Turtle Rescue Team (TRT) is a volunteer organization run by veterinary students at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Students provide husbandry and medical treatment free of charge to injured and ill wildlife with the goal of releasing rehabilitated animals back into the wild. Currently, Turtle Rescue Team cares for over 800 wild reptiles and amphibians each year. With such a high caseload, veterinary students involved with Turtle Rescue Team have the opportunity to not only learn, develop, and refine their medical skills, but they also have the chance to contribute to protecting North Carolina’s native wildlife.

Get Help for an Injured Animal

TRT has a volunteer veterinary student on-call from 8 am-6 pm daily, with the exception of major U.S. Holidays. If you find an ill or injured reptile or amphibian, you can call TRT at (919) 397-9675 to schedule a drop-off appointment. Please do not come to TRT without an appointment, as the availability of on-call students varies and there is not always a student on-site from 8 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Please note that because of state laws and permits, it is illegal for TRT to treat or accept pet turtles. If you have a pet turtle that needs veterinary care, please contact the Exotic Animal Medicine Service at NC State.

TRT is located next to the Veterinary Health and Wellness Center at the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine (1060 William Moore Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607).
For non-urgent questions or inquiries, please email turtle-rescue-team@ncsu.edu.

Donate

Donate to the NC State Turtle Rescue Team!

News

Volunteers Lead Renovation of Turtle Rescue Team Headquarters

Today, the Turtle Rescue Team’s bustling center of reptile and amphibian healing occupies a newly renovated headquarters in the NC State Veterinary Health and Wellness Center, courtesy of generous supporters and volunteers. But it’s been quite a journey to get there. 

Additional information can be found in this news article

Print this form to mail in a donation.  Make your check payable to North Carolina Veterinary Medicine Foundation (NCVMF) in the subject line write “Turtle Rescue Team”.

Mail checks made payable to the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation to:
Turtle Rescue Team
c/o North Carolina Veterinary Medical Foundation
1060 William Moore Drive
Raleigh, NC 27607

Volunteering

Turtle Rescue Team relies heavily on its volunteers.

Undergraduate students have the opportunity to volunteer year-round with reptile and amphibian husbandry, enrichment, and medical treatment. Interested undergraduate students may email turtle-rescue-team@ncsu.edu for more information.

Members of the public have the opportunity to volunteer as rehabbers or release volunteers. Patients are sent to rehab when they are no longer receiving medical treatment but need more time to heal before release. Rehabbers provide daily husbandry for patients in their home and bring them in for recheck appointments until they get released. Release volunteers are needed to transport patients who are ready to be released back to where they were found in the wild. Please email turtlerehabcoordinator@gmail.com if you are interested in either of these opportunities.

Outreach

Turtle Rescue Team is involved with various public outreach programs. If you are interested in having Turtle Rescue Team at your next event, please email turtlerescueteam.outreach1996@gmail.com.

Internships

Turtle Rescue Team (TRT) seeks motivated undergraduate students as Animal Care Interns and Veterinary Treatment Interns each season (spring, summer, and fall) to help their mission of rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing injured and ill wildlife.

Animal Care Internship

Animal Care Interns will be responsible for the husbandry and enrichment of patients in TRT. Spring and fall interns are expected to dedicate three hours per week total to TRT (one 2-hour husbandry shift from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and one 1-hour enrichment shift from 12-1 p.m.) from Monday through Friday. Summer interns are expected to dedicate nine hours per week total to TRT (three 2-hour husbandry shifts from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. and three 1-hour enrichment shifts from 12-1 p.m.) from Monday through Friday. Spring and fall interns are expected to dedicate one of their monthly shifts to be a training shift, and summer interns are expected to dedicate two of their monthly shifts to be training shifts. Interns will have the opportunity to conduct an approved intern project of their choice. The Animal Care Internship is designed to prepare students for careers as zookeepers, aquarists, or other animal husbandry jobs.

Veterinary Treatment Internship

Veterinary Treatment Interns will be responsible for the medical treatment of patients in TRT. Spring and fall interns are expected to dedicate three hours per week total to TRT (one 2-hour AM treatment shift from 8-10 a.m. and one 1-hour PM treatment shift from 5-6 p.m.) from Monday through Friday. Summer interns are expected to dedicate nine hours per week total to TRT (three 2-hour AM treatment shifts from 8-10 a.m. and three 1-hour PM treatment shifts from 5-6 p.m.) from Monday through Friday. Summer interns will have the additional opportunity to help veterinary students intake patients, manage cases, and perform procedures from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on their assigned shift days. Spring and fall interns are expected to dedicate one of their monthly shifts to be a training shift, and summer interns are expected to dedicate two of their monthly shifts to be training shifts. Interns will have the opportunity to conduct an approved intern project of their choice. The Veterinary Treatment Internship is designed to prepare students for careers in veterinary medicine and wildlife rehabilitation.

To Apply

Applications are reviewed on a seasonal basis. Please email the TRT Presidents at turtle-rescue-team@ncsu.edu with any questions and to receive the application deadline information and form. Applicants are required to submit a cover letter, resume, one (1) letter of recommendation, and their availability.

Decisions

Zoom interviews will be conducted for selected applicants. Applicants will be notified via email of their decision.

Externships

Turtle Rescue Team (TRT) is a veterinary student-run wildlife rescue organization under the mentorship of NC State CVM Faculty. TRT intakes upwards of 800 patients a year, including turtles, snakes, lizards and amphibians. There is a higher case load over the summer months. NC State veterinary students are responsible for taking intakes, managing cases, and performing procedures for each patient.

Each summer, TRT opens the program to veterinary students of any year. Volunteer externships are a minimum of four weeks and a maximum of 12 weeks from May through July, depending on the availability of the student and the team. Stipend and housing are not provided. Housing and transportation are the responsibility of the student. Although there is no housing available on the CVM campus, public transportation is readily available and relatively affordable. English proficiency is not required, but non-English speakers should plan to have a way to communicate without an interpreter (e.g. smartphone app, etc.).

To Apply

Applications are reviewed on a rolling admissions basis, and the application is open year-round. Please email the TRT Presidents at turtle-rescue-team@ncsu.edu with any questions and to receive the application form. Applicants are required to submit a cover letter, Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume, three (3) letters of recommendation, and their proposed length and dates of the externship.

Decisions

Zoom interviews will be conducted for selected applicants. Applicants will be notified via email of their decision.