A.E.R.O Animal Education and Rescue Organization

Goal: $25,000.00

Specific Need

A.E.R.O. is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing native wildlife—but we need your help to keep up with the growing demand. In 2025 alone, we cared for over 1,539 injured, orphaned, and displaced animals, and we are already on pace to exceed that number this year. To continue meeting this need, we have set a GiveChoose fundraising goal of $25,000.

These funds will support two critical priorities: building species-appropriate outdoor enclosures for our rehabbers and providing essential wildlife supplies and life-saving tools.

Through our apprenticeship program, 17 individuals have graduated to become Virginia-permitted wildlife rehabilitators, expanding the network of trained professionals able to help wildlife across the state. Our goal is to build each of these rehabbers much-needed outdoor enclosures to give the animals in their care the best possible chance at recovery and release.

We need $15,000 to purchase the materials required to construct these enclosures. Thanks to generous community support, the labor to build them has already been donated. Once the materials are secured, we will be able to create safe, natural recovery spaces for wildlife including squirrels, opossums, foxes, songbirds, raptors, raccoons, and turtles.

Our second goal is to provide essential wildlife rehabilitation supplies and tools for the animals currently in care. The remaining $10,000 will support critical resources needed by our rehabbers, including:

• Specialized wildlife formula for orphaned mammals and birds
• Feeding syringes, tubes, and neonatal feeding tools
• Incubators for fragile or critically ill patients
• Oxygen concentrators for animals suffering from trauma or respiratory distress
• Other life-saving rehabilitation equipment and supplies

Every year, A.E.R.O. also receives thousands of calls from the public seeking help with wildlife emergencies, and we are proud to provide guidance and assistance to the community, animal control officers, and local law enforcement free of charge.

Thank you for supporting our mission. These are your local wild neighbors, and with your help, we can continue giving them a second chance.

Mission

Animal Education and Rescue Organization (A.E.R.O.) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of orphaned, injured and sick native Virginia wildlife in need of help in order to survive. Our Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) licensed wildlife rehabilitators, apprentices, and care providers devote hundreds of hours to restore the wildlife in their care to good health so that they can be released back into the wild.

Profile

Profile / Additional Information

Animal Education and Rescue Organization (A.E.R.O.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured, orphaned, and displaced native Virginia wildlife. Our team of Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (VDWR) licensed wildlife rehabilitators, apprentices, and care providers devote hundreds of volunteer hours each year to restoring animals to health so they can safely return to the wild where they belong.

The need for wildlife rehabilitation in our region continues to grow. In 2025 alone, A.E.R.O. cared for over 1,539 animals, including squirrels, opossums, foxes, raccoons, songbirds, raptors, bats, and turtles. We are already on pace to exceed that number this year as more members of the public, animal control officers, and law enforcement agencies turn to A.E.R.O. for help when wildlife emergencies arise.

Through our apprenticeship program, 17 individuals have successfully graduated to become Virginia-permitted wildlife rehabilitators, expanding the network of trained professionals capable of helping wildlife across the state.

For this year’s GiveChoose campaign, A.E.R.O. has a fundraising goal of $25,000, which will support two critical initiatives:

Outdoor Wildlife Enclosures – $15,000

A.E.R.O. is working to build species-appropriate outdoor enclosures for our newly licensed rehabilitators. These enclosures are essential for wildlife recovery, allowing animals to regain strength, practice natural behaviors, and prepare for successful release back into the wild.

Funds raised will cover the materials needed to construct these enclosures. Thanks to generous community support, the labor to build them has already been donated, meaning every dollar raised goes directly toward expanding safe rehabilitation spaces for wildlife.

Life-Saving Wildlife Care Supplies – $10,000

As the number of animals coming into care continues to increase, our rehabbers urgently need additional life-saving equipment and supplies to properly care for orphaned and injured wildlife.

Funds raised will help provide:

• Specialized wildlife formula for orphaned mammals and birds
• Feeding syringes, tubes, and neonatal feeding tools
• Incubators to stabilize fragile babies and critical patients
• Oxygen concentrators for animals suffering from trauma or respiratory distress
• Other critical medical and rehabilitation equipment

These tools are often the difference between life and death for wildlife arriving weak, injured, dehydrated, or orphaned.

Each year, A.E.R.O. also receives thousands of calls from the public seeking help with wildlife emergencies, and we are proud to provide guidance and assistance free of charge to the community, animal control officers, and law enforcement agencies.

Your support helps ensure that when wildlife needs help, there is someone ready to answer the call.

Thank you for supporting A.E.R.O. and helping give Virginia’s wildlife a second chance. ??