Last year, the Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition became the Houston Humane Society TWRC Wildlife Center.

By next year, the center hopes to move to the 5 Corners District from Spring Branch.

Mary Warwick, Houston Humane Society Wildlife Director, said the group plans to move into the new location at 3100 West Fuqua St. by July 2024.

The 9,700-square-foot building was previously home to the Vinson Library and business tenants.

After the TWRC Wildlife Center and Houston Humane Society merged, Warwick said it was decided they wanted to be closer to the Humane Society location on Almeda Road.

“We specifically chose this location because it was in a neighborhood, and we want to be part of a community,” Warwick said.

The organization is planning three block parties per year for the community and monthly parent or guardian nights out for families in the community, Warwick said.

A mural is in the works for the building, she said, and should be finished by the end of this year.

At the time of the merger between TWRC and the Humane Society, Warwick said the center had already been collaborating with the Humane Society on various animal welfare initiatives, so combining was a natural extension of their work and shared mission.

Gary Poon, society president and CEO, said that as Greater Houston continues to expand, more wildlife is being displaced from its natural habitats, with encounters between wildlife and people becoming more commonplace — thus making education about the encounters critical.

The wildlife center’s primary mission is to promote environmental conservation through native wildlife rehabilitation and public education. The group takes in native wildlife that have been injured or orphaned, provides medical treatment and rehabilitation, and then releases them to their native habitat.

Warwick said the center also has an education team that provides grant-funded programs at schools where most of the students are from low-income families.

“Our outreach programs go to many events around Houston to raise awareness of the challenges wildlife face as Houston continues to encroach into their habitat,” she said, adding: “We are very excited to be a part of the 5 Corners community.”

For more information on the Houston Humane Society TWRC Wildlife Center, visit https://www.houstonhumanewildlife.org/

— by Dorothy Puch Lillig