Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife

“As Executive Director, Alison Charney Hussey works with the Board of Directors, the Hospital and Visitor Education Staff, the wonderful volunteers, and the community in an effort to further CROW’s mission. Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the CROW campus as well as involving herself in community outreach, she works to create a sense of collaboration and attitude of teamwork throughout the organization, the donors, and community partners.

A lifelong resident of Lee County, Alison brings her professional and legal background with her to CROW. Prior to her career at CROW, Alison was a partner at Pavese Law Firm serving in the LaBelle and Cape Coral offices. She is also a Supreme Court Certified Circuit and Family Mediator and has helped resolve disputes for more than a decade. She earned her law degree from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University and her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. Alison brings enthusiasm to her role as a teambuilder, manager, fundraiser, and animal lover. She is proud to both lead and serve with the professionals at CROW to promote and educate the local and global communities in order to protect, heal, and conserve wildlife.”

Michelle Menendez joined the CROW team in May of 2021. As the Director of Operations and Human Resources, Michelle is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the daily administrative and HR functions of the CROW organization. Michelle earned her undergraduate  degree in Business Administration from the University of North Florida and is an active member of SHRM, the Society of Human Resource Management. Michelle’s diverse experience and global sourcing background as a former product designer in the home textiles industry brings a creative and unique perspective to her role here at CROW.

Michelle is a native Floridian and is also a Sanibel Island resident. Her childhood was spent locally on the beaches of Ft Myers, Sanibel, and Captiva. Michelle is an avid tourist and local attractions advocate. Her love for our barrier island embraces our tropical environment as well as our native wildlife. Her passion for our local community is undeniably her first and foremost priority.

Dr. Robin Bast joined the CROW team as Staff Veterinarian in July 2018, but she has been involved with CROW since her first student externship in January 2010. She returned for a six-month fellowship in 2011 and stayed on staff as the Senior Wildlife Rehabilitator for a year prior to getting into veterinary school. She earned her DVM from University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine in Gainesville in 2016, then went on to complete two internships – the first was a year-long Small Animal Rotating Internship in emergency medicine and surgery at Florida Veterinary Referral Center in Estero, and the second was a year-long Wildlife and Conservation Medicine Internship here at CROW. After completing her internship here, she stayed on as Staff Veterinarian overseeing daily operations at the hospital and the student program.

Dr. Bast loves teaching students, and particularly enjoys working with River Otters, Owls, and Sea Turtle patients. She lives in Cape Coral with her calico cat, Amber.

Dr. Chilcote joined the CROW team for her year long internship on July 1. Dr. Chilcote received her Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in German from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan and earned her doctorate at Michigan State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine.

Before coming to CROW, Dr. Chilcote completed a Rotating Small Animal Medicine and Surgery Internship at VCA Weymouth Animal Hospital and an Animal Care Internship at the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick, Maine. She also completed several externships during her time in veterinary college at the following organizations: California Wildlife Center in Calabasas, California; The Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, Virginia; Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia; and the Department of Fish & Wildlife in Corvallis, Oregon.

Dr. Mitchell returned to the CROW team for her year long internship on July 1.

Dr. Mitchell received her Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Marshall University in West Virginia. She earned her doctorate from University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduating, Dr. Mitchell completed an ER and Small Animal Rotation in San Diego at VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center. Dr. Mitchell previously studied at CROW, completing a Veterinary Medicine Externship in 2018 and most recently volunteering in the hospital.

Becca joined CROW in April 2019 as the Hospital Training Coordinator before being promoted to her current management role of the Hospital Practice Manager in 2023. Prior to her work at CROW, Becca graduated in 2018 from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Ecology-Wildlife Care. She will be graduating with her Veterinary Practice Management Certification in early 2024 and will further be pursuing her CVPM. Prior to CROW, she volunteered and worked as a vet assistant at multiple animal hospitals in the Kansas City area and worked at the Iowa State Veterinary College in their Wildlife Care Clinic department working with native Iowa wildlife where she found her passion for wildlife rehabilitation. Becca oversees the hospital staff, student training, daily hospital operations, hospital volunteer program, clinic inventory, and more! Becca’s favorite species to work with at CROW include Virginia Opossums, Turkey Vultures, and Pelicans. In her spare time she enjoys visiting family, kayaking, traveling, and cooking. A fun fact is she owns 7 animals with 2 of them being Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs that were admitted to CROW in 2020 and 2021 that needed to be re-homed!

Amber graduated in 2011 from Stautzenberger College with her Associates of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology and has been a veterinary technician for over 10 years now. She started off planning to work with domestic animals, but in 2015 she shifted her career focus to wildlife medicine. This shift began when she started the six-month vet tech internship at CROW. It was during her time here that her love for wildlife took root. In the student program, Amber learned how to apply her veterinary technician skillset to working with native Florida wildlife. After this, she completed a second internship working at the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge in Fort Walton Beach, FL where she participated in all aspects of wildlife rehab and marine mammal stranding. Her next career move was working a seasonal position at the Texas State Aquarium’s wildlife rehab center. There, she was able to expand her skillset to working with native Texas wildlife. Afterwards, she made the move to zoo medicine working at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh, PA. Although she loved the opportunity to work with a zoo collection of birds, she found herself missing wildlife. When the opportunity presented itself, she jumped at the chance to return to CROW Clinic!

Since returning to CROW in 2018, Amber has held a variety of roles within the clinic. Most recently, she took on the role of Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) Floor Manager where she works closely with CROW veterinarians to oversee the treatment and care of the most critical patients. Because CROW is a teaching hospital, Amber also teaches over 50 rotating students each year how to care for wildlife and also useful skills like placing an IV, how to read blood samples, and how to draw blood from a variety of species, along many more tech responsibilities. On her time off, Amber enjoys spending time with her sister Megan and her two cats, May and Isla. She also loves birdwatching, hiking, shelling, and crafting.

Breanna Frankel is the Rehabilitation Manager and Admissions Specialist at CROW. Previously completing a six-month student fellowship at CROW, Breanna joined the staff in 2015 and was promoted to her current management role in 2017. She earned her CWR through the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council in 2017. Prior to her work at CROW, Breanna graduated from Towson University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. She graduated in August 2022 from the University of Florida with a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation with a concentration in Wildlife Forensic Sciences and Conservation.

Breanna first fell in love with wildlife medicine when she worked with large exotics in South Africa during college. Prior to CROW, her experience includes volunteering at the Maryland SPCA in their veterinary clinic and training adoptable dogs. She also worked as a surgical assistant at a small animal specialty hospital in western New York. Breanna enjoys teaching students who come through CROW and assisting with conservation related fieldwork in her free time. Her favorite type of education focuses on misunderstood animals like vultures or Virginia opossums and their benefits to the ecosystems. Breanna enjoys working with CROWs ambassador animals and her favorite species to work with are Magnificent Frigatebirds, vultures, and all types of turtles!

Originally from Wendell, North Carolina, Morgan joined the CROW team as an intern in May 2016 before accepting a full-time position in the rehab department in 2017, and thus becoming CROW’s in-house “bird nerd”. Morgan is an IWRC Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator and earned her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology with a concentration in Wildlife Rehabilitation and her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Lees McRae College in Banner Elk, NC. While attending school, she worked at the college’s very own May Wildlife Rehabilitation Center where she learned the tips of the wildlife rehab trade from some of the very best! She also developed a deeper love and understanding of birds along with the conservation measures to help protect them.

At CROW, Morgan works closely with Talon, CROW’s Red-tailed Hawk ambassador, and helps train him to be an educational animal for his species and other wildlife. Morgan also assists with the training of students/volunteers, first response calls/animal intakes, and triaging patients alongside veterinarians. She also takes great care to expand CROW’s wildlife artifact collection with her taxidermy skills and species knowledge. Aside from CROW, Morgan spends her free time exploring some of Florida’s wonderful nature trails and birdwatching every step of the way! She also volunteers her time assisting SCCF on Sanibel with their shorebird surveys and a multitude of other bird count surveys throughout migration. While Morgan may be obsessed with all birds, her favorite is the Belted Kingfisher which she says always likes to evade her camera.

Katie has been an IWRC Certified Wildlife Rehabilitator (CWR) at CROW since December of 2017. She grew up on a farm in Iowa, and was first introduced to animal care through her flock of chickens. Katie graduated from Iowa State University in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Ecology with an emphasis on wildlife rehabilitation. While at Iowa State, she interned at the Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines. Katie also worked three years at the Wildlife Care Clinic at the Iowa State Veterinary College. After graduation, she spent a summer doing bird, vegetation, and insect surveys then completed a six-month fellowship at CROW before being hired on as staff.

As a CWR, Katie helps oversee the rehabilitation of injured reptiles, birds, and mammals. Another large part of her job is caring for all the baby animals admitted to the hospital. She also assists with training students and volunteers in various areas of the clinic, and helps with treatments and animal care in the ICU portion of the hospital. Her favorite animals to work with include vultures, ducks, pelicans, and owls.

Kayla joined the CROW team as a Wildlife Rehabilitator in January of 2023. Kayla started her career in wildlife rehabilitation after graduating from the University of Florida in 2012 and completing an internship at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center. Falling in love with wildlife, Kayla worked rehabilitating birds in the keys until 2017 when she transitioned to St. Francis Wildlife in Tallahassee. There, she diversified her rehabilitation experience to all wildlife species. In 2022, Kayla spent a year rehabilitating birds and sea turtles with the University of Texas. Growing up in Florida, Kayla found herself wanting to continue wildlife rehabilitation and conservation in Florida. She is excited to work for CROW and with Florida wildlife again.

Jaya joined the CROW team as a Wildlife Rehabilitator in August of 2023. Jaya first began her career in wildlife rehabilitation in high school as an orphan bird caregiver volunteer at the Wisconsin Humane Society Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, tending to infant songbirds and waterfowl husbandry. Jaya’s collegiate years were spent studying environmental science at the University of Alabama. During her summer breaks, Jaya returned home to Wisconsin where she worked for two consecutive summers as wildlife intern, and a third year as a staff member where she assisted with wildlife rehabbers. As her passion for wildlife tremendously grew, she ultimately knew she wanted to become a wildlife rehabilitator. Jaya knew she could capitalize on her dream by becoming a member of the CROW team! She is excited to diversify her experience working with various native and migratory Florida species while being educationally immersed in a teaching hospital.