Grow Wildlife Hospital

Grow Wildlife Inc. recently announced that its plans to build Georgia's first specialized wildlife veterinary hospital gained momentum through a partnership with Southern Regional Health System in Atlanta. SRHS will donate expired medical supplies and equipment for the future wildlife hospital.

"We are extremely grateful to the staff at Southern Regional for this tremendous contribution to our wildlife hospital project," said Brenda Hudlow, GROW executive director. "While medical equipment and supplies have expiration dates for human healthcare due to healthcare regulations, they are still suitable for wildlife care. I'm thrilled Southern Regional recognizes this important need by its generous donation."

The equipment will range from anesthesia and ECG monitors to x-ray and ultrasound machines. Supplies will include syringes, bandages, pharmaceuticals and surgical tools.

GROW Wildlife began a campaign to raise $3.5 million to build the first specialized wildlife veterinary hospital in the nation and designed by veterinary professionals. The nonprofit corporation hopes to erect an 11,000-square-foot facility in south Fulton County.

"People often ask me why we can't locate the hospital in an existing structure," Hudlow said. "Adapting a building to the specific needs of native wildlife care is as expensive or costs much more. Separate holding areas for raptors, reptiles and both large and small mammals alone dictate a facility especially designed to accommodate them until they are healthy enough to be distributed to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator that will prepare them for release into their natural environment."