ocean city stranded animal center

National Aquarium Stranding Response Center Ribbon Cutting

OCEAN CITY, MD.- Stranded marine animals in Ocean City have a new safe haven today.

It’s the 400-foot square foot “National Aquarium Animal Rescue Stranding Response Center,” on 65th Street.

The space will help care for animals before they are either taken to the National Aquarium in Baltimore for further care or released back into the water.

Kate Shaffer with the National Aquarium says this facility has everything they need to help aquatic animals in need.

“We can give fluids, we can give administer medications, we'll be able to tube feed animals to re-hydrate them, basically we are set up to do anything we need to do to provide the first 48 hours of care for a critical animal,” Shaffer said.

The facility was also dedicated to animal rescue volunteer Chuck Erbe. Organizers say Erbe has donated much of his time to rescuing animals in Ocean City.