Second Chances:Building Hope for Orphaned Raccoons

As I write this, we are finishing up the electrical and plumbing in our new raccoon facility. That's a HUGE deal! What started as a dream three years ago - trying to find a solution to a decades-long problem of providing a safe and efficient space to raise orphaned raccoons, some as young as a day old - will be open and functional by March 15. That's just about the time the orphans will start arriving and we at Oaken Acres can't wait to show off our SECOND CHANCES center, a center that YOUR donations helped make possible. 

The new appliances are on order. A local animal hospital donated almost 40 slightly used stainless steel cages. My husband, Mark, has learned the ins and outs of being a general contractor and all around contractor helper during this process saving Oaken Acres thousands of dollars. And it's all coming together!

I have been raising orphaned wildlife for over 40 years and, yet, I am still excited each spring when I know that Oaken Acres will be able to help 2,000+ wild animals, mostly orphans, each year get their second chance in the wild. 

THANK YOU, all of you who have donated, to this extraordinary effort. Hands down, we will be the best equipped wildlife center in northern Illinois for raccoons. And this is just one more step in a backyard project that began in 1984 and has grown into the third largest wildlife rehabilitation in Illinois. We couldn't have come this far without support like yours for our lifesaving work. 

Please watch for our next fundraising effort in the near future. We're never done getting better. 

Oaken Acres Wildlife Center - EVERY LIFE MATTERS!!!

Links:

• Our website

I am happy to announce that Oaken Acres has been able to move forward with plans to construct a dedicated raccoon building onsite!  Too many times, OA is the only place for orphaned raccoons. None of the large centers in northern Illinois will admit orphaned raccoons and, if they do, there are strict limitations on their size which eliminates any neonates.  

Construction of this new building began in August 2025 with the teardown of the old center.  The foundation of this building was 80+ years old, damaged and allowed mice, weasels, and other critters to enter, endangering the health and safety of our patients and causing damage to the interior. This building has served us well and we are sad to see it go, but we look forward to a new, more efficient space, and better equipped for our raccoon patients. 

It will include three quarantine rooms*, a separate food prep area, and caging with the ability to care for raccoons from intake until they are moved to outdoor caging.  This will free up a room in the main center to allow us to expand and improve the care of our smaller mammals - squirrels, opossums and ground squirrels.  It will also decrease the potential spread of disease amongst susceptible species, and diminish congestion, odor, and noise within the building.

Rough estimate of cost for this is $300K. We are still about $50,000 short of our goal and will be soliciting additional donations for this project on GIVING TUESDAY 2025 throught GlobalGiving.

Links:

• Website
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