North Carolina resident Mike Schultz turned his passion for animal rehabilitation into emergency rescue work after witnessing Hurricane Helene's devastating effects on pets and shelter animals.
As Queen City Nerve reported, his journey began with local volunteer work at Carolina Waterfowl Rescue in Indian Trail, where he helped rehabilitate injured wildlife, including turtles, rabbits, birds, snakes, and squirrels. Schultz also fostered dogs awaiting adoption, building connections with each one and tracking their journey to forever homes.
The destruction caused by Hurricane Helene motivated Schultz to expand his impact by joining Humane World for Animals (formerly Humane Society of the United States) as an emergency rescue volunteer. After completing an interview process and several months of FEMA-led training, he began deploying with small teams to help animals rescued from disasters and abuse situations.
His rescue missions took him to challenging environments where animals had suffered tremendous trauma. In one case, Schultz helped care for over 100 animals rescued from a veterinarian's property in Ohio, where they endured severe neglect. Many animals required patient rehabilitation to rebuild trust in humans.
"The work was far from glamorous. Mike once spent three days cleaning dog cages, unable to interact with the inhabitants other than placing some peanut butter inside the cage as a way to subtly build back their trust in humans," according to Queen City Nerve.
Schultz also tracked eating habits and slowly rebuilt animal trust through gentle techniques like reading aloud or playing calming ambient sounds.
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Through his volunteer service, Schultz helped create safe transitions for traumatized animals while working toward reuniting lost pets with their families after natural disasters. His most rewarding moment came when he looked across a warehouse and saw "100 dogs that were calm, happy, and healthy, which they were not before."
Though Schultz has recently refocused his efforts on local rescue organizations like Fighting Chance Ranch & Rescue in Charlotte, his commitment to animal welfare remains steadfast. He credits a dog named Ami, whom he helped recover from severe physical wounds, as his inspiration.
"She's the reason I do so much with animals," Schultz said. "That's why I wanted to go help at Humane World for Animals."
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