What the Wildlife Rehab Center (WRC) Website Is About Now

Updated

The Wildlife Rehab Center (WRC) website is a legacy and closure notice, not an active intake resource. It documents that WRC served the Grand Rapids, Michigan area for more than 30 years as a resource for injured and orphaned wildlife, announces that the organization has retired along with its founders Peg and Roger Markle, and redirects anyone seeking wildlife help to a successor organization. If you found the site while looking for a place to bring an animal, the key takeaway is that animals are no longer admitted at 1504 Union Ave NE in Grand Rapids, MI, and you should contact the West Michigan Wildlife Center instead.

What the site tells you

The page is organized around three messages:

  • A thank-you and history. WRC describes three decades of service to the Grand Rapids community, growing to rescue over 4,000 animals a year on a one-acre urban property at the founders' residence.
  • A closure notice. In 2022, Roger Markle was seriously injured in an accident while working in the barn. He recovered, but the event made clear it was time for the Markles to retire — and the organization retired with them.
  • A handoff. Volunteers and rehabilitators have pledged to continue the rescue work through a new organization, described on the page as WRC's "daughter" center: the West Michigan Wildlife Center.

If you need help with a wild animal

The site's practical instruction is explicit: wildlife help is "still a click away," but not through WRC's former location.

  1. Do not bring animals to 1504 Union Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI. The page states animals will no longer be admitted there.
  2. Contact the West Michigan Wildlife Center at 616-361-6109, or use the link on the WRC page to reach the new organization.
  3. Confirm intake details with the successor center before transporting an animal — hours, species accepted, and whether the animal should be contained or left alone are all questions for the team that is now doing the work.

Who the page is useful for

Reader What they'll get from the site
Someone who found an injured or orphaned animal A clear redirect to the West Michigan Wildlife Center and its phone number
Longtime donors, volunteers, or supporters An explanation of why WRC closed and a acknowledgment of the community's role
People researching local wildlife rehabilitation A record of WRC's history and its connection to the successor organization
Anyone planning to visit the Union Ave NE address A firm notice that the location no longer accepts animals

What the site does not provide

The page is a farewell and referral, so it does not list current intake hours, service areas, volunteer sign-up steps, or donation channels for ongoing operations. Those details belong to the West Michigan Wildlife Center, which is where the page directs visitors. For anything time-sensitive — an animal in distress, a question about whether a species is accepted — call the successor center rather than relying on the legacy page.