Carol Monaco, Founder and Executive Director

Carol's love of wild animals started as a child where she had a stuffed toy tiger instead of a teddy bear. She won the tiger at a fair, and when picking out the tiger told the man running the game that she wanted the lion, and when he picked out the lion, said 'no, the other lion' because she really wanted the tiger, but didn't know the proper name at the age of 4. Luckily, her wildlife identification skills have improved since then. Carol is originally from Massachusetts and moved with her husband Jim to Colorado in 2007. She indulged in her love of wildlife by traveling to places such as Africa and photographing wildlife, as well as volunteering at the humane society and a wild animal rescue sanctuary. In 2010, she realized she wanted more hands on experience with animals, and started volunteering at a local rehab facility. She fell in love with rehabbing and the baby orphans that need care, and has not looked back since; she was hooked. Carol became an employee in a few months and then worked toward her State Wildlife Rehabilitation License, which she received from the Colorado Department of Parks and Wildlife in 2011. She started rehabilitating animals out of her home in Brighton in 2012. Carol also runs a market research business, MarketWise Insights, Inc. and is a wildlife photographer.

Jim Reisert, Director

Jim has always loved animals, starting with a pet guinea pig as a child. He has traveled extensively to  observe and photograph animals in the wild. His favorite trip was to Antarctica, where the penguins outnumber the people.  Of course, the cats, Toonces, Timmy,  and Tallulah, prefer him at home, doing their bidding.

Jim currently works at a hardware engineer at Broadcom Corporation, and spends time trying to keep Carol from adopting more cats.  He is also a ham radio operator. 

Jennifer Rudkin, Director

Jennifer Rudkin is a sculptor and creates enchanted animal sculptures, including custom sculptures that capture the essence of beloved pets. She was not always an artist. She used to be a researcher, professor, and writer in community studies and education. In 1996, her identify shifted when a class she was scheduled to teach didn’t make enrollment and she found herself with a free evening. A friend suggested she come to her drop-in clay class, and suddenly, Jennifer knew she wanted to find a way to sculpt full-time. Almost ten years later she built her art studio and adopted her muse, a mischievous labradoodle named Tupelo Honey. 

Tupelo Honey is a joy motivated dog, which means he gets into a lot of trouble. He prances through the neighbors' prize-winning roses and sleeps wherever he pleases--like on the dining room table. He knows how to stay open to the innumerable joys of a new day and reminds Jennifer that breaking the rules in the spirit of adventure does not make you a bag dog (though people may forget this when they are mopping up).  Jennifer's work can be seen at http://rudkinstudio.com and her Etsy shop.