By Maggie Beamguard
Insider Editor
When a local homeowner found a barred owl tangled in a backyard soccer net in early February, Jess Reese came to the rescue.
After assessing the bird’s predicament, Reese cut the netting to release the owl and placed it in a secure enclosure. She took custody of the bird and coordinated its transport to a federally permitted rehabilitator equipped to handle raptors.
“Its stressful for them and stressful for us,” she said. “But that’s what we do.”
Reese is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator serving Moore County and based in West End. Her work is often misunderstood.
“It’s rehab,” she said. “We take injured, sick or orphaned wildlife and prepare them for release back into the wild. We don’t keep them as pets. We don’t adopt them out. The goal is always a second chance at life in the wild.”
The goal of Reese’s nonprofit, Salem Wildlife Rescue, is always release.
Photo courtesy of Salem Wildlife Rescue
Born to be Wild
Reese has always had an affinity for animals. “I’ve never had a day without an animal,” she said, recalling childhood memories of watching birds with her mother from the window.
Wildlife playing in the yard inspired her early drawings, with bunnies and cats comprising her primary subjects.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she turned to wildlife photography as her own outdoor escape.
One afternoon in a cemetery in Beverly, Massachusetts, while focusing her camera on a red-tailed hawk, she overheard someone nearby mention a sick baby fox.
“The baby fox was absolutely afflicted with mange,” she said. After photographing the animal, she called animal control to ask how to help. She was told the fox needed a wildlife rehabilitator.
This was a job Reese wasn’t aware existed. “I started looking into it and thought it sounded amazing. I have loved animals my entire life,” she said.
She began volunteering in New Hampshire and studied for the licensing exam in Massachusetts. She founded her Salem Wildlife Rescue in 2022. The organization is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit. All donations are tax deductible. Reese does not draw a salary.
“We don’t get state or federal funding,” she said. “Everything — food, medication, vet visits — comes from donations and our own pockets.”
From 2022 through late 2025, Reese personally rehabilitated: 319 Eastern cottontail rabbits; 107 Eastern gray squirrels; 41 Norway rats; 29 Southern flying squirrels; one muskrat; one opossum; two woodchucks; and two snapping turtles. Those numbers do not include birds or rabies vector species she triaged and transferred to other facilities.
The Local Wild Side
After relocating to Moore County last fall, Reese transferred her rehabilitation license and began taking local cases in November.
Eastern cottontail rabbits are her specialty, but she also treats squirrels and opossums. She assists with reptiles through triage and transport and can help capture injured raptors before coordinating transfer to federally licensed bird rehabilitators.
In North Carolina, species such as raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats require a separate rabies vector permit.
Reese works closely with Ringtail Rescue in Pine Bluff for those cases. There is a sense of community among rehabilitators. When a facility is full or a case requires specialized expertise, rescuers coordinate to find placement.
Otherwise, it’s just Jess.
She’s a Real Wild One
Wildlife rehabilitation is a labor-intensive endeavor. During peak baby season, Reese has simultaneously cared for 14 rabbits and seven squirrels. She feeds, hydrates and provides medication on a round-the-clock schedule.
“It’s just me,” she said.
Like many rehabilitators, Reese works a full-time job outside of rescue. The work carries with inherent risk including bites and scratches.
“I got my rabies booster at the Moore County Health Department. It was $500 for one shot,” she said. “Insurance doesn’t cover it.”
She dreams of one day purchasing a property with outdoor enclosures and a climate-controlled shed to serve as a clinic space. Reese also plans to pursue additional permits to include licensure to care for birds, reptiles and rabies vector species.
For now, she is building awareness through word of mouth and social media. One recent Facebook post about an opossum got 7,000 likes. “I was shocked,” she said. “That’s more people than even follow the page.”
Where the Wild Things Are
With Moore County’s abundance of woods, lakes and rivers, residents are likely to encounter wildlife. Reese advises staying calm and exercising caution.
“Please don’t feed them,” she said. “There are so many feeding techniques and formulas people use that are wrong, and they can kill the animal.
Handling wildlife without proper protection can also have tragic consequences. If a rabies vector species is touched without gloves, state law may require euthanasia and rabies testing.
Her advice is simple: keep the animal warm, dark, quiet and contained in a ventilated box. Wear thick gloves or use a heavy towel. Then call a licensed rehabilitator as soon as possible.
Sometimes intervention isn’t needed. A baby squirrel at the base of a tree may simply need time to reunite with its mother. Other times, signs of dehydration or the presence of fly eggs signal a need for urgent care.
“It’s case by case,” Reese said. “When in doubt, call.”
Residents can contact Reese at (978) 594-2652. Learn more at salemwildliferescue.org or by following Salem Wildlife Rescue on Facebook. The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission provides a map of licensed animal rehabilitators at ncwildlife.gov.
For Reese, the reward comes when an animal returns to the wild. “We don’t keep them,” she said. “We give them back their chance.”
Contact Maggie Beamguard at maggie@thepilot.com.
