California Wildlife Center to Host Virtual Fundraising Auction, Event

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The California Wildlife Center, which rescues sick, injured and orphaned wildlife in Pacific Palisades, is hosting a virtual fundraiser beginning April 11 at 8 a.m.

Each year, the Malibu-based wildlife center treats more than 4,000 animals, and funds raised through the “Feathers, Flippers, and Fur Auction and Event” will help continue its work.

“CWC is dedicated to keeping native fauna wild by rehabilitating animals as quickly as possible and releasing them back into their native territory,” according to a statement. “However, the animals treated by CWC do not have health insurance. Donations, sponsorships and the annual Feathers, Flippers, and Fur Auction and Event provide much of the funding that keeps the doors of CWC open 365 days a year.”

The center receives about 30,000 calls for service per year from concerned members of the public, according to information shared ahead of the event, including one call several months ago that was “different because the animal’s injuries were so severe.”

“The patient was a great horned owl with burn injuries, perhaps caused by a flare from an industrial gas release,” CWC shared. “Her wing and tail feathers, which are vital to flying, had been nearly all burned off.”

A CWC veterinarian performed multiple procedures to replace her damaged feathers with whole feathers from a donor owl. The patient was released this month back into the wild.

“The beauty and resources of the area are what draws people to Southern California,” the center continued. “They are also what increases human contact with wild animals, which frequently causes the animals harm. Whether a person accidentally knocks down a bird’s nest, or a piece of trash is ingested by a sea lion, human encroachment in Southern California is having a deleterious effect on its wildlife.”

Those who wish to support CWC are invited to preview silent auction items now through April 10. The auction will run between April 11 at 8 a.m. and April 17 at 5 p.m.

“Auction items include art, clothing and accessories, experiences, fitness, food and wine, health and beauty, home and garden, jewelry, pet gifts, travel, and much more,” CWC shared.

One highlighted item in the auction, which is sponsored by John Paul Mitchell Systems, Quigley-Simpson and Common Good Advisors, is a guitar signed by Slash.

On April 17 between 3 and 4 p.m., CWC will host a free-to-attend live event, featuring an insider’s look at patients at the center, music from local musicians, celebrity drop-ins and more, according to the center’s website. No tickets are necessary.

“We’ll be flinging open the figurative doors to show you what we do, how we do it and how your support makes it all possible,” the website continued.

For more information, including previewing auction items, visit CAWildlife.givesmart.com.