Gail Martin, Executive Director
Gail has worked tirelessly for the last twenty eight years with several different organizations as an avid conservationist and knowledgeable rehabilitator. Early on in her career, she noted the need for a wild mammal rehab centre in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia and set about building the framework that would lead to the culmination of a lifetime commitment in the preservation of all living things.
Like so many visionaries before her, Gail began Critter Care as a basement-based labour of love in her Brookswood home, expanded to her garage, and finally into the five-acre facility that you see here today in Campbell Valley Park. Along the way, she has raised thousands of mammals, including black bears, lynx, bobcats, cougars, marmots, skunks, squirrels, river otters and most notably, raccoons. Gail has often expressed that these cute little bandits endeared themselves to her early on and were the catalyst for her continued perseverance over the years.
When you enter Critter Care, one of the most notable features you see right away is the level of cleanliness and organization uncommon in private animal facilities. Gail has always prided herself on the health and well-being of the animals in her charge, which translated into a professionally managed and maintained facility with the highest standards of care available.
Gail has a keen eye, and her attention to detail is demonstrated in every area of the facility and in the care of the animals. She constantly strives to improve operations and is always on the hunt for both financial and physical support. Perhaps it is her First Nations roots, or perhaps it was simply the first gentle touch of a raccoon’s hands on her face, but whatever it was, over 50,000 wild mammals owe her their first steps into the world, or their final peaceful steps into another, and the world is a better, more mindful place because of it.
