This year marks a milestone for Dawn’s wildlife partner, International Bird Rescue (Bird Rescue) – it has been 45 years since the oil spill that led directly to the creation of Bird Rescue. In January 1971, two oil tankers collided in foggy conditions near the Golden Gate Bridge. The ruptured tankers spilled at least 800,000 gallons of crude oil, affecting 7,000 birds. Volunteers collected nearly 4,300 of them and brought them to makeshift rescue centers, but only about 300 birds were successfully rehabilitated and released.
Following the spill, Bird Rescue was officially hatched in April of 1971 at Berkeley’s Aquatic Park. Since then, it has led oiled bird rescue efforts in over 220 oil spills in more than a dozen countries.
“Dawn is honored to celebrate International Bird Rescue’s 45th anniversary, and especially the volunteers and community who make wildlife rescue possible,” said Chris Laird, North America dish care brand director, P&G. “We’re proud that for over 40 years, Dawn has been supporting wildlife rescue rehabilitation centers with its product to clean animals affected by oil pollution.”