Eight years ago as a healing process after her son's death, Deborah O' Shell began to put her heart into helping wild animals. Over the years she worked hard to obtain the proper licenses becoming United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) licensed, federally (USDI) permitted and Pennsylvania Game Commission permitted. What started out in the beginning as a bird here and a racoon there had soon become a 24 hour a day job. Along the way Debbie did not stand alone in her love of the creatures. Family and friends had also helped her in what was soon to become Blair County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. Today the center has up to fifty volunteers, eight of these being subpermittees. Subpermittees are licensed under Debbie to house the animals while they heal. Many have come and gone but none have left without feeling they had helped in some way.
	A baby robin chirping for feed, an owl's big yellow eyes starring right through you, a fawn playfully bucking and running...all are everyday events at the Blair County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.		BCWR is a local non profit organization of Blair County that relies on a group of volunteers dedicated to caring for injured and orphaned birds, mammals and reptiles with the purpose of releasing them back into their natural habitats.
	For the past eight years, Debbie and her family has also financially supported the organization. In the past few years more donations have been coming in from the public, businesses, and private organizations. These donations have helped in buying food, medication, and supplies. So far, Debbie has used her basement as housing and an emergency room for the wildlife. Along with the native wildlife, primates are also housed and studied at BCWR. Her dream has been to take the facility out of her house to have a place of its own, a wildlife and primate hospital. Recently all the volunteers have come together to achieve this goal. Renovation has now begun on a large three car garage. But BCWR now needs the help of the public to help finish the facility. The rehab center has many plans for the future with its main focus always being the wildlife in need. This facility does not play a role as activists but as advocates of the creatures. They invite everyone to help in any way they can. Help Blair County Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, help the wildlife and preserve their future.