Wildlife rehabilitation center in Ogden has to move after city order

OGDEN, Utah — The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah looks like an ordinary building from the outside. However, inside, it is an extraordinary place for hope where injured animals get a second chance at life.

“That looks fabulous,” DaLyn Marthaler said while helping an injured hawk. “Really good.”

Marthaler has dedicated her life to helping these animals. However, she could use a bit of hope herself.

“Yeah,” she said. “It literally took me, sorry, I am going to cry again, a month to talk about it.”

Marthaler is the executive director of the wildlife rehabilitation center. She recently received a letter from Ogden City saying the center will have to close in September.

“We were all just kind of dumb founded. We were speechless. We just kind of sat around like what just happened?” she said.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for Northern Utah was recently told by Ogden City it will have to move by September. 4000+ animals are brought here a year after being injured. We're doing a story with the facility for our @KSL5TV 5:00 and 6:30 newscasts. #ksltv pic.twitter.com/wokW5zy9G2

— Alex Cabrero (@KSL_AlexCabrero) April 25, 2023

The land the facility is on is owned by Ogden City, same for the Dinosaur Park next door.

The city wants to expand the dinosaur park and tear down the wildlife building to make room for a parking lot and maintenance sheds.

“We thought this was our forever home. We were told this is where we could stay,” Marthaler said. “So, we started doing the best we could to make our program the best it can be.”

More than 4,000 animals a year get that second chance here after being injured from being hit by a car, a fight with other wildlife, or some other kind of interaction.

Marthaler and her staff helps to nurse the animals back to health.

They are either released back into the wild, or, if they wouldn’t survive the wild, are donated to education centers across the country.

Five of the animals rehabilitated at the facility and sent to the Bronx Zoo have been featured on Animal Planet.

However, if this facility closes, Marthaler said future injured animals will most likely have to be euthanized.

“There’s nowhere else for them to go. There’s just not,” she said. “DWR can’t do this. U.S. Fish and Wildlife can’t do this. If we don’t exist, they are put down.”

She’s hoping the city will give her more time to find a new building or time to raise the necessary money to build one.

Ogden City spokesperson Mike McBride said the issue is being discussed with lawyers on both sides Wednesday morning.

“We have not given up the fight. We will not give up the fight,” Marthaler said. “They might shut us down for a minute, but we will return, for sure.”