A Pasadena wildlife rescuer is desperately searching for a new home after the landlord sold the property to a housing developer.
Cleo Watts operates her Critter Care Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation center to provide critical care to sick or injured animals in the greater Los Angeles area.
Her center also played a critical role in rescuing and caring for wildlife during the deadly Eaton fire.
Now, Watts is in a tough spot after her landlord sold the property where her center is located to a luxury apartment developer.
“Our landlord is going to be demoing and building luxury apartments, so we’re basically forced to shut our doors or we need to find another location, desperately,” she told KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “And it’s baby season, so it’s a bit scary.”
Currently, Watts is rehabilitating several baby raccoons. She will care for them over an eight-month period before releasing them back into the wild. But with no new location secured, Watts is worried about their future and any animals who may need help.
“There are literally almost no resources for raccoons and it’s also a specific permit besides a wildlife rehab license,” said Lindsay Murray, a volunteer at the center.
Watts describes her nonprofit organization as a labor of love and said she cares for sick or injured wild animals who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance of survival.
“They’re living creatures and they deserve respect and love,” Watts said. “They’re sentient beings and they deserve that, so why not give that to them?”
She is hoping to find a new location soon so that she can continue caring for the wildlife that need it most in Southern California.
Anyone with an available space or who would like to donate or seek the services of Cleo’s Critter Care Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation center can contact Watts here.
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