Wild Hearts Rehab

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South Mills, NC
Wild Hearts Rehab

Wild Hearts Rehab is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife native to North Carolina.

We are a licensed wildlife rehab in NE North Carolina specializing in reptiles and nonrabies vector small mammals. Mission Statement:
The mission of Wild Hearts Rehab is to protect and conserve North Carolina’s native wildlife through rehabilitation, public education, networking, and professional training with the goal of release back to the wild.

09/06/2026

📣Less than 2 weeks away!

💚 Come Learn, Connect & Support Local Wildlife at the Camden Heritage Festival! 💚

We’re excited to be part of the upcoming Camden Heritage Festival, and we’d love for you to stop by, say hello, and learn more about the work we do to help orphaned and injured local wildlife. 🌿

You don’t have to be a wildlife expert to make a difference. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is simply know who to call, what not to do, and how to safely coexist with the wildlife around us. Sharing what you learn with your family, friends, and neighbors can make an even bigger impact.

And if you’d like to support our work, our fundraiser will help provide the food, medical care, rehabilitation supplies, and other necessities needed to care for the animals who depend on us.

🎉 Come enjoy the Camden Heritage Festival, meet our team and ambassador turtle Chomper, ask questions, learn something new, and help us give local wildlife a second chance!

Your support can make a difference — one life at a time. 🐢💚

We can’t wait to see you there!

09/03/2026

Who needs a little dose of cuteness to brighten their day? 🐿️💕 Here are some of the adorable orphaned squirrel babies currently in the care of Lisa and Rick!

As sweet as they are, the goal is always to give these little ones the best chance at a wild life. They’re being raised with minimal human contact and encouraged to bond with one another, learning the skills and confidence they’ll need to eventually be released back into the wild where they belong. 🌿🐿️

For now, they’re safe, growing, playing, and keeping each other company—and we get to enjoy a few precious glimpses of their journey. ♥️

If you're interested in supporting wildlife in need, please visit the links below. Every contribution, no matter the size, is appreciated as it goes directly towards the care of the animals.

🐢Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Z37Y3UVJF7T8?ref_=wl_share

🐿️Chewy Wishlist:
https://www.chewy.com/g/wild-hearts-rehab_b129945322 -list

🐀Opossum Formula:
http://xfkkeq.littleregistry.com/mi34vg2g

🦎Paypal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=93ZYNKQAPNBJW

🐍Venmo:
https://www.venmo.com/u/WildHeartsRehab

🐇Walmart Registry:
https://www.walmart.com/registry/RR/86eb7b84-1224-4cae-990f-bfda6c4fcefa

🐸Walmart Round-Up:
https://www.walmart.com/nonprofits/dc9bf106-6e2c-4620-8d9d-06ed5229e85d/profile

08/30/2026

These two little groups of three orphaned opossum joeys arrived much smaller, fragile, and incredibly vulnerable. ❤️

But thanks to the love and care of Lisa and Rick, these tiny babies have grown stronger and truly thrived. Now, they’re “wilding up” in their soft-release pens, learning the sights, sounds, and rhythms of the outdoors and preparing for the next chapter of their journey.

Soon, those doors will open.

One by one, they’ll venture out into the woods, following their instincts and rediscovering the freedom that was always meant to be theirs. 🌿

Soon, they’ll be back where they belong: in nature, living wild and free. ❤️🌳

If you're interested in supporting wildlife in need, please visit the links below. Every contribution, no matter the size, is appreciated as it goes directly towards the care of the animals.

🐢Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Z37Y3UVJF7T8?ref_=wl_share

🐿️Chewy Wishlist:
https://www.chewy.com/g/wild-hearts-rehab_b129945322 -list

🐀Opossum Formula:
http://xfkkeq.littleregistry.com/mi34vg2g

🦎Paypal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=93ZYNKQAPNBJW

🐍Venmo:
https://www.venmo.com/u/WildHeartsRehab

🐇Walmart Registry:
https://www.walmart.com/registry/RR/86eb7b84-1224-4cae-990f-bfda6c4fcefa

🐸Walmart Round-Up:
https://www.walmart.com/nonprofits/dc9bf106-6e2c-4620-8d9d-06ed5229e85d/profile

08/29/2026

💚 Come Learn, Connect & Support Local Wildlife at the Camden Heritage Festival! 💚

We’re excited to be part of the upcoming Camden Heritage Festival, and we’d love for you to stop by, say hello, and learn more about the work we do to help orphaned and injured local wildlife. 🌿

Wildlife rehabilitation is so much more than caring for animals after they’ve been hurt. Every day, our team works to provide vulnerable wildlife with the specialized care, nourishment, medical attention, and safe environment they need to grow stronger and return to the wild where they belong. 🐿️🐍

At the festival, you’ll have a chance to learn:

🌱 What happens when an injured or orphaned wild animal comes into our care
🩺 How we provide rehabilitation and prepare animals for release
🐾 Why leaving healthy wildlife in the wild is so important
🚨 What you should do if you find an injured or orphaned animal
💚 And, most importantly, how YOU can help local wildlife!

You don’t have to be a wildlife expert to make a difference. Sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is simply know who to call, what not to do, and how to safely coexist with the wildlife around us. Sharing what you learn with your family, friends, and neighbors can make an even bigger impact.

And if you’d like to support our work, our fundraiser will help provide the food, medical care, rehabilitation supplies, and other necessities needed to care for the animals who depend on us.

🎉 Come enjoy the Camden Heritage Festival, meet our team, ask questions, learn something new, and help us give local wildlife a second chance!

Your support can make a difference — one life at a time. 🐢💚

We can’t wait to see you there!

08/26/2026

Lisa and Rick have been busy caring for several baby squirrel intakes over the past few days. 🐿️ Sadly, some of these tiny babies passed within just a few hours of arrival. Likely causes were from being without their mothers and dehydrated for too long also others were critically compromised after being improperly fed by well-meaning finders. 😔

A gentle reminder: please do not feed wildlife unless you have been instructed to do so by a wildlife rehabilitator. Every species has specialized nutritional needs, and improper feeding can cause serious complications, including aspiration pneumonia, GI stasis and toxicity, all which can be fatal.

When a baby squirrel has fallen from the nest but is still alert, uninjured, and not showing signs of dehydration, we will often give Mom a chance to return and reunite with her baby. 🐿️❤️

Mother squirrels are incredible mothers, and whenever it is safe and possible, a baby squirrel’s best chance is to remain with Mom, where nature intended it to be. Rehabilitation should be the last resort—not the first.

Our job is to provide a helping hand when wildlife truly needs us, not to kidnap babies that may still have a perfectly capable mom waiting for them.

If you find a baby squirrel, please pause before intervening and reach out to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for guidance.🌿🐿️💚

Below is a picture of some, but not all, of the littles that came in! 😍

08/25/2026

A Little Snapping Turtle Strength 🐢💚

It’s been a busy week here, with intakes ranging from tiny baby squirrels to injured turtles. Every animal that comes through our doors has a story, and every one deserves a chance to heal.

This beautiful female common snapping turtle was found injured on a back road, likely after being struck by farm equipment. Her shell is fractured and depressed on one side, but thankfully, her coelomic cavity and lungs were not punctured. Considering the severity of her injuries, that is a huge blessing.

And despite everything she has been through, she still has plenty of anger and attitude—which is exactly how a snapping turtle should behave when being handled! 🐢

Her shell has been stabilized and gently cleaned as much as possible. I’m intentionally leaving some of the clay around the area for now because I don’t want to push dirty clay into her wound, which, thankfully, is remarkably clean considering the condition she arrived in.

For now, she’ll be dry-docked and offered small sips of water each day while she begins to heal. The road ahead may be long, but she is fighting—and we’re going to give her every chance we can. 💚

Sometimes resilience comes with a little attitude. Keep fighting, little lady. 🐢💪

08/21/2026

Sarah Kesler, our only licensed small bird rehabber in NENC, goes through mealworms like crazy caring for all those hungry baby birds, and every little bit of support helps. By purchasing from local small business mealworm_mommas in South Mills, you’re not only helping Sarah and the birds she works tirelessly to save—you’re also supporting a local business. It’s a win for the birds, the community, and the people who dedicate so much of their time to helping wildlife. 🥰

We receive calls throughout the season and refer bird finders to Sarah, and we’re so grateful to be able to support her important work however we can.

If you can, consider helping fill those tiny bellies! 🐣❤️

08/20/2026

These juvenile opossums arrived as tiny, orphaned joeys, and now they’ve grown big and strong enough to take the next exciting step in their journey! 🥹❤️

Lisa and Rick have done an incredible job caring for them, nurturing them, and preparing them for life back in the wild. Now, they’re moving into one of our outdoor soft-release pens, where they’ll begin adapting to the sights, sounds, and rhythms of the outdoors with more hands-off care.

This is such an important stage—helping them become confident, capable, and fully “wild” before the day they’re finally ready for release. 🌿

From tiny orphaned joeys to wild little survivors, they’re getting the head start they need for the next chapter of their lives. We couldn’t be more proud of how far they’ve come! ❤️

If you're interested in supporting wildlife in need, please visit the links below. Every contribution, no matter the size, is appreciated as it goes directly towards the care of the animals.

🐢Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Z37Y3UVJF7T8?ref_=wl_share

🐿️Chewy Wishlist:
https://www.chewy.com/g/wild-hearts-rehab_b129945322 -list

🐀Opossum Formula:
http://xfkkeq.littleregistry.com/mi34vg2g

🦎Paypal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=93ZYNKQAPNBJW

🐍Venmo:
https://www.venmo.com/u/WildHeartsRehab

🐇Walmart Registry:
https://www.walmart.com/registry/RR/86eb7b84-1224-4cae-990f-bfda6c4fcefa

🐸Walmart Round-Up:
https://www.walmart.com/nonprofits/dc9bf106-6e2c-4620-8d9d-06ed5229e85d/profile

08/19/2026

Over the weekend, we had another special release made possible by the kindness of a wonderful finder. 🐢💚

This male Eastern Box Turtle came to us with a large, old ear abscess that required drainage and antibiotics. He was a shy guy, but he never missed a meal and healed beautifully!

The finder volunteered to transport him to us and, once he recovered, picked him back up to return him to his home territory in Williamston, NC. What a beautiful example of compassion, teamwork, and giving wildlife a second chance. 🌿

We are so grateful for people who take the time to help our wild neighbors get home safely. His journey is a reminder that sometimes a small act of kindness can make a world of difference. 💚🐢✨

If you're interested in supporting wildlife in need, please visit the links below. Every contribution, no matter the size, is appreciated as it goes directly towards the care of the animals.

🐢Amazon Wishlist:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Z37Y3UVJF7T8?ref_=wl_share

🐿️Chewy Wishlist:
https://www.chewy.com/g/wild-hearts-rehab_b129945322 -list

🐀Opossum Formula:
http://xfkkeq.littleregistry.com/mi34vg2g

🦎Paypal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=93ZYNKQAPNBJW

🐍Venmo:
https://www.venmo.com/u/WildHeartsRehab

🐇Walmart Registry:
https://www.walmart.com/registry/RR/86eb7b84-1224-4cae-990f-bfda6c4fcefa

🐸Walmart Round-Up:
https://www.walmart.com/nonprofits/dc9bf106-6e2c-4620-8d9d-06ed5229e85d/profile

08/17/2026

Over the weekend, we welcomed this handsome male Eastern Box Turtle after he was found in the middle of a highway, struck by a vehicle. ❤️🐢

The finder, with the very best intentions, attempted to help by repairing his fractured shell with super glue before reaching out for assistance. While the repair may have appeared appropriate on the surface, unfortunately, adhesives such as super glue can create serious complications when used directly on a fracture.

Glue can prevent the fractured bone edges from properly coming together and healing. As it cures, it can also cause chemical burns if it drips onto exposed tissue or organs. Thankfully, a gel-type glue had been used in this case, which helped minimize damage to the underlying tissues. There was, however, evidence of minor injury to the periosteum—the delicate lining surrounding the bone—on one of the dislocated fracture pieces.

Please remember: glue, epoxy, Bondo, or similar products should never be applied directly to the actual bone fracture line or onto tissues. Even when the intention is to help, these materials can interfere with the natural healing process and cause additional injury or death.

Despite everything he has been through, this little guy is hanging in there and doing well. 💚 We’re hopeful that with proper care, time, and a lot of TLC, he’ll make a full recovery and one day return to the wild where he belongs.

His story is also a reminder that sometimes the best thing we can do for wildlife is get professional licensed help as quickly as possible. Your compassion can make all the difference—and making that call can give an injured animal the best chance at returning home. 🐢🌿

🌟Every day brings a new opportunity to learn, grow, and make a difference. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who helps us care for our local wildlife and embraces every opportunity to learn along the way. Together, we can make a meaningful difference.

Address

South Mills, NC

Telephone

+12526798055

Website

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Z37Y3UVJF7T8?ref_=wl_share, https://www.chewy.com/g/wild-hearts-rehab_b129945322#w

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