Dillya Eisert

Shift Leader

Dillya Eisert has been part of Carolina Waterfowl Rescue since August 2021, but her path to CWR began with one tiny bird. On July 4, 2021, Dillya rescued a baby Carolina wren and brought it to CWR. While dropping off the bird, she met a friendly staff member who told her about volunteer opportunities. Within a few weeks, Dillya was volunteering—and soon completed her first rescue for CWR.

Since then, what began as a desire to help one injured animal has grown into years of hands-on wildlife rescue and rehabilitation experience.

Before becoming a Shift Leader, Dillya served CWR in numerous volunteer and staff roles, including rescue and transport, baby bird rehabilitation, wildlife rehabilitation, after-hours triage, events, produce pickup and preparation, and volunteer workdays. That wide range of experience has given her an understanding of many different aspects of the rescue and the enormous amount of work that happens behind the scenes every day.

As a Shift Leader, Dillya oversees volunteers during her shift, assigns responsibilities, ensures that necessary work is completed, and helps care for animals throughout the property. Her responsibilities include working with resident animals such as emus and donkeys and making sure animals are safely secured and the rescue is properly closed and locked at the end of the day.

Dillya particularly enjoys working with pigeons, sheep, chickens, baby birds, goats, emus, and donkeys. She also assists with some hoarding and neglect cases, continues to participate in rescue and transport, and has developed considerable experience caring for disabled and orphaned pigeons.

She is a licensed mammal and reptile rehabilitator with approximately five years of training and experience in wildlife triage and rehabilitation. Her experience includes working in CWR's rehabilitation department and serving as an apprentice rehabilitator with Wildlife Rescue of Charlotte. She has also worked in rabbit rescue and fostering.

Her work at CWR ultimately led Dillya to one of her greatest passions: pigeons. After learning more about these frequently misunderstood birds and recognizing how few resources exist for those needing specialized or lifelong care, she became increasingly involved in pigeon rescue. Today, she serves as Director of Sammy's Haven Pigeon Rescue while continuing her work at CWR.

Another passion that developed through CWR is snake rescue and relocation. Dillya believes snakes, like pigeons, are often misunderstood and deserve compassion and respect. She is proud to be a member of CWR's snake rescue team and enjoys helping people and wildlife safely coexist.

Her experience caring for others began well before wildlife rehabilitation. Dillya has worked as a nanny, including caring for children with various medical needs. She has also worked as a pet sitter for more than a decade, caring for animals requiring medications, treatments, and other specialized care. Her experience has included farm sitting and caring for horses, donkeys, chickens, and other animals.

Animals have been a constant presence throughout Dillya's life. Growing up, she was often outdoors searching for and observing wildlife. Over the years, she has shared her life with cats, dogs, hamsters, ferrets, pigeons, a bearded dragon, and an aquatic turtle.

Two animals hold particularly special places in her heart. Her approximately 14-year-old black cat, Babykitty, is what Dillya describes as her “soul cat” and therapy cat. She also shares her home with Ruth, a blind pigeon originally rescued by CWR.

Ruth was found blind in a roadway on a rainy night. When Dillya learned about her, she wanted to find out what kind of life she could provide for a pigeon with such a significant disability. Initially, Ruth was frightened, confused, quiet, and showed very little personality. Over the following months, she and Dillya developed a bond, and Ruth began to transform. Today, she is talkative, affectionate, occasionally sassy, and paired with a fully sighted pigeon who adores her. Watching Ruth develop into the bird she is today strengthened Dillya's commitment to disabled pigeons and animals who simply need someone willing to give them a chance.

That commitment has deep roots. As a child, Dillya once encountered an injured box turtle while on vacation and desperately wanted to help it. She still remembers that turtle and the feeling of not knowing how to help—an experience that helped shape her desire to protect wildlife.

Dillya's own life experiences have also influenced the compassion she brings to rescue work. She describes having a difficult childhood and credits the chosen family who came into her life when she was 13 with helping her become the person she is today. More than 20 years later, they remain her family. Those experiences strengthened her determination to protect those who are vulnerable and unable to advocate for themselves.

For Dillya, one of the most meaningful parts of rehabilitation is watching “the light come back” into an animal's eyes as it begins to heal and thrive. She is especially proud to be part of an organization willing to help animals who may have very few other places to go. During baby bird season alone, CWR may be asked to help hundreds of animals in a single week.

Her dedication to CWR has also been formally recognized with an award for her rescue and transport work—an accomplishment she remains especially proud of.

Outside of rescue work, Dillya enjoys spending time with her family, watching documentaries, creating art and crafts, tackling DIY projects, and continuing to study and research animal rehabilitation. She also enjoys herping and exploring creeks and wooded areas, where she can observe wildlife and stay connected to nature.

What started with one baby Carolina wren in 2021 ultimately changed the direction of Dillya's life. Through CWR, she discovered not only wildlife rehabilitation, but also her passion for pigeons, snake rescue, and giving vulnerable animals the opportunity to heal.

For Dillya, few things compare to seeing an animal that arrived frightened, injured, sick, orphaned, or neglected begin to thrive again—and knowing she helped give that animal a second chance.