We had the good fortune of connecting with Lesley Tierney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lesley, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Throughout my life, I have always been drawn to helping animals in need. Before the internet, I would find injured wildlife but didn’t know the specifics of how to help. It was heartbreaking to witness an animal’s suffering and feel helpless. At that time, I didn’t even know that wildlife rehabilitators existed.

Years later—now with the internet available—I discovered a nest of orphaned baby bunnies needing urgent care. Thankfully, I was able to search, locate and connect with a wildlife rehabilitator willing to take them in. She was nearly an hour away, already inundated with animals, but was willing to take the babies in. As I delivered them, I was fascinated by her work. I remember thinking, “This is what I have always dreamed of doing”.

After discussions with this rehabber, I started volunteering with her and quickly learned that more well trained, licensed wildlife rehabilitators were desperately needed in the Dallas Fort Worth area. That’s when I made the decision to put my passion for helping animals to use, and pursue training to become a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. This eventually led to me establishing DFW Wildcare, a non-profit organization focused on the rescue, rehabilitation and release of native Texas wildlife. I specialize in Eastern Cottontail rabbits, rehabilitate other species of small mammals, and provide care for abandoned domestic rabbits as well.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Becoming a licensed wildlife rehabilitator is not easy. It requires working under a licensed rehabber/mentor for a minimum of two years, completing state-approved courses, achieving a perfect score on a state-issued exam, submitting letters of recommendation from both a licensed veterinarian and a licensed rehabilitator, and passing a facility inspection conducted by a game warden.

Licensed wildlife rehabilitators are few and far between, and even fewer specialize in Cottontail rabbits. Most rehabbers hesitate or won’t take Cottontails, as they are among the most difficult species to rehabilitate due to their high sensitivity and fragility. When I began my rehabilitation work, I didn’t initially plan to focus on Cottontail rabbits. However, with so few rehabbers willing to care for them, I found myself taking in large numbers of Cottontails and gaining valuable experience, and ultimately developing a successful approach to their care.

As people started reaching out to me for guidance on rehabilitating Cottontails, I recognized the need for a structured resource they could rely on. I began compiling information and techniques I had learned over the years, which evolved into a comprehensive, step-by-step rehabilitation manual for Eastern Cottontail rabbits from neonates to adults. Seeing the demand for more training in this area, I developed my own class, which I now teach.

Today, my class material and manual are accredited by Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) for Continuing Education (CE) hours for rehabilitators and Animal Control Officers (ACO). Wildlife rescues in different states across the country have invited me to teach at their facilities. Others have purchased my materials. I have received numerous requests to teach an online class, which I plan to work on over the winter to reach even more people dedicated to helping these sensitive animals.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Any time of year, the Historic McKinney Downtown Square is a charming place to walk around, shop and eat. Cool historic buildings, unique shops and boutiques, and a variety of dining options. There is really something for everyone there.

Layered -A cute coffee shop/breakfast spot, during the day and by night it’s a speakeasy that you have to enter through what looks like an old school coke machine! Recommend visiting both morning and night.

Patina Green – farm to table lunch spot. Menu changes depending on seasonal ingredients.

Rick’s Chophouse – high end steaks and seafood, great date night or special occasion place.

Every Saturday from 8-12 there is a Farmers Market held at Chestnut Square. They offer adorable handmade items, loads of fresh produce and meats from local farmers and several delicious bread makers offering homemade breads and pastries.

World Springs, The Colony- 40 mineral hot springs and cold plunges. Saunas, fire pits, a cafe and bar, poolside drinks, cabanas, yoga, and a spa. relaxation and rejuvenation during the day, evenings are more social and lively. You can sit in your robe with a drink by a fire pit in between soaks.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden – beautiful and peaceful no matter what time of year. Great place for photos.

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve in Plano – Walking/hiking. Paved and unpaved nature trails, wooded areas, prairies and creeks. Great place to observe wildlife.

Meow Wolf Grapevine – Cool, interactive art venue. Great for adults and kids.

If they want the “Texas” experience, Ft. Worth Stockyards – twice daily Longhorn cattle drive, rodeos, Billy Bob’s.

Cowboy’s Red River Lively dance hall with free country dance lessons and a mechanical bull.

Hutchins BBQ, McKinney – Best BBQ around.

The Gar Hole in Anna/Westminster Tx for live music, cold beers and delicious burgers!! Where else can you have a drink in a bank now turned bar that was once robbed by Bonnie and Clyde?

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
It is impossible for me to narrow my gratitude and recognition to just one person! So many wonderful people contribute to the success of DFW Wildcare, and each plays a vital role in making what we do possible.

– DFW Wildcare Supporters: Our supporters make everything possible. As a non-profit, we do not receive any type of funding and rely entirely on donations from the public to continue our life saving work. Donations from our supporters enable us to purchase food, formula, medications, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, enrichment, and shelter for the patients in our care. On average, beginning in February to November, I rehabilitate over 100 animals per month at my location. This requires a significant amount of resources. Every dollar from our supporters directly contributes to saving lives, and their generosity fuels our work every single day.

– My Sub-permittees: Sub-permittees are people I have trained and are working under my permit to legally rehab wildlife (it is illegal to hold or care for native Texas wildlife without the proper permit). I currently have 12 sub-permittees located around the DFW metroplex and several of them are able to do direct intakes. There are not many rehabbers in the metroplex that take rabbits. So, these sub-permittees are an enormous help, especially during our busy season (March-September). We are able to spread out animals so no one is over capacity or becomes overwhelmed. Vicky Storey has been with me the longest and rehabs a high volume of cottontails. She is also now helping recruit and train more people that want to learn.

– My Volunteers: Up until this year, I single-handedly managed my entire rescue operation. Now, because of the volume of calls I receive and the number of animals I take in, volunteers have become essential and I simply could not do this without them. I am beyond grateful for the amazing team of volunteers I have. They selflessly dedicate their time doing everything from feeding babies, cleaning cages, laundry, picking grass, dandelions and clover for our bunnies, making formula, transporting animals…the list goes on. Several of them go above and beyond and take care of ‘me’ as well. Rehabbing is seven days a week, but especially during busy season, I don’t have a whole lot of time for anything other than animal care. Things like eating, sleeping and taking care of myself tend to get put on the backburner. Mental, physical and emotional exhaustion are common. Volunteers will bring me coffee, baked goods, treats, and small gifts to make life here easier, or to show they were thinking of me and the animals. I have volunteers that will take over feeding and care of babies occasionally so I can enjoy a dinner or evening out. Their support is critical to the success of DFW Wildcare and the number of animals we are able to help. So far, for 2024, we have taken care of over 1400 small mammals. The majority of those animals have fully recovered and were returned to nature. This helps to maintain the delicate balance of predator-prey dynamics in the ecosystem.

– Diana Leggett (Founder and President of Wildrescue, Inc./Rabbit Rescue) was my initial inspiration, guide and mentor for becoming a wildlife rehabilitator. I had been passionate about animals my entire life, but after I met her and saw the possibilities, I zoned in on how I could use that passion to make an impact to help save wildlife in my area.

– My Best Friend and fellow rehabber, Sandy Romo: Sandy used to be one of my sub-permittees, but she has her own rehabbing license now and has started her own non-profit, DFW Squirrel Rescue. She specializes in squirrels and cares for a huge volume of them each year with her own amazing volunteer team. Sandy and I support each other, bounce ideas off one another, discuss different cases we see and treatments we are doing. We also share new discoveries. Sometimes we do intakes for one another if one of us isn’t available, or if an animal is closer to one of us than the other. We share our joys, successes, frustrations and heartbreaks. Rehabilitating wildlife is demanding and hard. There is so much effort that goes into successfully raising a neonate until it is ready for release. If the animal is injured or sick the situation can be very complicated. It is also important to stay current with the newest findings in wildlife care. She and I have been through it all so we completely understand what the other is going through. What I admire about Sandy is that she does everything she can to save every squirrel in her care. Occasionally we swap supplies and will sometimes take a few minutes to grab a bite to eat to try to feel ‘normal’. Even though we are exhausted during most of the year, wear grubby clothes, no makeup, have numerous animals needing one thing or another, and our phones are continuously ringing, we dream of a “girls trip” or even a girls day out. We get each other. We support each other. We share a passion. Having a best friend who is also in the rehab world makes this journey all the more meaningful. Sandy understands me and this work like no one else, and her friendship is invaluable to me.   

– My VP, Ayla Torres: This woman is a powerhouse. She is the next best thing to a clone.  She has become an extension of me, my ideas, my brain (that never seems to stop). Ayla started as a volunteer early in the year and was one of my biggest encouragers for starting a non-profit. Her passion for my mission gave me renewed energy, strength and hope. She had a vision for our growth that I previously had not thought was possible. She helped me see that it was possible, and has been here every step of the way as we have launched and grown this year, making those dreams a reality. Ayla takes countless tasks off my plate, reducing my stress level, and allowing me more time to focus on the animals.  Quarterly reports, emails, never-ending administrative tasks. Getting us set up for things like North Texas Giving Day, and educational community events. She started our social media presence and has done an amazing job of staying on top of it and keeping people engaged with a balance of educational posts, fundraisers and patient updates. On top of all that, she is here at the drop of a hat whenever I need her help to clean cages, feed animals, etc.. She has also become one of my newest sub-permittees and is currently overwintering squirrels and one of our non-releasable permanent residents, a Cottontail named Frankie. Ayla is as dedicated and reliable as they come and we are so incredibly blessed to have her as our VP.

Website: https://www.dfwwildcare.org

Instagram: dfwwildcare

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dfwwildcare

Image Credits
Lesley Tierney
DFW Wildcare

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