Hope for Wildlife Society has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured and orphaned wildlife across Nova Scotia since 1997. With extraordinary community support, we’ve grown our impact year after year, helping more than 95,000 animals from over 250 species.

Founder and director Hope Swinimer has long dreamed of caring for orphaned black bear cubs — and that dream is closer than ever. We are now submitting a construction application to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), including enclosure layouts and design plans, that would allow us to build a dedicated black bear rehabilitation facility. This marks a major milestone on our path to becoming the first wildlife rehab in Nova Scotia permitted to care for black bears. This step forward wouldn’t be possible without the people of Nova Scotia, whose support and persistence helped bring this need to the forefront for consideration.

The proposed facility will offer a safe, secure, and natural environment where cubs can grow and thrive. Situated on more than 100 acres of remote land, it is designed to be free of human scent and sound, reducing stress and keeping human contact to a "bear" minimum. We’ve collaborated closely with DNR and consulted successful bear rehabilitation centres across Canada and the U.S., adopting proven best practices to ensure the highest standard of care.

All funds raised will go directly toward building the facility and caring for cubs once approvals are granted. Your support will provide shelter, medical care, enrichment, and nutrition, giving Nova Scotia’s orphaned black bear cubs the best possible chance to return to the wild.

Help us take this historic step for wildlife in Nova Scotia — donate today and help us Build for Bears!