Last Chance Forever: The Bird of Prey Conservancy

Dear Friends and supporters of Last Chance Forever,

I must humbly and deeply apologize for a troubling situation we are in...

Dear Friends and supporters of Last Chance Forever,

I must humbly and deeply apologize for a troubling situation we are in. Our former accountant, who had been with the organization from its beginning, suffered a personal and family health crisis. He fell behind in reporting to the IRS, and did not inform us of his struggles personally or professionally.

On October 23, 2023 we received notice from the IRS that no non-profit organization wants to hear. The IRS had revoked our tax exempt status due to the missed filings, retroactive to February 2023.

We have a letter from our former accountant explaining his lack of actions that will be forwarded to the IRS with the other necessary paperwork. I take full responsibility for this situation, as I should have been asking more questions of him. Not being a financial professional, I did not see red flags until it was too late.

We feel we will have this problem resolved soon, with our status reinstated after filings are brought up to date with the help of a new accountant. However, for the time being, your donations beginning February 1, 2023 can not be claimed as a tax deduction to a 501(c)(3) entity. Please consult your tax professional for information befitting your specific situation. Once our status is reinstated, those donations should become eligible for deduction. We will, of course, keep you up to date.

We ask for your faith, patience, and understanding. We continue to do what we do the best, caring for sick, injured and orphaned birds of prey. I am personally devastated and embarrassed, and am losing sleep over this situation. We ask for your kindest thoughts as we are doing our very best to resolve this issue as rapidly as possible.

Thank you,

John Karger
Executive Director / Founder
Last Chance Forever

Our facilities are located in San Antonio, and provide housing for approximately 70 birds on any given day. Some are unreleaseable permanent residents, while many others are in various stages of convalescence and preparation for release. Some seriously injured birds may stay with us for as long as two years before they are able to take flight again.

Birds start off their stay with us in a treatment room, where they are evaluated, banded, and given initial medical care. From there, they may be transferred to our hospital or to allied specialty clinics for surgery or other acute care. We receive patients with virtually every illness or injury imaginable, from west nile virus to gunshot wounds, electrocution to lead poisoning.

In the springtime, young orphans pose a significant challenge. Rather than acclimating these birds to human contact, we often are able to place them with "foster parent" permanent residents who will bring up the youngsters with all the appropriate behaviors and socialization for their species.

Elsewhere, birds are housed in a variety of chambers. Constructed to provide sufficient space for flight, shelter from the elements, and access to the outdoors, they offer as comfortable an environment as we can provide our guests while in captivity. On sunny days, many of the birds may be perched in a tree-lined weathering area.

All those hungry mouths to feed means handling a serious amount of food every day. What do these birds eat? Everything from beef heart to rooster chicks, plus special blends of vitamins and minerals. Each bird has a diet tailored for its needs. In one year, Last Chance Forever uses over 14,000 pounds of food.

As birds heal, they require physical therapy just like we do after a serious injury or illness. Birds can stretch their wings farther in long flight chambers, and we use a variety of falconry techniques to get them to exercise and strengthen their muscles. We evaluate their progress carefully - releasing a bird before it is fully capable of capturing prey and evading predators means death.