Ontario's largest raccoon-specific rescue sanctuary poised to close amid funding shortfalls

On any given day, the owner operator of Mally's Third Chance Raccoon Rescue and Rehabilitation says they receive between 100 and 250 messages. The majority are from people in Ontario who have come across an ill, injured or orphaned raccoon.

"These requests come all day and pretty much right up to midnight, you know, year round," said Derek, who operates the facility in Kawartha Lakes, Ont.

"They call with the same story over and over — that they called everybody around them and nobody's taking them or they're all full."

CBC Toronto is not using Derek's last name to protect the exact location of the facility, which he says has seen a number of individuals abandon animals there without warning or people arriving at the facility unannounced.

With a team of volunteers, along with veterinary technicians and veterinarians on staff, the organization treats, rehabilitates, then re-releases raccoons near the locations where they were first found. It's a job Derek is passionate about, but these days, he says it is not financially sustainable.

"It's a point of exhaustion — it has been for some time," said Derek, adding that they've been running a deficit.

The organization announced last week it plans to close its doors on Sept. 30 due to a lack of funding.

"It has been beyond stressful and has drained our personal funding and this remains no way to run a wildlife centre," the organization posted on Facebook.

It's a problem not isolated to Mally's Third Chance — some advocates say wildlife rescue organizations across the province operate on a shoestring budget and are facing similar struggles. Though licensed by the province of Ontario, the organizations receive no funding from the province and must rely on donations to operate. As a result, the province has seen a decline in the number of wildlife rescue organizations, which advocates say could have ripple effects on their ability to save certain wildlife populations.

Derek says his passion grew out of an attempted raccoon rescue 14 years ago, which prompted him to begin fostering the animals for another organization, until he started his own.

"They are here. They deserve to be here. And they're very much part of our ecosystem," said Derek, who acknowledges the animals sometimes get a bad reputation.

"They manage to help manage insects, as an example. They clean up carcasses. They'll eat wasp larvae, which helps our bee populations."

The facility, which Derek runs with his wife, is close to 50 acres and can accommodate up to 150 raccoons. He has a day job but runs the facility and manages its team of volunteers around the clock.

Derek says between vet bills, food, equipment, hydro and other expenses the monthly costs are around $20,000. In reality, he says the organization receives closer to $3,200 a month in donations.