Frontenac Outfitters Team Up With Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre

May 09, 2013

Larry and Christine Showler, owners of Frontenac Outfitters, the paddlers’ paradise located at 6674 Bedford Road, kitty corner to Frontenac Provincial Park, decided to bring something new to their 29th annual spring sale and open house, which took place from May 3-5. Not only were they offering up for test paddling and sale over 400 of the world’s finest canoes, kayaks and stand up paddle boards, along with a free BBQ, numerous prizes and a live country rock concert courtesy of Rock Bottom, but this year the couple also invited their friends from Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre in Napanee to the event to raise funds for the centre.

Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre is located at 8749 County Road 2 in Napanee, and is a federally and provincially licensed rehabilitation wildlife centre. It has been in operation since 1994 and is the only facility of its kind between Montreal and Toronto. The centre's aim is to “help all injured and orphaned wildlife and to release them back into their natural habitat.” The centre also offers free advice and assistance to property owners who are having problems with their wild animal neighbors and will offer humane alternatives to resolve conflicts. Volunteers at the centre work closely with veterinarians and humane societies across Ontario.

Sandy Pines is located in a small clinic facility that has recently acquired some additions, including a new aviary for raptors, who require 100 feet of flying space to pass their pre-release fly test. The centre relies 100% on donations, and staff and volunteers are hoping to build a larger hospital facility that will cost between $250,000 -$300,000.

Faye Wan is Sandy Pines’ fundraising coordinator and was present at the event. She said the centre uses up most of their resources for everyday operations so finding funding to build a new hospital will be a difficult undertaking. Sandy Pines was founded by Sue Meech, a former nurse who has been caring for sick and injured wildlife for over 25 years. She said that for most of her life she has been inundated with injured and sick animals as people began to bring them to her.

Frontenac Outfitters and Sandy Pines recently forged ties when the Showlers had a pair of wild foxes living on their porch. Seven of the pair’s young pups developed mange after they lost their mom even though dad tried to feed them on his own, supplying them with small prey he killed. When left untreated, mange can be life threatening. The Showlers found out about Sandy Pines, whose crew was able to rescue and rehabilitate five of the seven pups. They were treated and released back to the wild.

Sue Meech said when I spoke to her by phone earlier this week, “I think that it is man’s inhumanity to animals on a large scale that keeps me working in the field.” Sue works at the centre on average 80 hours per week and she said that this kind of work is “the reason that I get out of bed every morning.”

On the day I spoke to her she was up at 8am, answering phone calls and arranging for drivers to pick up rescued animals. Then she helped numerous turtles who were having their fractured shells mended; fed the rescued barn animals and birds; checked on the progress of the new aviary; helped examine a slew of new animals that were being admitted that day including birds, raccoons squirrels and rabbits; helped feed a rescued loon; drove her interns to town to get groceries; and worked out at the gym for 45 minutes before grabbing dinner and heading back to the centre for more work.

At Saturday’s fundraiser Faye Wan had on display a number of photos of various animals that had been rescued and rehabilitated at the Sandy Pines over the years. One was a young fox that had been badly injured on its face and legs by a carelessly disposed of fishing hook and line, which Faye said unfortunately happens all too often. Helium balloons and their lines also pose a huge threat to wild animals. The centre also rescues countless animals that have been kidnapped from the wild as well as those injured by cars. While lack of funds does not allow the centre to care for animals that are too sick or severely injured to be released back to the wild, the volunteers still manage to care for, treat and release close to 2000 animals a year.

Before my conversation with Sue Meech ended, she recalled for me the words of a song written by an unknown author who was similarly inspired to help injured wild life.

“Once in a while we have a chance to give back a little from all that we take,

And a wild one returned to the circle of life is a part of the change that we make.”

For more information about Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre visitwww.sandypineswildlife.org.

Paddling enthusiasts can learn more about Frontenac Outfitters at www.frontenacoutfitters.ca