Carolina Waterfowl Rescue is a nonprofit wildlife focused on providing sanctuary, rescue and rehabilitation for wildlife, farmed and exotic animals.

Currently located on just under a dozen acres Indian Trail, CWR was started over twenty years ago by Jennifer Gordon.  Then a volunteer at Carolina Raptor Center, Gordon saw a need for a rescue center that would address the needs of other animals, birds and wildlife.

In the two decades since its foundation, CWR has grown from a waterlife and domestic waterfowl rehabilitation center into an important resource for addressing the needs of a wide array of wild and domestic animals.  CWR takes in an impressive span of injured wildlife – all wild birds and reptiles as well as some wild mammals like squirrels, rabbits and opossums – with the goal of rehabilitating these animals and releasing them back into the wild.  

CWR also accepts a range of domestic animals who are dumped, surrendered or rescued from abusive or hoarding situations.  “About any farm animal you can think of we will take in,” says Office Manager Julie Brown. CWR sees a bit of overlap between “wild” and “domestic” animals – geese, reptiles, birds and rabbits, for example, can be either domesticated or wild.  CWR works hard to adopt rescued domestic animals into loving homes.

As a nonprofit 501c3, CWR receives no federal funding and depends 100% on donations and volunteers to stay up and running.  “We always need money,” says Brown simply. “We don’t get any funding except from the public.” CWR maintains an Amazon wishlist stocked with supplies they need and use on a regular basis.  They also publicize bigger physical needs – say, cages, aquariums, refrigerators – on social media.  

One of CWR’s most pressing and costly needs is a new facility.  The reasons for the impending move are numerous. In part, they’ve simply outgrown their current space.  However, they need not only more space but better space.  Many of their current structures are quite old, and upkeep on them is difficult.  Moreover, their current location in Indian Trail is increasingly being crowded out by development.  As more neighborhoods pop up around the Rescue, it becomes increasingly difficult to release rehabilitated animals nearby.  Recent road construction has struck a critical blow, eliminating the center’s only available parking area for volunteers.  

In addition to the lifesaving help CWR provides to local wildlife, they also try to educate the public on living in harmony with their ecosystem.  For example, while animals in the wild can certainly be injured or orphaned, not every baby animal you find in the wild needs help – “rescuing” it may actually be kidnapping!  A new space would allow the center to expand and to obtain permits so they could be open to the public, have an adoption center and do more educational programming on site.

One of CWR’s other pressing needs is volunteers.  “We have little manpower for the amount of animals,” says Brown.  “We’re always begging for volunteers, more volunteers.” Brown admits that volunteering at Carolina Waterfowl can be a difficult and dirty job, but she encourages that there are many jobs volunteers can do that don’t involve working directly with animals.  Washing towels and sheets, washing dishes, preparing produce, and transporting animals – volunteering for tasks like these frees up people who are more experienced and comfortable with the animals to work with them.

Carolina Waterfowl Rescue helps thousands of animals a year, but recent financial and physical challenges have forced them to suspend anything other than bird intake.  Your donations of money, supplies, and time can make a difference in helping CWR get back on its feet and eventually move to a new space where they can make a bigger impact.  

To learn more about how you can help, follow CWR on Facebook @cwrescue or visit their web site (www.cwrescue.org/) and click the “How to Help” tab.