There's a particular philosophy at the Wildlife Center of Venice that sets it apart from a lot of other animal rescue work: when a wild animal arrives injured, the goal isn't to keep it. The goal is to send it home.
In December 2025, America The Beautiful® shoppers helped fund a starter gift to keep that mission going.
Healthy Fear, Healthy Wild
The Wildlife Center of Venice operates on a principle that may sound counterintuitive at first: they believe wild animals should maintain a healthy fear of humans. Not because humans are the enemy, but because that fear maximizes an animal's ability to adapt and survive once it's been rehabilitated and returned to the wild.
Once an animal has been rehabilitated, the Center's preference is to release it back to the area where it was found. Returning an animal home to a familiar territory is often the best option for survival. They know the food sources, the water, the shelter, the local hazards.
When the Plan Has to Change
Sometimes, especially with orphaned babies, the best release isn't a return home. It's a new family group at one of the Center's release areas. Every animal's release is considered individually, based on individual circumstances. The Wildlife Center of Venice always bases the decision on what is best for the specific animal's survival.
And in cases where the animal cannot be released safely at all, the Center works within their network to place the animal in a nature center or zoo where it can live out a protected life.
A Starter Gift
Thanks to all the beautiful Americans who buy America The Beautiful® products to show off their pride and love of their country, the ATB Crew was able to give the 501(c)(3) Wildlife Center of Venice an initial $1,000 in December 2025 to support their great work.
Why Rehabilitation Work Matters
Most of the wild animals that come into rehab centers are injured because of something humans did, habitat loss, vehicle strikes, accidental poisoning, fishing line tangles. Rehabilitation work is, in part, an act of repair. It's the country meeting its responsibilities to the wildlife that lives alongside us.
Designed in USA. Giving Back to USA.
Every America The Beautiful® order sends a portion of proceeds to the America The Beautiful Fund®, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Environment and wildlife is one of the Fund's six core focus areas. Patriotic apparel designed in the USA, with real impact for the animals that share this country with us.
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Heal them. Send them home. 🦅 🇺🇸