Hoo Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center

Hoo Haven operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with an entire volunteer staff. There are currently 25 dedicated volunteers who assist Hoo Haven with animal care, building maintenance, fundraising and educational programs. Our volunteer staff represents a wide variety of professions- many of which are medical-related or trade skills. This creates a wonderful team of experienced animal lovers to operate the facility and continue our mission. Hoo Haven has a Board of Directors consisting of several local professionals and an Advisory Committee of varying professional backgrounds relevant to the needs of Hoo Haven.  Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, 4H groups, and church youth groups have all volunteered countless hours of manpower to help Hoo Haven to grow to the level that it is today.   

Hoo Haven primarily serves a five-county area of Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin including Winnebago, Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, Jo Daviess and Rock County in WI. Hoo Haven also works closely with the Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin Departments of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Karen Herdklotz’s extensive critical care nursing skills as well as the medical backgrounds of many volunteers (Nurses, EMT, Respiratory Therapists, Veterinarians) allow Hoo Haven to provide advanced trauma care and neonatal (newborn) care to the wildlife brought to the facility. Emergency care often includes the use of temperature-controlled incubators, oxygen, intravenous fluids, respiratory therapy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.  The addition of an anesthesia machine now allows more surgical procedures to be done at the facility. To date, 150 eagles have been treated at Hoo Haven’s Eagle Recovery Center.  Our current eagle Ambassadors are "Frosty" who lost many talons and toes to severe frostbite when caught in a steel trap for days during the Polar Vortex 2019 and "Big Jake."  Over the past few years, Hoo Haven has been challenged with rehabilitating seventeen pelicans at the facility. Two pelicans "JD," and "Dixie" are permanent residents of Hoo Haven and are featured in our Ambassador programs. Each year, about 1000 animals and birds are treated at the facility with most being released on the property as healthy animals. Additionally, about 150 Ambassador Programs are offered in the community annually.  These unique programs utilize unreleasable birds of prey, other birds, tortoises, rabbits and snakes to people of all ages about wildlife/human conflicts, the effect of human carelessness with rapid urban development and ways to show compassion to injured, ill, or orphaned wildlife. Many of these programs are for elementary school children and served as an “in-school field trip” and were sponsored by grants and PTO funding.  Recurrent programs offered throughout the year include Wildlife Rehabilitator Course (Rock Valley College and Kishwaukee Community College); Earth Day celebration (Rock Valley College and others); Annual Eagle Watch (Clinton, IA); Harry Potter Celebrations (Rockford Public Library); White Eagle Camp (University of Illinois Extension); Anderson Japanese Gardens (Rockford, IL); Nature at the Confluence (S. Beloit, IL); Welty Environmental Center (Beloit, WI); Burpee Museum of Natural History (After School Program and Wild Wild Weekends); and Klehm Arboretum’s Fall Festival. 

Hoo Haven, Inc. is dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured and orphaned North American wildlife and community education about the preservation of these precious, natural resources. The goal of the Raptor Ambassador Program is to promote ethical and humane treatment of wildlife while fostering respect for and protection of wildlife and natural ecosystems. 

Hoo Haven Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center is a truly grass-roots organization. Karen and Steven Herdklotz first began rehabbing wildlife in their home more than 38 years ago and obtained State and Federal licenses to continue their work as well as educational permits. Since Hoo Haven’s incorporation and in January 2000 and it’s change to non-profit, 501(C)(3) status, the wildlife rehabilitation service has moved from inside a private residence to a separate facility on the property.  The Hoo Haven property includes 13 acres with 360 feet of river frontage, 7 ½ acres of prairie and even more woodland, making it the ideal release site for many of the animals rehabilitated at the facility. The facility boasts the  “Marlys Bulander Eagle Flight Exercise Pen” which is the largest eagle flight pen for several states. The addition of this facility enabled Hoo Haven to gain certification as a U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service “Regional Eagle Recovery Center” in 2004. This year, the facility has expanded with a new Aquatic Wildlife Treatment & Recovery Center that will allow better care of injured and ill water mammals and birds. Hoo Haven is operated solely by a team of dedicated volunteers, donations, grants and other fundraisers. We do NOT receive any form of State or Federal funding. Hoo Haven also utilizes renewable energy (wind/solar power) to reduce facility energy costs as much as possible. To our knowledge, Hoo Haven is the largest privately-funded, volunteer-operated wildlife facility in the state of Illinois. We are honored to serve the region with our services and appreciate all donations and volunteers!