Each year, CWR admits 5,000 to 7,000 animal patients—a staggering number made possible only through the dedication of nearly 500 volunteers and the unwavering generosity of our donors and supporters. Every rescue, recovery, and second chance is a direct reflection of this shared commitment to animals who cannot help themselves.
In 2025, CWR expanded its mission with the launch of the CWR Learning Center, extending our impact beyond rescue alone. Rooted in decades of hands-on experience, the Learning Center exists to educate, empower, and support rehabilitators, caregivers, youth, and communities—strengthening the future of wildlife care through shared knowledge and practical training.
Officially incorporated in 2003, Carolina Waterfowl Rescue (CWR) is a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) wildlife rescue and animal sanctuary specializing in avian, reptile, and farm animal species. What began in a garage with a promise to help one family of orphaned ducklings has grown into a lifesaving operation providing urgent medical care, professional rehabilitation, and habitat-simulating sanctuary for native wildlife across North and South Carolina.
WHO WE ARE
CWR exists for the animals
and continues to exist because of you.
WHO WE HELP
For more than two decades, Carolina Waterfowl Rescue staff have provided expert care grounded in deep experience in avian medicine. Our services are offered to the public free of charge, because animals in crisis—and the people trying to help them—should never face barriers to care.
We operate two essential, on-site programs that serve highly under-resourced areas of animal rescue: our Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic and our Domestic Housing Program. Each addresses a critical need, providing compassionate, professional care where options are often limited or unavailable.
WILDLIFE
Our Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic serves both adult wildlife and wildlife offspring, with care tailored to the unique needs of each.
ADULT WILDLIFE
Adult wild animals impacted by injury, illness, or human conflict are admitted year-round. These patients receive medical treatment, rehabilitation, and supportive care with one clear goal: a safe and timely return to the wild whenever possible.
Wildlife Offspring
Our seasonal Baby Bird Program focuses on wildlife offspring during the hatching and fledging seasons of native songbird species. Each year, we successfully raise and release injured, orphaned, and distressed baby birds—giving the most vulnerable lives a second chance at freedom.
DOMESTICS
CWR’s Domestic Housing Program encompasses both our Adoption Program and Resident Animal Program, serving animals that are often overlooked and underserved in traditional rescue systems. Domestic fowl such as ducks, geese, and chickens—along with select farm and exotic animals—rarely have access to the medical care or second chances afforded to more common companion animals like dogs and cats.
OWNER SURRENDORS
At CWR, domestic animals surrendered into our care receive comprehensive veterinary attention, safety, and stability. Those eligible are placed into our Adoption Program and remain in our care on 15 acres of protected sanctuary land until they are matched with permanent, appropriate homes within the community.
SANCTUARY
Some animals receive permanent sanctuary status and live with us for the rest of their lives. This most often occurs when animals are survivors of severe or life-altering injuries, or when they have been entrusted to us following the passing of a caregiver or owner.
ANIMAL CONTROL
CWR regularly assists local law enforcement in animal seizure and neglect cases, providing immediate care and long-term placement solutions when needed.