Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayley Hudnall.
Hi Hayley, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I knew early on that I wanted to work with animals, but I didn’t know in what capacity. I worked at a vet clinic one summer, then interned at a zoo, and realized neither of those were for me. I decided to major in Wildlife Fisheries at Texas A&M — I wanted to work with animals in their natural environments and make an impact. After I graduated, I interned at a wildlife rehabilitation center and knew it was something I wanted to pursue further. I moved back to Austin and joined the team at Emancipet. I loved the job and their mission but continued to look for a job working with wildlife. In 2007, Austin Wildlife Rescue (AWR) was hiring an Animal Care Manager and I was lucky enough to get the job! After about three years, I left AWR to pursue a master’s degree in Wildlife Ecology, then returned to AWR not long after graduation. I have loved being part of this organization and was made Executive Director in 2016. While my background is wildlife-related, I have learned all aspects of the job. When you work for a small non-profit, you wear many different hats and I think that’s what I’ve loved most. One day I am caring for animals, the next I am fundraising, another day I might be designing a new bird, and other days I am doing educational programs. I met my husband in graduate school and we have two amazing kids. Sometimes juggling a full-time career that always seems to need my attention is difficult, but I love sharing my love of animals with my husband and kids and seeing them enjoy the animals I help neighbors with or identifying and appreciating the birds in the yard. I always look for opportunities to educate people about wild animals and how important they are.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Trying to figure out what you want to do ‘when you grow up’ is rarely easy. Not many people are lucky enough to have a job they love and are truly passionate about. There have been many ups and downs, and burnout is a major factor in the wildlife rehabilitation field. There are thousands of animals that I have helped care for over the years — some I got very attached to, and there is always sadness when an animal doesn’t make it. The hours can be very long and I was also taking animals home that needed around-the-clock care. It’s hard to separate yourself from work when animals need you, but I had to find a balance so I could continue helping more animals each year. After having kids, it was also challenging to find a balance. I would come home exhausted from work, but I needed to be the mom they needed. I think it’s always a struggle, but they see how passionate I am and how much I love what I do.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am the Executive Director at Austin Wildlife Rescue. I started in animal care and worked my way up to managing the organization. I have gotten to see the organization grow from a small intake center, with very few staff, to a large, well-known Austin nonprofit, caring for thousands of wild animals each year. I have learned so much over the last 15 years about wildlife rehabilitation, fundraising, nonprofit management, and growing a business. I am so fortunate to have had a few great mentors and I think I am able to help AWR grow and be successful because I want what is best for the animals.
What were you like growing up?
I was a very fun-loving, carefree kid. I loved dance and gymnastics when I was young, and once I got into high school, I turned to Cross Country, track and softball. I loved being active and outside. My family adopted a Golden Retriever when I was young and that has always stuck with me. She was seized from an animal hoarding case and ended up in a shelter with the sixty other animals from a very small farm. She was dirty and scared when my parents brought her home. She spent a lot of time hiding under the coffee table at first, but she was the best dog as her personality came out and she learned to trust us. I think she was a big reason I started to love animals so much and wanted to help them. She had had such a horrible start in life and we were able to let her live out her 13 years in a loving home. I also had a gerbil named Holly and my younger brother and I spent a lot of time building her Lego mazes and letting her run around the house in her rodent ball. I was always rescuing bugs, frogs, and other animals that may or may not have needed rescuing. I moved from New York to Texas in 6th grade, which is a hard time to start over. I was fortunate to make a few different amazing groups of friends that stuck together through middle school and high school into adulthood.
Contact Info:
- Email: hmccardle@gmail.com
