Our Team

  • Whitney Bruce - Founder & Executive Director

    If anyone who knows her was asked to describe her in 2 words they would say “animal lover”. As a little girl she either wanted to be a Veterinarian or a Marine Biologist. While life took her in a different direction, she served as a veterinary technician at an animal shelter while attending Florida State University for Accounting & Finance. This is where Whitney first gained experience in the medical treatment for animals. 15 years later she furthered her education while volunteering for 2 other wildlife rescues in Charlotte and she began caring for wildlife independently in 2019. She founded WRoC in 2020 and runs the majority of operations from her home in East Charlotte. In addition to the many wildlife patients at any given time, Whitney shares her home with many rescued pets including Fiddy the cat, Honey Bun, Auggie & Hashbrown the rabbits, Lady Whistledown the prairie dog, Milo the Chinchilla, Legion the cornsnake, Limon the Quaker Parrot and a few chickens.

  • Tressy McLean-Hickey - Wildlife Rehabilitator

    With 20 years of clinical social work and therapy experience, Tressy has focused her career on helping children and families in need.  Getting her wildlife license has given her the opportunity to expand her love of helping others to include rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing native wildlife back to their natural habitat.  Caring for a special young squirrel with dwarfism has led her to this work and she looks forward to helping WRoC in any way she can.  Tressy lives with her husband, two young sons, and chihuahua in Noda.

  • Nichole Wise - Wildlife Rehabilitator

    Nichole grew up in a family that always involved animals of many kinds. She would often visit her mother at work who was a Vet tech in Charlotte, NC so learning to love and care for animals like her mother became her dream. In 2013 she made that dream a reality and went onto school to become a Vet Tech in El Paso, Texas. Since then she has explored volunteer work at her local zoo, veterinary emergency, specialty and ICU. She enjoys spending her free time with nature, and is happiest when she is at home relaxing with her fur babies.

  • Kathleen Carrie - Foster/Adoption Coordinator

    Kathleen is our work from home crazy bunny lady. She will screen you to make sure you are only the good kind of crazy and will love our bunnies as much as we do. She shares her home with rabbits Lewis, Teddy, Whizard and the love birds Winston & Summer adopted from WRoC.

  • Joette Westerburg - Foster/Adoption Coordinator

    Description goes here
  • Turtle Rescue of NC - Affiliate Reptile Rescue

    Turtle Rescue of NC was formed by our reptile rehabber Ashley McEntire. Her passion is turtles but she has worked in large rehabilitation facilites with a wide variety of wildlife species over the years, from birds of prey, to songbirds, to reptiles, and most species of small mammals. Most reptiles taken in by WRoC go to the TRoNC clinic in Indian Trail and stays for continued care until release. Ashley has trained under exotic veterinarians and brings a wealth of both knowledge and skills to WRoC that we consider to be invaluable.