The Outer Banks Wildlife Shelter and Education Center is a non-profit 501c3 wildlife hospital where injured, sick, and orphaned native North Carolina wildlife is cared for in a professional and compassionate manner. Since our founding in 1988, OWLS has admitted over 35,000 patients. The animals admitted are scared, cold, hungry, in pain or in most cases in shock. Our mission is to rehabilitate and release the thousands of animals admitted to our clinic each year and to teach fellow North Carolinians how to happily and peacefully coexist with wildlife. Upon arrival every animal is treated as an individual with care and compassion in a professional environment. We receive no state or federal funding. We depend on the good nature of the public and it is through the generosity of the public that we remain in operation. Thanks to everyone for your support, past, present and future.