Ireland's Wildlife Teaching Hospital Project

Help Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland move this national wildlife care, teaching and conservation project towards its next stage.

Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland (WRI) is organising this fundraiser

Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland is working towards the creation of Ireland’s first dedicated Wildlife Rehabilitation and Teaching Hospital.

Ireland still does not have a dedicated national facility where injured, orphaned, and sick wild animals can receive specialist care, while veterinary practitioners, veterinary nurses, rehabilitators, students, and others can learn how to respond to wildlife casualties safely, legally, and effectively.

This project is about more than one building. It is about creating long-term national capacity for wildlife care, veterinary teaching, conservation, public education, and better awareness of wildlife crime.

Wildlife casualties can tell us a great deal about what is happening in the environment. Some are injured through road traffic, habitat loss, domestic animal attacks, pollution, or extreme weather. Others may be victims of poisoning, persecution, illegal trapping, shooting, nest destruction, or other forms of wildlife crime. A Wildlife Teaching Hospital would help improve how these cases are recognised, recorded, treated, and understood.

In 2021, Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland operated an interim Wildlife Hospital in Navan. That project showed the need for dedicated wildlife rehabilitation at this scale and demonstrated what could be achieved when veterinary expertise, rehabilitation knowledge, education, and public support came together.

Since then, WRI has continued working towards a permanent Wildlife Teaching Hospital. We are currently awaiting a planning decision from An Coimisiún Pleanála. While that process continues, we are raising funds to support the ongoing development of the project and WRI’s wider charitable work for wildlife.

Why we need your support

A project of this scale takes time, planning, professional input, governance, fundraising, public engagement, and organisational resilience. Donations to this fundraiser will help Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland continue progressing the Wildlife Teaching Hospital project, while also supporting WRI’s broader conservation, education, wildlife rehabilitation, and wildlife welfare work.

Your support may help with areas such as project development, planning-related work, professional advice, education, communications, governance, fundraising, and other charitable activities connected to WRI’s mission.

A note on donations

Donations to this fundraiser support Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland’s charitable work, including the Wildlife Teaching Hospital project, but are not restricted solely to the physical Hospital build. This flexibility allows WRI to use funds responsibly where they are most needed to advance our charitable objectives and keep our work for wildlife moving forward.

Our vision

The Wildlife Teaching Hospital would provide a national centre for:

Ireland’s wildlife deserves a system that is prepared to respond when animals are injured, orphaned, poisoned, displaced, or illegally harmed.

How you can help

Every donation helps Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland continue this work. Whether you give €5, €25, €100, or more, you are helping us build the knowledge, capacity, and support needed for a better future for Ireland’s wildlife.

Planning gives us permission. Public support gives us momentum.

Thank you for standing with Ireland’s wildlife.

For more information about Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland, visit ​our website www.wri.ie