Founder

Billy Harvey

Billy Harvey, facilitator at the Runnin W Wildlife Center, grew up with a love for nature and animals since he was a kid. Billy and his father Wes began caring for animals in a small cabin in Sedona set on 10 acres of property. They acquired a game farm permit in the beginning to run a bird sanctuary. When Billy left there, they had cared for over 2,000 birds.

Over the years things began evolving. Wes passed away and Billy moved to Cornville. Billy has expanded the facility to care for mammals in addition to all the birds he has taken in over the years. He has since received both a private zoo and a recovery permit. Besides a lifetime of hands-on experience, Billy has a degree from Cornell University in Ornithology (the study of birds).

Billy is now a very busy man. Running an animal sanctuary takes a great deal of dedication, experience, hard work and patience. It also requires a considerable amount of financial assistance. Thanks to his efforts, hundreds of native animals have been rehabilitated and successfully released back into their natural habitat. Since it began in 2001, Ruunin’ W has rehabilitated and given permanent sanctuary to over 100 wild and exotic animals.