• Pacific Wildlife Care is building a new 16,000-square-foot facility in San Luis Obispo to replace its current Morro Bay location.
• The organization's caseload has increased from 770 animals annually in 2007 to over 3,000, necessitating a larger facility.
• Construction is expected to begin by the end of June or early July and is projected to take 12-18 months.

Pacific Wildlife Care, a wildlife rehabilitation organization, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new facility in San Luis Obispo. The new two-story building, spanning 16,000 square feet with an additional 8,100 square feet of outdoor space, aims to provide much-needed space for the organization's growing operations. The current location in Morro Bay has become insufficient to handle the increasing number of animals requiring care. The new facility will be centrally located on Buckley Road and Esperanza Lane.

• What: Groundbreaking ceremony for a new wildlife rehabilitation facility.
• Who: Pacific Wildlife Care, Susan Belany (volunteer), Kristin Howland (Executive Director), Andrea Munter (volunteer).
• When: Groundbreaking ceremony was held on Wednesday. Construction is expected to start by the end of June or early July and to be completed within 12-18 months.
• Where: San Luis Obispo, Buckley Road and Esperanza Lane (new facility location), Morro Bay (current facility location).

The new facility signifies a major expansion for Pacific Wildlife Care, allowing them to better serve the increasing number of animals in need of rehabilitation. The larger space addresses a critical need identified by the organization. The central location in San Luis Obispo is also expected to improve accessibility. The projected construction timeline suggests the facility will be operational within the next two years.

We’ve just been striving to meet the needs of all the wildlife in the area and it’s been a struggle, and it’s beautiful that we have this new facility because from our experience, we’ve learned exactly what we need because it’s very specific.

That number is growing each year significantly.

Space, space, space.

The most important thing for animal wildlife rehabilitation is being able to move them gradually to bigger spaces.

My goal is to get them out there, so that’s the most rewarding thing is when I’m able to get an animal that is used to being wild and free and then getting it back out there to what it loves and what it's meant to do.

Pacific Wildlife Care's groundbreaking on a new facility represents a significant step forward in its ability to care for the growing number of injured and orphaned wild animals in the region. The increased space and improved facilities will enable the organization to enhance its rehabilitation efforts. The organization will remain at its Morro Bay location until the new facility is operational, with plans to transfer animals in a careful and low-impact manner. Construction is expected to be completed within 12-18 months.