The Burnaby-based Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. has changed the labelling on some of its collection boxes in Delta, to avoid being confused with another organization that helps injured animals.
The Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, often referred to as O.W.L., helps injured birds of prey in Delta. O.W.L. took issue with the Wildlife Rescue Association placing collection boxes with a picture of an owl in Delta.
The Wildlife Rescue Association has since changed the image on the Delta collection boxes from an owl to a swift.
“We’ve done some new inserts with the Delta coin boxes with a swift at the front,” said association spokesperson Yolanda Brooks. “We haven’t done anything wrong,” she added.
O.W.L founder Beverly Day was pleased with the move.
“I don’t mind if they put the boxes out, as long as they don’t put owl on them, especially out here,” Day said. “Our name is O.W.L.”
According to Day, O.W.L. received one complaint from someone who had donated to the Wildlife Rescue Association thinking it was for O.W.L.
According to Brooks, the association’s full name was always on the collection boxes, although it’s not easy to see the word “association.”
Brooks referred to the controversy as “complete nonsense” because both groups rescue animals from the Delta area.
“We collect animals from all over the Lower Mainland and we try to collect money from the areas we collect from,” Brooks said. “We’re all working together to try to improve the situation for wildlife. We are not doing anything we aren’t supposed to be doing.”
OWL helped nearly 500 animals last year, while the Wildlife Rescue Association broke its own record at 4,131 animals.
