From hummingbirds to eagles, from mice to porcupines, the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah in Ogden, at 1490 Park Blvd., has helped rehabilitate and rehome more than 34,000 wildlife patients since it opened its doors in 2009. 

So when DaLyn Marthaler, the organization’s executive director and wildlife specialist, received an eviction notice in March from Ogden City, she was stunned. The notice stated they had until September 6 to vacate the property. 

“We were completely blindsided,” she said. “This came out of nowhere. For a nonprofit, especially with what we do with thousands and thousands of animals, that was just not possible.”

When the contract with the city was first negotiated 12 years ago, Marthaler expressed concern that the city could take back the property with only six months' notice. She said she was told it was verbiage the city used to protect itself, that it wasn’t a big deal, that if everything went well the facility could be considered a permanent location for wildlife rehabilitation.

After several years, WRC began investing in the property, spending tens of thousands of dollars to improve the building. A new HVAC system was installed, new flooring, water heaters, LED lights and even a pool was custom built so aquatic life could rehabilitate safely. 

“Right now, we are looking for a temporary facility because what our needs are, we can't do. So the hope is we're going to get a temporary property and makeshift it the best we can,” she said. “We will be limited on what we can do. Like for example, we have a beaver and right now this is the last beaver that will be rehabbed in Utah, all of Utah, because no one else does beaver, except for us.”

The reason for the eviction is so the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park (located next to the WRCNU) can build a parking lot and maintenance facility. The First Amendment and Forbearance Agreement from Ogden City stated Marthaler knew the location was temporary and it was always the city’s intention to expand the dinosaur park. 

While a request to interview Ogden City Mayor Mike Caldwell was not granted, the city has given the WRCNU a six-month extension on the eviction if the center can purchase a new property or sign a five-year lease before the Sept. 6 deadline. The city issued this statement: 

“This six-month extension effectively gives the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center one year from the original date of notice to take steps toward finding a new facility to operate out of.  From the beginning, this arrangement was meant to be temporary, with the knowledge that the city would turn the property over for expansion at the Dinosaur Park. We appreciate the work the WRCNU does in Ogden and for all of Northern Utah and hope that this additional time will aid in their successful relocation.”

Marthaler said it will be almost impossible to find a new location before the September deadline and, as of May 15, the WRCNU stopped taking in any more injured or abandoned animals. They are trying to rehome or rehabilitate the current 250 wildlife patients still in its care or the animals will have to be killed. As the only rehab facility in Northern Utah, Marthaler is frantically looking for space to start over. 

“What we need is another facility like this and it’s going to cost millions,” she said. “We need our community to keep following this. One of our biggest fears is that we close and people forget about us. We need people to keep on top of us and keep supporting us to make sure we get up and moving as quickly as possible.”

Marthaler asks supporters to sign the petition at WRCNU.org and follow the organization on Facebook for updates.