Gold Country Wildlife Rescue

What Gold Country Wildlife Rescue does

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue (GCWR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1991 in Auburn, California, dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured, orphaned, and sick native California wildlife. The organization operates a daily Wildlife Intake Center at 11251 B Ave., Auburn, CA 95603, supported by a 24-hour emergency phone hotline, and cares for approximately 4,000 wild animals per year across more than 150 species, including black bears, fawns, raptors, songbirds, hummingbirds, waterfowl, and rabbits. The average cost of care is approximately $350 per animal, and the organization holds an operational partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, which delivers wildlife to the facility for rehabilitation.

The core service offering consists of emergency response, medical rehabilitation, and release of wildlife; education and outreach programs (including fee-based ambassador animal presentations for schools and community groups); a volunteer and internship program; and seasonal supply drives. The organization is currently executing a 4-Phase Capital Campaign to build a permanent, expanded facility with specialized enclosures such as Bear Cub University and the recently completed fawn enclosure (Project 1991: Return of the Fawns). Technology footprint is limited to a standard nonprofit stack: a BetterImpact volunteer portal, a ddock donation platform, an Amazon Wishlist, a WordPress website hosted by Core6.Marketing, and active social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, YouTube).

The business model is donation-dependent. GCWR does not charge for rehabilitation services; revenue is generated entirely through individual donations, grants (e.g., $30,000 from The Doris Day Animal Foundation in 2025), fundraising events (e.g., $141,000 GivingTuesday in 2021), sponsorships, supply drives, legacy giving, vehicle donations, a corporate partnership program, retail merchandise (Spreadshop), and modest program fees from educational presentations. The organization serves two primary customer segments: the general public (wildlife finders needing emergency guidance) and schools/community groups seeking wildlife education. Founder Sallysue Stein led the organization for over three decades before transitioning to a board advisory role in March 2026, with new Executive Director Melissa McCartney joining in April 2026.

Name

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue

Legal name

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue

Website

https://goldcountrywildliferescue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1991 in Auburn, California, providing rescue, rehabilitation, and release of injured and orphaned native wildlife—caring for roughly 4,000 animals across 150+ species annually, funded entirely by donations, grants, and community fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Rescue, Transport & Emergency Animal Response (BPAGAIAB), Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Disaster Preparedness & Animal Evacuation Services (BPAGAIAM)

Keywords

• Wildlife rehabilitation services
• Injured animal rescue
• Nonprofit wildlife care
• Wildlife education programs
• Native species rehabilitation

Headquarters

HQ city

Auburn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides wildlife rescue, medical rehabilitation, and release services for injured, orphaned, and sick native California wildlife. Through its daily-open intake center in Auburn, CA, a 24-hour emergency hotline, and specialized enclosures (including Bear Cub University and a fawn enclosure), GCWR cares for approximately 4,000 animals across more than 150 species each year. The organization complements rehabilitation with paid educational presentations, volunteer programs, seasonal supply drives, and fundraising campaigns.

Product overview

Gold Country Wildlife Rescue operates as a nonprofit wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization offering a unified set of services centered on wildlife emergency response, rehabilitation, and release. Core services include a wildlife emergency hotline and intake center open daily, providing care for injured and orphaned wildlife across more than 150 species. The organization complements rehabilitation with education and outreach programs featuring ambassador animal presentations. Volunteer and internship programs support daily operations. Capital campaigns fund facility expansion, including specialized enclosures such as Bear Cub University and Project 1991 fawn enclosures. Seasonal supply drives mobilize community support for rehabilitation supplies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Emergency Services Emergency hotline and intake center providing care for injured and orphaned wildlife including songbirds, hummingbirds, rabbits, mammals, raptors, waterfowl, and game birds. Open daily 8am-5pm at 11251 B Ave., Auburn, CA 95603; 24-hour phone hotline at 530-885-0862. Free to the general public; funded by donations.
• Wildlife Rehabilitation and Release Program Full rescue, medical rehabilitation, and release program for wild animals. The organization cares for approximately 4,000 wild animals annually across more than 150 species, with an average cost of care of approximately $350 per animal. Focuses on returning wildlife to their original location.
• Education and Outreach Programs Educational presentations including ambassador animal visits available for schools and community groups for a fee. Includes community resources on wildlife awareness, prevention, and coexistence with native California wildlife.
• Volunteer and Internship Program Volunteer and internship opportunities across operations, wildlife intake center work, events, and special projects. Includes an online volunteer portal for applications and onboarding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000+ wild animals rehabilitated annually
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Wildlife Disaster Network (WDN)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022GCWR partnered with the Wildlife Disaster Network for the BBC 'Our Changing Planet' feature, highlighting their wildlife rescue and rehabilitation work.
• California Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe California Department of Fish and Wildlife delivers orphaned bear cubs and other wildlife to GCWR for rehabilitation. They capture and bring wildlife in need of care to the rescue facility.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sierra Wildlife Rescue: A Northern California nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation organization serving the Sierra foothills region with a directly comparable focus on rescue, rehabilitation, and release.
• Wildlife Care Association: A Sacramento-area nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation hospital treating injured and orphaned native wildlife, offering similar intake, medical care, and release services within the same Northern California ecosystem.
• California Wildlife Center: A Southern California nonprofit wildlife hospital providing emergency medical care, rehabilitation, and release for native species, with similar intake-to-release operational model.
• Lindsay Wildlife Experience: A Walnut Creek, California-based nonprofit wildlife hospital and education center that rehabilitates injured and orphaned native wildlife — directly comparable in mission, species breadth, and Northern California service area.
• Pacific Wildlife Care: A Central Coast California nonprofit wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and release organization that serves a comparable mix of native species and offers similar education programs.
• Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care: A South Lake Tahoe nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing Sierra Nevada native wildlife, with comparable mountain-region species expertise and Northern California geographic overlap.
• Bay Area Wildlife Rescue: A Bay Area nonprofit providing wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and release services with similar species diversity and volunteer-driven operating model in Northern California.

Broad incumbents

• International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council: A national membership and educational organization for wildlife rehabilitators that sets standards and supports practitioners like GCWR, representing an ecosystem-level peer in the same domain.
• Sacramento Zoo: A zoological park that employs GCWR's incoming Executive Director and operates in the same Northern California region, providing an analog for animal care scale and educational programming.

Regional players

• Native Songbird Care: A Northern California nonprofit specializing in songbird rehabilitation and conservation — directly comparable in rehabilitation focus, though narrower in taxonomic scope than GCWR.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gcwrescue
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GCWRtv
• Facebookfacebook.com/GoldCountryWildlifeRescue
• Instagraminstagram.com/gcwrescue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gcwr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gold Country Wildlife Rescue