The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Society (CWRS) was founded in Feb 1993 to address the growing need for a wildlife rehabilitation facility in Calgary. Previously, the Calgary Zoo had been accepting wildlife from the general public but every year the numbers were increasing. At the time, several local veterinary clinics were interested in donating time to treat wildlife but a long-term recovery facility was still required.

In 1994, Texaco Canada Petroleum Inc. became the founding sponsor of the CWRS donating start-up funding and expertise. The University of Calgary donated a portion of a veterinary facility to the CWRS, and the Alberta Justice Department agreed to allow minimum-security inmates to volunteer under the supervision on Wildlife Care Technicians.

The program was based on successful programs, operating in the United States, where officials state that none of their participating inmates have re-offended. During the life of the program, interested correctional officers, from as far away as Japan and Australia, toured the facility.

In 2000, Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Calgary donated a volunteer house. In 2001, the highly successful inmate volunteer program ended with the closure of the Bow River Correctional Institution. Also in 2001, Alberta Infrastructure granted an extension of the land lease to include 12 acres of property. The CWRS has been working on facility expansions since that time.

The CWRS is the result of many organizations and individuals working together to achieve common goals. Thank you to everyone who has volunteered or contributed to the CWRS over the years.