VIRGINIA BEACH -- Virginia Beach City Council agreed Tuesday night to sell land that a wild animal rehab group wants to buy.
Wildlife Response, Inc. wants to develop 50 acres at 3592 Indian River Road.
Council okayed the conditional use permit, but since it’s city property, we’re required to put it out for bid," said city spokesman Marc Davis.
Davis says the lease could be awarded as early as June.
Members care for small animals like squirrels, birds and raccoons in their homes. A new rehab center would allow them to move larger animals out of individual's homes. They hope say a new center would also allow them to house eagles.
Suzanne McBride has been rehabbing at home for 15 years. Right now, she's caring for nearly 100 animals.
She says it's rewarding to get injured or abandoned animals well enough to survive on their own.
"It's so rewarding," she said.
Many say neighbors have been complaining about noise, so the volunteers raised money to build a sanctuary.
The group says it took 13,000 calls last year.
The SPCA says it's already doing a lot of wildlife rehab and that the group's proposal calls for eliminating the SPCA's involvement.
Davis added that at least one other group, the Va. Beach SPCA, is also interested in the site.
Virginia Beach doesn’t have a wildlife rehab center. The closet one is 200 miles away in Waynesboro, which is now home to the three eaglets from Norfolk Botanical Garden.
