I'm Heather Cooper, founder of Snug Harbor Wildlife Rescue and Sanctuary and one about twenty rehabbers. Snug Harbor Wildlife Rescue and Sanctuary is a newly founded nonprofit organization nestled in the heart of Chapin, SC, where I reside.   

       Most of our rehabbers are based in the Midlands, but we have members throughout the entire state. We rehabilitate these animals out of our homes, giving us 24/7 access to their care, especially during baby season for feedings every two to three hours. We follow nationally recognized rehabilitation guidelines to train all rehabbers along with hands-on apprenticeships. Continuing education and training are a high priority for us. We are fortunate to work with three amazing veterinarians who provide expert care and consultation ensuring each animal receives the best possible treatment.  

       Compassion has always come easy to me, from caring for pets growing up to having a career in internal medicine.  Life threw me a little curveball with having some health issues of my own battling a severe chronic pain, forcing me to step away from a career, work family, and patients I loved deeply. Over the past five to six years my passion for animals has kept me going and inspired me to find a way to help animals and give back to our community. With constant construction there is a need for wildlife conservation and rehabilitation now more than ever.  

       Part of Snug Harbor's mission is to touch the lives of others through our work while educating and spreading awareness. We specialize in orphaned and sick/injured juvenile wildlife, with the goal of rehabbing and releasing as many healthy animals as possible. We provide care and sanctuary to those who have disabilities and high quality of life. We work on providing information on our website to help educate the public and assist with situations like humane eviction and reuniting babies with their mothers. Another goal of ours is to help shed light and positivity even in sadder circumstances and calls we may receive.  

       Recently, I got a call from a Chapin resident about a deer stuck in her fence in her yard. Without hesitation, I headed over trying to form the best plan after seeing pictures on how serious the injury likely was. Once arriving, I approached the deer slowly to assure her that I was not a threat. Within seconds, she calmed, stopped thrashing, and allowed me to get a better look at her leg. There was no easy way to get her already broken leg loose. The only way to get her free was to pick her up over the 4.5 - 5 ft fence back to the side she came from. It worked beautifully; the now free doe swam across the cove but could not get up the embankment. Sadly, her injuries were too severe, her leg was broken in four places and we knew this was a situation where ending her suffering was in her best interest.

       Snug Harbor Wildlife works closely with other agencies to ensure we follow all laws and safety protocols with wildlife. We worked on a plan with SCDNR to humanely end her pain. As emotional as it is to end an animal's life, we walk away with those beautiful moments where she (the deer) calmed, trusted and accepted my help. Having 140 lb. animal, who's very capable of hurting you in such a situation, let their guard down in such a vulnerable state, and allow you to pick them up. We were blown away by the love and support of The Timberlake community and knowing there are people who love and respect these animals as much as we do that cared to get her help!  

       Snug Harbor Wildlife sets up throughout the state for various events and markets to fundraise for our organization. We keep those events posted on our Facebook and website as we book them, one being Chapin’s annual Ole Times Christmas on December 14th! (2024)

       "We're excited to meet new faces while connecting with our long-time supporters as we continue to grow! Follow us on our Facebook and stay in touch with our website to see updates, stories, educational moments and of course share smiles along our journey!"