09/03/2026
I know you don't expect the RAPS Thrift Stores to be the ones doing animal rescue operations... but when duty calls!
On Thursday, one of our staff members was walking down Cook Road on the way to work when they found a juvenile Seagull in a corner between two businesses. At first, they thought nothing of it... until the bird started jumping face-first into the wall before falling back down to the ground. It was clear that he couldn't fly...
RAPS isn't equipped to deal with injured wildlife, so we made a quick call to the BC SPCA to ask what we should do with the bird, and they pointed us to the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC in Burnaby!
We spoke with them on the phone, and they, too, were concerned about the bird's health... so they asked us to trap him and bring him in to be looked at.
Though he initially tried to run away from us, we were able to swaddle him in a towel and place him gently in a dog carrier with plenty of room, and he settled down quickly while he waited to be brought to Safety. As soon as we got him in the store and got the OK from the Wildlife association, Karen took off in her van straight to Burnaby! And we're happy to say this little Gull is safe in the custody of the Wildlife Rescue Association.
The whole rescue operation was a great reminder of why we do what we do at The RAPS Thrift Stores. Though we're not usually interacting with animals when we're on the job, everything we do is to help promote the well-being of animals--whether they be household animals or wildlife!
