A passionate wildlife and exotic animal enthusiast, Carrie Leo holds a bachelor of arts in Middle Eastern studies from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. Over the years, she has worked to further animal care and educate the public on a variety of wildlife issues. In the field of veterinary medicine, Carrie Leo has served as an emergency, oncology, and surgical assistant.

Since establishing Caring for Cottontails in 2012, Ms. Leo has spearheaded a range of animal rehabilitation initiatives including caring for six eastern coyote puppies that were too young to be missing a mother. This Walworth, New York-based wildlife facility also spearheads a range of educational and community outreach projects.

In addition to caring for wildlife directly, Carrie Leo is active politically, fighting for exotic animal ownership rights and spearheading various government advocacy efforts. One of her recent advocacy initiatives opposed a proposed amendment to Title 6 Part 180.1 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. She specifically opposed that rule’s list of “dangerous” animal species, claiming that it is far too inclusive.