Reese Filipek

Level 1 Rehabber

Reese Filipek is a Level 1 Rehabber at Carolina Waterfowl Rescue, where she combines a lifelong love of animals with her academic interest in biology and veterinary medicine. Her path at CWR began as an internship and quickly developed into a larger role within the organization, giving her experience in animal care, leadership, and rehabilitation.

Reese joined CWR as an intern in May 2025 and completed her internship that August. Eager to remain involved with the organization while waiting for a position to become available in rehabilitation, she was hired as a Shift Lead. In that role, she gained additional experience overseeing daily animal-care activities and working with staff, volunteers, and interns. When an opportunity eventually became available in the rehabilitation department, Reese transitioned into her current position as a Level 1 Rehabber.

Today, Reese works directly with sick, injured, and recovering animals that come through CWR's doors. Her responsibilities include wound care, assisting with radiographs, administering medications and following treatment protocols, physical therapy, laser therapy, and other aspects of rehabilitative care. She also helps teach and train interns, allowing her to share the practical knowledge she has gained while continuing to develop her own skills.

Working at CWR has given Reese the opportunity to care for an unusually diverse range of species. One of the aspects of rehabilitation she values most is getting to know animals as individuals. She enjoys discovering the different personalities of the animals in CWR's care and seeing firsthand the difference that appropriate treatment, rehabilitation, and compassionate care can make in their lives.

Although Reese is reluctant to describe herself as specializing in a particular species, she has developed an especially close relationship with CWR's sheep. Her work has also extended beyond rehabilitation to include assisting with adoptions and animal transports when needed.

Reese is currently a senior at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she is studying Biology. Her long-term goal is to continue building her experience in animal medicine and apply to veterinary school. Her work at CWR gives her the opportunity to complement her academic studies with hands-on experience involving animal health, medical treatments, rehabilitation, and the challenges of caring for animals from many different species and backgrounds.

Her additional training at CWR has included controlled-drug documentation and drug-log procedures. She has also participated in a North Carolina State University workshop focused primarily on livestock care, adding to the experience she has gained working with CWR's diverse animal population.

Reese's involvement in animal welfare began well before she arrived at CWR. During high school, she volunteered for approximately two years with Asheville Humane Society and also gained extensive experience caring for animals through pet sitting. Animals have been a constant presence throughout her life; over the years, she has cared for rodents, fish, cats, dogs, and birds.

Her connection with animals began in childhood and has always extended beyond traditional pets. Reese remembers caring deeply about virtually every creature she encountered—even insects—and becoming easily attached to animals. She spent a significant amount of time growing up at the North Carolina nature center, where she learned about the wildlife native to the state and developed an appreciation for the diversity of the natural world.

Pigeons have become a particular favorite. Reese appreciates their distinct personalities and affectionate nature and hopes to eventually adopt a pigeon from CWR. At home, she shares her life with two rescued companions: Felony, a cat who was rescued from a dumpster, and Pebbles, an elderly blue-crowned conure she adopted from Angie's Bird Sanctuary.

Reese's interest in the natural world also extends beyond animals. In addition to being a full-time student, she serves as Vice President of the Mycology Club at UNC Charlotte. Through the club, she helps develop lessons and activities that teach others about fungi and the important roles they play in ecosystems. Combined with her experience in customer service and teaching, this work has given her additional opportunities to share her enthusiasm for biology and the environment with others.

When she isn't working at CWR or studying, Reese enjoys hiking and spending time with her animals. She is also an enthusiastic plant collector and keeps numerous plants in her home as a way of bringing some of the outdoors inside. She enjoys spending her remaining free time with her best friend and roommate.

For Reese, the most rewarding part of CWR is seeing the impact that rehabilitation can have on an individual animal. Every patient offers something different—another species to learn about, another personality to discover, and another opportunity to make a meaningful difference. As she continues her studies in biology and works toward her goal of veterinary school, those experiences are helping shape both the animal-care professional she is becoming and the career she hopes to build.