Beth Shoaf and the rest of the volunteer staff at Wildlife Works Inc., in Youngwood, spent close to nine months rehabilitating a malnourished red-tailed hawk who they christened "Fuzzy" for the young feathers that stuck out on his head.

But shortly after he was released in September, he was grounded by a bullet that tore through his right wing, shattering the humerus.

Ms. Shoaf, whose facility cares for protected species of wildlife from Westmoreland and Washington counties, said she typically treats one or two birds with gunshot wounds a year. But Fuzzy is the ninth bird she has treated since January.

There have been six other red-tailed hawks and a Merlin falcon, species that are considered protected, and a long-eared owl, which Ms. Shoaf said is endangered.

Fuzzy, whose prognosis is fair, is one of only two survivors. The rest arrived dead or had to be euthanized.

Shooting these species is illegal, Ms. Shoaf said, but the fine is only $200, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission has not successfully prosecuted any of the cases this year. A representative from the Game Commission did not return a phone call.

"With each successive admission that turned out to be a gunshot wound, we became increasingly distressed," she said.

Ms. Shoaf could not say definitively that the shooting of protected species of birds is increasing. But because the number of birds with gunshot wounds brought to her attention rose dramatically this year, she said it's likely that more were shot in the area this year.

After many difficult months of nursing Fuzzy back to health, the staff at the center reached "a breaking point" with his shooting, Ms. Shoaf said.

They've raised $200 for information leading to the conviction of whoever shot Fuzzy.

Rehabilitating the birds is an expensive endeavor for Wildlife Works, a nonprofit center that supports itself with donations and grants and is staffed by volunteers. Even when veterinarians are able to donate services, the center pays for equipment.

But doing so also takes an emotional toll on the center's staff, which has had to euthanize birds that could not be rehabilitated well enough to be released back into the wild.

"[To put] the time and the emotional effort into these guys, only to reach end stage and find out they're still not well enough to survive in the wild ... that's tremendously disappointing and frustrating," Ms. Shoaf said.

Even without illegal hunting, birds in the wild face a wide range of risks unintentionally brought on by humans. Birds that have been electrocuted by power lines, injured by cats or dogs, hit by cars or poisoned by weed killers are regularly brought to the facility by area residents.

Ms. Shoaf said people in the area generally have an affinity and a respect for birds of prey, and don't want to see their numbers dwindle.

So it confounds her that some people are trying to hurt the animals.

"When someone goes out and deliberately harms wildlife ... there's something wrong with people who do that," she said. "I hope those kind of folks are few and far between."

Ms. Shoaf does not believe these shootings are accidental. She points out that some of the birds were injured during seasons when bird hunting was not permitted, and that birds that are off limits are visually distinct from ducks and other water fowl, which hunters are permitted to shoot.

Lisa Page, who runs the center's office, thought it might be plain ignorance that is leading people to shoot the birds.

"I know that a lot of people do what they do out of ignorance," she said. "They just need [to be] educated that shooting these [birds] is not OK."

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.