings of others, both on our team and in our community. A dedication to providing people of all backgrounds an opportunity to enter the fields of wildlife rehabilitation and wildlife conservation.
