A bureaucratic blunder has thrown the Howell Nature Center into crisis, knocking out its federal tax-exempt status and forcing a sudden pause at its wildlife rehabilitation clinic. Animals already living at the park are still being cared for, but staff say they cannot accept any new wildlife patients until the money and the paperwork catch up.
Go Wild for Wildlife campaign
To plug the financial hole fast, the center has launched a "Go Wild for Wildlife" emergency campaign, aiming to raise $100,000 in just 10 days. The campaign page on Givebutter showed $52,938 raised, roughly 52 percent of the goal, with about 1,000 supporters already on board. Local broadcaster WXYZ reported that the clinic has stopped taking new wildlife patients and that staffers are now fielding as many as 200 calls a day from people trying to help injured or orphaned animals.
Tax status and why it matters
The center says a paperwork mishap led to the loss of its federal tax-exempt status, and it is working to get that designation back, since the status affects grant eligibility and partner funding, according to the organization. ProPublica also shows the listing is not currently on the IRS's most recent roster of tax-exempt organizations.
Staff and animals on the front lines
For now, staff stresses that the animals already housed at the park are still receiving treatment, even as the intake pause leaves a noticeable gap for wildlife care across the region. Wildlife Education Specialist Jen Ewing and Senior Director of Wildlife Laura Moran told WXYZ that Ewing checks on roughly 70 resident animals, and they said the community's early response has been "amazing" as the center tries to stabilize operations.
A history of community rescues
This is not the first time donors have had the center's back. After a difficult 2024, the community raised roughly $140,000 to help the nature center recover, as per Hoodline. Howell Nature Center also notes that it operates Michigan's largest wildlife rehabilitation clinic and cares for thousands of injured and orphaned animals each year, a scale that makes it a critical safety net for wildlife in the region.
How you can help
The fastest way to support the clinic is through the campaign page on Givebutter, which lists donation tiers and other ways to pitch in. Organizers say that volunteers, visits and word-of-mouth support helped keep the center afloat in 2024, and early signs suggest the same kind of local backing could be decisive again as staff work to get their tax status restored and normal operations back on track.
