Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program Uses Funds from Animal Welfare Grant to Purchase A New Incubator

The Mary Wakefield Animal Welfare Grant program was established in honour of the late Mary Wakefield who had a special place in her heart for small animals, always caring for stray cats and rescuing Dachshunds. In her estate, Mrs. Wakefield donated over $235,000 to the Abbotsford Community Foundation to establish the Mary Victoria Wakefield Animal Welfare Fund, where each year the income is used to support local animal welfare agencies. Since the fund was established, it has distributed over $67,000 to various animal welfare organizations including Canadian Animal Rescue & Extended Shelter Society (CARES Cat Shelter), Circle F Horse Rescue Society, Elizabeth’s Wildlife Center Society, Fraser Valley Humane Society, Horse Protection Society of BC, Langley Animal Protection Society, Senior Animals in Need Today Society, and the Salvation Army Cascade Community Church.
Last year, the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program (NSOBP) was the well deserving recipient of a Mary Wakefield Animal Welfare Grant. The NSOBP’s mission is to restore the population of one of Canada’s most endangered birds, the Northern Spotted Owl, through captive breeding and release. Using the funds from the grant, the NSOBP was able to purchase state of the art equipment and supplies for to ensure that each egg that was artificially incubated received the best care possible. Specifically, the NSOBP was able to purchase a new Grumbach S84 incubator (pictured below) with built in WiFi capabilities and an improved digital interface.

According to the NSOBP, the new incubator provided much needed additional space for eggs and chicks. It functioned well and passed all tests prior to incubating Spotted Owl eggs. The technology improvements meant that additional equipment such as WiFi thermometers were not required, which saved on costs and decreased risk of human error for the NSOBP. The new incubator also allows for a wider range of temperatures that are customized for specific eggs and chicks. Overall, the NSOBP reports that machine is easy to use, reliable, and accurate, helping them to further their goal to house 10 breeding pairs and release 10-20 offspring each year for the next 15-20 years.
We’re thrilled to see that the funds from the Mary Wakefield Animal Welfare Fund are being used to protect an endangered species like the Spotted Owl. Without donors like the late Mary Wakefield, these opportunities would not be possible.
For more information about the Mary Wakefield Animal Welfare Fund, click here.
For more information about the NSOBP, click here.