• Pacific Wildlife Care held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 16,000-square-foot wildlife rehabilitation facility in San Luis Obispo.
• The new facility will address the organization's need for increased space due to a significant rise in the number of animals cared for annually, from 770 to over 3,000.
• Construction is expected to begin by the end of June or early July, with completion anticipated within 18 months to two years.

Pacific Wildlife Care, a wildlife rehabilitation organization, held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new facility located on Buckley Road and Esperanza Lane in San Luis Obispo. The event marked the start of construction for a 16,000-square-foot, two-story building that will replace their current location in Morro Bay. The expansion is driven by the organization's need to accommodate the increasing number of animals they care for each year, which has grown from 770 in 2007 to over 3,000.

• What: Groundbreaking ceremony for a new 16,000-square-foot wildlife rehabilitation facility.
• Who: Pacific Wildlife Care, Susan Belany (volunteer), Kristin Howland (Executive Director), Andrea Munter (volunteer), dozens of attendees.
• When: Groundbreaking ceremony held on Wednesday, construction expected to start by the end of June or early July, with completion anticipated within 18 months to two years.
• Where: San Luis Obispo, California, along Buckley Road and Esperanza Lane.

The groundbreaking of Pacific Wildlife Care's new facility signifies a crucial step in addressing the growing need for wildlife rehabilitation services in the San Luis Obispo area. The current facility, while serving its purpose, has become inadequate due to the exponential increase in animals requiring care. The new, larger facility will provide enhanced resources and space, allowing Pacific Wildlife Care to better serve the needs of injured and orphaned wildlife. The central location will also improve accessibility for the community.

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.

Space, space, space.

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 marks a significant milestone for wildlife rehabilitation in San Luis Obispo County. The new facility represents a substantial investment in the future of local wildlife, providing much-needed resources and space to care for the growing number of injured and orphaned animals. With construction slated to begin soon, the organization anticipates being fully operational within two years, continuing its mission to rehabilitate and release wildlife back into their natural habitats.