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What is Wildlife Rehab Center?
Wildlife Rehab Center (WRC) was a wildlife rehabilitation organization that served the Grand Rapids, Michigan area for more than 30 years, taking in injured and orphaned wild animals. According to the organization's own page, it grew to rescue over 4,000 animals a year, operating from a one-acre urban property at the home of founders Peg and Roger Markle. The site now describes the center as "retired": after Roger Markle's 2022 accident, the couple formally retired and the organization wound down with them.
What the page says about its current status
- Animals are no longer admitted at the old address, 1504 Union Ave NE in Grand Rapids.
- The page directs people who find wildlife in need of help to a successor organization, the West Michigan Wildlife Center, which volunteers and rehabilitators established to continue the rescue work. It lists a phone number and a contact link for that center.
What this means if you found an animal
If you have an injured or orphaned animal in the Grand Rapids area, don't travel to the Union Ave address. Contact the successor center first to confirm it is accepting animals and to get instructions on handling and transport. For a broader search, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (Michigan DNR) maintains a licensed rehabilitator directory, and the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association (NWRA) offers general guidance on what to do—and not do—with wildlife before you reach a rehabilitator.
What should I do if I find an injured or orphaned wild animal in West Michigan now that the Wildlife Rehab Center has closed?
The Wildlife Rehab Center no longer admits animals at its Grand Rapids address, so don't take a wild animal there. Its page directs people to a successor organization, the West Michigan Wildlife Center, and lists the phone number 616-361-6109. Call before you transport anything, since availability and intake rules change and a phone conversation is the fastest way to get current instructions.
What to do first
- Pause before intervening. Many "orphaned" young animals are being watched by a parent nearby. Observe from a distance rather than picking the animal up.
- Keep people and pets away. Confine pets indoors and keep children back so the animal isn't stressed or injured further.
- Call the successor center at the number above and describe the species, the animal's condition and exactly where you found it. Follow their instructions on whether to contain it, leave it, or bring it in.
- Don't feed or treat it yourself. Improper food or handling can do real harm, especially to orphans and birds.
- Handle only if advised, and safely. If you're told to contain a small animal, use gloves, place it in a ventilated box with a towel, keep it dark, warm and quiet, and avoid handling it beyond that.
If the center can't take it
Ask the center for a referral, or contact a licensed rehabilitator or your state wildlife agency for the species you've found. For general guidance, The Humane Society of the United States publishes advice on finding a wildlife rehabilitator and on when to leave young animals alone.
A quick decision guide
| Situation | Sensible first move |
|---|---|
| Apparently healthy lone fawn, fledgling bird or rabbit kit | Observe from a distance; call for advice before moving it |
| Visible injury, a cat or dog attack, or a trapped animal | Call the center immediately for instructions |
| Animal in a road or unsafe spot | Prioritize your own safety, then call for guidance |
The practical takeaway: the phone call comes before the car trip, and the West Michigan Wildlife Center is the contact the former center points to.
Why did the Wildlife Rehab Center close after more than 30 years of serving Grand Rapids?
The Wildlife Rehab Center closed because its founders, Peg and Roger Markle, retired, and the organization retired with them. According to the center's own announcement, Roger suffered a serious accident in the barn in 2022; he recovered, but the incident made clear it was time for the couple to step back from a rescue operation they had run from their one-acre urban property for over 30 years. The page frames the closure as bittersweet rather than a failure: the center had grown to take in more than 4,000 animals a year, and the founders' home had effectively been the facility. Because the organization was so closely tied to the Markles, there was no separate operation to carry on once they retired.
What this means if you find injured or orphaned wildlife near Grand Rapids
The practical takeaway is a change of contact, not an end to help. The page states that animals are no longer admitted at 1504 Union Ave NE, and directs people to a successor organization, the West Michigan Wildlife Center, which its volunteers and rehabilitators pledged to continue the rescue work through. The listed phone number is 616-361-6109.
For a reader who has just found a baby bird or an injured squirrel, the useful next step is to call that successor center before transporting anything, and to describe the animal, where it was found, and whether it appears injured. Do not bring an animal to the old Union Avenue address. If the successor cannot take the animal, ask for a referral to another licensed rehabilitator in the region rather than attempting home care; in many cases, especially with young birds, the correct action is to leave the animal in place and keep pets and people away.
The closure also illustrates a broader pattern worth knowing: small wildlife rehab operations often depend on a single family's property and decades of unpaid labor, so their future can hinge on one person's health or retirement. Supporting such groups with donations or volunteer time, while they operate, is what makes a handoff to a successor possible.
How can I contact the West Michigan Wildlife Center to get help with a wild animal?
Call 616-361-6109 to reach the West Michigan Wildlife Center, the successor organization named on the Wildlife Rehab Center's legacy page. Note that the former Wildlife Rehab Center site at 1504 Union Ave NE in Grand Rapids no longer admits animals, so do not bring an animal there. The page directs wildlife help to the new center instead.
Before you call
- Say what species you think it is, the animal's approximate size and age, and where you found it.
- Describe the problem plainly: injured, orphaned, trapped, or behaving unusually.
- Give your location and whether you can safely transport the animal.
- Follow the phone instructions first; handling wildlife without guidance can hurt you or the animal.
For context on the transition, see Leaving A Legacy. If you are outside West Michigan, search for a licensed rehabilitator near you rather than traveling to Grand Rapids.
How can I support or volunteer with wildlife rehabilitation in West Michigan after the Wildlife Rehab Center's retirement?
The Wildlife Rehab Center has retired, so support and volunteering now flow through its successor organization. The page directs people to follow the "daughter" center, the West Michigan Wildlife Center, and gives the phone number 616-361-6109 for wildlife help. That successor is the practical place to ask about donating, volunteering and current animal-intake rules.
Practical next step
Call the West Michigan Wildlife Center first if you have an animal in need, and ask specifically how they want volunteers and donors to get involved. The page does not list volunteer roles, training requirements or donation methods, so confirm those directly rather than assuming they match the old center's operations.
What the page makes clear
- Animals are no longer admitted at 1504 Union Ave NE in Grand Rapids.
- The original center served Grand Rapids for more than 30 years and handled over 4,000 animals a year on a one-acre urban property.
- Founders Peg and Roger Markle retired along with the organization after Roger's 2022 accident.
How to choose where to help
If you want to honor the Markles' legacy, direct your time or money to the successor center they endorsed. If you want broader options, contact other licensed Michigan rehabilitators through state wildlife resources, or ask local nature centers and veterinarians for referrals. For general guidance on volunteering with wildlife, Michigan Department of Natural Resources lists licensed rehabilitators and handling advice.
What happened to the animals and rescue services when the Wildlife Rehab Center stopped admitting animals at its Union Ave location?
The Wildlife Rehab Center stopped admitting animals at 1504 Union Ave NE in Grand Rapids, Michigan, when its founders Peg and Roger Markle retired and the organization retired with them after more than 30 years of service. The page says the rescue work continues through a new "daughter" center, the West Michigan Wildlife Center, which the WRC's volunteers and rehabilitators pledged to support. People who find injured or orphaned wildlife are directed to call 616-361-6109 or follow that new center rather than bring animals to the Union Ave address.
What this means in practice
- Do not take an animal to Union Ave. The page states plainly that animals will no longer be admitted there, so a trip to that address wastes time an injured animal may not have.
- Call first, then travel. Use the listed number to reach the successor center and confirm it can take the animal before you drive anywhere.
- Expect a handoff, not a closure. The same volunteer and rehabilitator team is described as continuing the work under the new organization, so the practical skills and mission carry over even though the name and location change.
A concrete scenario: if you find a orphaned squirrel in a Grand Rapids yard, call 616-361-6109 and describe the animal and where you found it; the successor center can tell you whether to bring it in, keep it warm and quiet, or leave it for a parent to retrieve. For background on the original organization's history and the founders' story, the page itself is at Leaving A Legacy.
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