Funding needed: Help Hills Wildlife Sanctuary build a native animal hospital

The Hills Wildlife Sanctuary needs your help to build a new wildlife hospital where people can take injured native animals to receive specialist care.

The Hills Wildlife Sanctuary has been a haven for native animals down on their luck for almost 50 years.

The Dural-based sanctuary is home to Aussie fauna including kangaroos, possums and dingoes and sanctuary director Ben Dessen said: “Our primary goal is to rehabilitate wildlife and get them back into their natural habitat”.

Mr Dessen and the sanctuary are preparing to take that care to the next level, by attempting to build a wildlife hospital.

It’s a two-stage plan that includes a ­mobile facility, which will eventually develop into a fully functional hospital for native Australian wildlife, open seven days a week.

“Our stage 1 hospital is a deployable hospital which will run out of a modified shipping container which can be deployed to any natural disaster,” he said.

Hills Wildlife Sanctuary CEO Ben Dessen pictured with Moo the emu and Nat Conway pictured with Nioka the Alpine dingo at the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Hills Wildlife Sanctuary CEO Ben Dessen with Juniper the ringtail possum. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Stage 2 is a grand vision, a seven day functional hospital which will help a market which desperately needs it.”

There are currently two hospitals in Sydney which treat wildlife, with Mr Dessen hoping the Hills Wildlife Sanctuary will complement and provide alternative care.

Hills Wildlife Sanctuary CEO Ben Dessen (fifth from right) with volunteers and Moo the emu. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“If someone finds an injured animal, most of the time they take them to a vet and get put to sleep, the hospital will have an alternative option where members of the public and wildlife carers can take injured native animals to, and receive specialist veterinary care,” he said.

“Our duty as Australians is to do everything we can to protect our unique biodiversity and Australian wildlife.

“Sadly not all the animals we get in can be released, so we have made it a mission to provide shelter to give these guys the best life possible. We have built a unique home for these animals which allows them to still live a sustainable life.”

The sanctuary is staffed by volunteers and is seeking help in funding for their native animal hospital grand vision.

Originally published as Funding needed: Help Hills Wildlife Sanctuary build a native animal hospital