Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota

What Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota does

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota (WRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1979 at the University of Minnesota's Veterinary College that operates what it describes as the world's busiest wildlife hospital. From its main 2002-built facility at 2530 Dale St. N. in Roseville, MN — originally designed for 10,000 patients — and a newly opened 22-acre rehabilitation campus in Grant, MN (Phase One completed May 2026), WRC provides medical care, rehabilitation, and release services free of charge for injured, sick, and orphaned wild Minnesota wildlife. It admits approximately 25,000 patients annually across roughly 200 species and is internationally recognized for its expertise in lead toxicity treatment in Trumpeter Swans and turtle shell repair; raptors are referred out to the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center. The organization is governed by a 13-member volunteer Board of Directors, currently led by Executive Director Tami Vogel (since 2023) and Medical Director Dr. Agnes Hutchinson (appointed 2026).

WRC's clinical platform is a conventional wildlife veterinary hospital equipped with digital radiology, ultrasound, an in-house laboratory including a teaching microscope, a surgical suite, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) lead detection, and precision syringe pumps for transfusion. Patient-facing intake is delivered through a walk-in hospital open daily 10am-6pm (including holidays), a phone helpline (651-486-9453) for guidance, and an online admit form (fm.wrcmn.org) for pre-arrival documentation. The new Grant campus adds 10 animal wards and 20 pools for waterfowl and aquatic mammals, plus a first-of-its-kind water filtration system designed to recycle 37 million gallons of water annually.

WRC operates a donation-funded nonprofit revenue model. Services are free; operating revenue is generated through individual donations (single and monthly recurring at preset tiers of $60, $120, $200, $500, or custom), patient sponsorship programs (Bug Buffet at $350/day or $2,500/week, Mammal Nursery at $300, Waterfowl Nursery at $200, Medications at $250), an e-commerce apparel store, planned giving programs (bequests, IRA designations, charitable remainder trusts), community presentations ($150 minimum donation), and an Amazon Wishlist for in-kind supply donations. The annual operating budget is disclosed at approximately $3 million, supported by 35 year-round staff (including a 17-person medical team), 12 seasonal staff, approximately 500 volunteers, and 75 interns. A $15M capital campaign funds the new Grant campus buildout.

Name

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota

Legal name

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota

Website

https://wrcmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota (WRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit wildlife hospital founded in 1979 that treats approximately 25,000 injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals annually across roughly 200 species, free of charge, serving the Minnesota public from its Roseville hospital and new Grant, MN campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Health & Conservation Disease Management (HLAMAJAM), Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release Centers (Public Viewing/Education) (THAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife rehabilitation services
• Wildlife veterinary care
• Animal medical care
• Wildlife hospital services
• Wildlife education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Roseville

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Gifts: Single and monthly donations from individuals. Tax-deductible contributions as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 41-1588791). Includes planned giving options such as bequests, IRA designations, and charitable remainder trusts.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling apparel including T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, hats, and accessories. All proceeds support the mission.
3. Patient Sponsorships: Donors can sponsor specific animal care needs including Bug Buffet ($350/day or $2,500/week), Mammal Nursery care ($300), Waterfowl Nursery ($200), Songbird care, and Medications ($250 covering 3 days of medications).
4. Capital Campaign: $15 million capital campaign for Phase One of new rehabilitation campus. Includes naming opportunities such as pool sponsorships ($150,000) and full run sponsorships ($300,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota operates the world's busiest wildlife hospital, providing free medical care and rehabilitation for injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals. It admits approximately 25,000 patients across roughly 200 species annually and supplements direct care with public education, a helpline, community presentations, and volunteer/internship programs. All clinical services are provided at no charge to the public and are funded by donations, patient sponsorships, and merchandise sales.

Product overview

Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota operates as the world's busiest wildlife hospital, offering a comprehensive ecosystem of services centered on medical rehabilitation for injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals. The core offering is the wildlife rehabilitation hospital admitting approximately 25,000 patients annually across 200 species. Supporting services include an online admission portal for intake processing, donation and sponsorship programs for funding patient care, volunteer management for operational support, and a merchandise store selling branded apparel. Educational resources include case studies documenting treatment protocols. The organization is currently expanding through a Capital Campaign to develop a new rehabilitation campus.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Rehabilitation Services Core clinical service providing medical treatment, rehabilitation, and release for injured, sick, and orphaned wild animals across approximately 200 species. Provided free of charge to members of the public who bring animals to the Roseville facility.
• Patient Sponsorship Program Structured donation program with preset sponsorship tiers (e.g., $350 daily Bug Buffet, $300 Mammal Nursery, $200 Waterfowl Nursery, $250 Medications) that fund specific categories of patient care at the hospital.
• Community Education Presentations 30–45 minute wildlife education presentations featuring photos, videos, and animal stories delivered to schools, clubs, and civic organizations in the Twin Cities metro area, requested with a minimum $150 donation.
• WRC Merchandise Store Online e-commerce storefront selling branded apparel (T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, hats, accessories) with wildlife-themed designs; ships within the U.S. (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Missouri, New Mexico) and proceeds support the rehabilitation mission.
• Capital Campaign Naming Opportunities Major-gift naming rights within the $15 million Capital Campaign for the new 22-acre rehabilitation campus in Grant, Minnesota, including pool sponsorships at $150,000 and full run sponsorships (large and small pools) at $300,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000 animals admitted annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American Wildlife HeritagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapital campaign partner for the new 22-acre rehabilitation campus in Grant, Minnesota. Listed as a special thanks partner in Phase One development.
• AncoatscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCapital campaign partner for the new 22-acre rehabilitation campus in Grant, Minnesota. Listed as a special thanks partner in Phase One development.
• Kerrier (Veterinary Antibiotic Bead Company)coreTechnology or IntegrationLeading veterinary antibiotic bead company that donated the first bead kit for treating bone infections in wildlife patients. Provided expertise and assistance with surgical insertion of antibiotic beads.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research: Long-standing nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation and research center in Newark, Delaware. Provides medical care and oil-spill response for birds and wildlife with an academic research arm—analogous to WRC's mix of clinical care and research collaborations.
• PAWS Wildlife Center: Wildlife rehabilitation hospital in Lynnwood, Washington operated by Progressive Animal Welfare Society. Admits thousands of injured and orphaned wild animals annually and runs an education program—closely comparable scale and mission to WRC.
• Second Chance Wildlife Center: Nonprofit wildlife rehabilitation center in Gaithersburg, Maryland providing veterinary care for native wildlife and wildlife education programs. Comparable mission, donation-funded model, and community-driven operations to WRC.
• Center for Wildlife (Cape Cod): Wildlife hospital in Cape Cod, Massachusetts providing medical care, rehabilitation, and public education for native wildlife. Comparable regional wildlife hospital with a donation-based revenue model and educational programming.
• Tufts Wildlife Clinic: Wildlife medical and rehabilitation service at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Provides clinical care, research, and training for native wildlife—comparable academic-affiliated wildlife hospital model to WRC's UMN origins.
• WildCare (Bay Area): 501(c)(3) wildlife hospital in San Rafael, California providing medical care, rehabilitation, and public education for injured and orphaned native wildlife. Operates a comparable walk-in hospital model, helpline, and education programs on a donation-funded basis.
• The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota: University-affiliated wildlife medical center at UMN that provides veterinary care and rehabilitation for raptors. WRC explicitly refers hawks, eagles, and owls to this center, making it a direct operational peer and formal referral partner in Minnesota.
• Cornell Wildlife Health Lab: Wildlife clinical service within Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine. Delivers veterinary care, research, and training for wildlife—paralleling WRC's UMN Veterinary College heritage and clinical-research orientation.
• Fox Valley Wildlife Center: Nonprofit wildlife hospital and education center in Elgin, Illinois serving the greater Chicago region. Provides rehabilitation, a helpline, and public outreach for native wildlife—comparable Midwestern wildlife hospital operation to WRC.
• Audubon Society of Portland Wildlife Care Center: Wildlife rehabilitation facility operated by Portland Audubon, providing medical care for injured native birds and mammals with a strong education and outreach component. Comparable nonprofit wildlife hospital model with deep community engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota