FOSTER YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE AREA. WELL, FOR 50 YEARS, THE WILDLIFE CARE ASSOCIATION HAS TAKEN AN INJURED AND ORPHANED WILDLIFE FROM ACROSS THE SACRAMENTO AREA, AND THEY CARE FOR THOUSANDS OF ANIMALS EACH YEAR. AS KCRA 3’S LEE ANNE DENYER SHOWS US WHAT THE LOCATION WHERE THEY WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED, THEIR MISSION CERTAINLY HAS NOT. THIS DECOMMISSIONED RADAR DOME MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO CATCH YOUR EYE. HOW IS HE EATING IT? BUT IT’S WHAT’S HAPPENING INSIDE THAT’S CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF DECADES OF ANIMAL LOVERS. WE GET A LOT OF SONGBIRDS IN. WE GET RAPTORS IN, LIKE, OWLS AND HAWKS. WE GET RACCOONS, WE GET SQUIRRELS AND OPOSSUMS. ANYTHING THAT YOU WOULD SEE OUT IN NATURE, OUR ANIMALS THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE IN THE CENTER. WHILE THE WILDLIFE CARE ASSOCIATION DATES BACK TO 1975, THE NONPROFIT TOOK OVER THIS UNIQUE SPACE. IN 2012, IT WAS LEFT VACANT AFTER MCCLELLAN AIR FORCE BASE CLOSED. WE HAVE TRANSFORMED IT INTO A WILDLIFE REHABILITATION CENTER. THE SMALL BUT MIGHTY STAFF RESCUE, REHABILITATE AND RELEASE WILDLIFE, BIG AND SMALL WITH THE HELP OF VOLUNTEERS AND PUBLIC DONATIONS. HAVING THESE ANIMALS OUT THERE IS HEALTHY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. YOU KNOW, THEY’RE THEY’RE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEY’RE ON PACE TO CARE FOR 9000 AT THE CENTER THIS YEAR ALONE. IT’S VERY REWARDING. I MEAN, WCA WAS STARTED BY A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS AND IT’S JUST GROWN MASSIVELY OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS IN MY POSITION. I GET TO DOCUMENT THE ANIMALS AND THEN SHARE IT WITH THE PUBLIC. SO I REALLY ENJOY GETTING TO SHOW THE BEHIND THE SCENES OF WHAT WE DO HERE AND, AND SORT OF GIVING THE PUBLIC A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WILDLIFE REHABILITATION LOOKS LIKE. INJURED OR ABANDONED ANIMALS ARE TYPICALLY BROUGHT IN BY MEMBERS OF PUBLIC WCA DIRECTOR SANDRA FORMAN SAYS. ONCE THEY’RE HERE, IT’S IMPORTANT THEY STAY WILD. I FEEL REALLY PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION. WE CONTINUE TO RAISE OUR STANDARDS WITH ANIMAL CARE. WE TRY TO GIVE THE ANIMALS HERE THE BEST CHANCE THAT THEY HAVE AT GOING BACK OUT INTO THE WILD, AND I’M JUST REALLY HAPPY AND PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT. IN SACRAMENTO, LEE ANNE DENYER. KCRA THREE NEWS THE WILDLIFE CARE ASSOCIATION HAS VOLUNTEER INTERNSHIP AND SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES. THEY’RE ALSO ACTIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND THEY ENCOURAGE ANYONE INTERESTED IN WILDLIFE REHABILITATION TO FOLLOW ALONG. YOU CAN SEE THEY’VE GOT SOME GREAT PICTURES OF CUTE LITTLE BABY
Sacramento’s Wildlife Care Association transforms radar dome into animal haven
The Wildlife Care Association in Sacramento has repurposed a decommissioned radar dome into a thriving wildlife rehabilitation center, caring for thousands of animals annually.
Updated: 6:51 PM PST Nov 26, 2025
The Wildlife Care Association in Sacramento has kept its commitment to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing local wildlife for decades. “Anything that you would see out in nature are animals that we would receive in the center,” said Sandra Foreman, director of the Wildlife Care Association. “Anything that is in distress, injured, sick or orphaned are the type of animals that we take into the center.”The organization is on pace to take in 9,000 animals in 2025. Those numbers have grown steadily in recent years.“It’s very rewarding. WCA was started by a group of volunteers, and it’s just grown massively over the last 50 years,” said Paige Fandrei, communications and outreach coordinator. “In my position, I get to document the animals and then share it with the public. I really enjoy getting to show the behind the scenes of what we do here.”The small but mighty staff rescues, rehabilitates, and releases wildlife, big and small, with the help of volunteers and public donations. “Having these animals out there is healthy for the environment,” Foreman said. “They’re part of our community.”It’s often members of the public, Foreman said, who bring in injured or abandoned animals for care. She stressed it’s important to keep them wild, keeping them in a warm, dark and quiet place until they can be brought in, being sure not to touch the animal or give it food or water.”I feel really proud to be part of this organization,” she said. “We continue to raise our standards with animal care. We try to give the animals here the best chance that they have at going back out into the wild and I’m just really happy and proud to be a part of that.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Wildlife Care Association in Sacramento has kept its commitment to rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing local wildlife for decades.
“Anything that you would see out in nature are animals that we would receive in the center,” said Sandra Foreman, director of the Wildlife Care Association. “Anything that is in distress, injured, sick or orphaned are the type of animals that we take into the center.”
The organization is on pace to take in 9,000 animals in 2025. Those numbers have grown steadily in recent years.
“It’s very rewarding. WCA was started by a group of volunteers, and it’s just grown massively over the last 50 years,” said Paige Fandrei, communications and outreach coordinator. “In my position, I get to document the animals and then share it with the public. I really enjoy getting to show the behind the scenes of what we do here.”
The small but mighty staff rescues, rehabilitates, and releases wildlife, big and small, with the help of volunteers and public donations.
“Having these animals out there is healthy for the environment,” Foreman said. “They’re part of our community.”
It’s often members of the public, Foreman said, who bring in injured or abandoned animals for care. She stressed it’s important to keep them wild, keeping them in a warm, dark and quiet place until they can be brought in, being sure not to touch the animal or give it food or water.
“I feel really proud to be part of this organization,” she said. “We continue to raise our standards with animal care. We try to give the animals here the best chance that they have at going back out into the wild and I’m just really happy and proud to be a part of that.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel