An animal rescuer’s heated conversation with an anonymous hater has revealed the toxic reality that not everyone in the animal rescue community is as welcoming and supportive as they may seem.
TikTok Creator and Animal Rescue Advocate Carley Self is the founder of Nola Kitten Nursery, a mammal nursery based in New Orleans. With over 200 rescues this year alone, Carley has been very vocal about her passion online, spreading awareness to other rescuers and viewers.
However, other alleged animal rescuers have used this platform to put Carley’s methods on blast, labeling them as “unsafe” and accusing her for inadvertently causing the deaths of the animals she cared for.
Carley Self, a TikTok creator and animal rescue advocate, revealed the toxic side of the animal rescue community after a fiery exchange with a hater
Image credits: nolakittennursery
An anonymous account had contacted Carley’s moderator back in early September with a request to send her supplies for pinkies — a term rehabbers use to describe newborn animals. The unnamed person had then given a list of Carley’s practices, deeming them unsafe before blaming those actions on the TikTok creator’s lack of care and time.
“If time is a problem maybe she can give them to someone who has some to give the correct care,” read the message. “This is why people are turning her in. She is aspirating babies on live!!”
Later on, they addressed Carley directly, saying, “There are some things you are doing with your squirrels that is not safe and needs to be addressed” and added, “you WILL inadvertently cause deaths.”
According to Carley, many of the suggestions were one of many ways to feed baby animals — and the methods Carley had been using weren’t incorrect, but simply care that “does not look like how you give them care.”
After the animal rescue advocate tried defending herself, the anonymous account labeled her as selfish and egotistical
Image credits: nolakittennursery
Carley called these accusations “pretty big assumptions” and claimed her methods have yielded favorable results.
“Too bad your ego has the best of you,” read the response from the faceless account. “Poor squirrels.”
They continued, saying, “The only reason I am using a different account is because I have you blocked on my other one, so when I’m scrolling I don’t have to watch someone aspirate a 20 gram baby,” and later claimed the suggestions were coming from a group of rehabbers with over 100 years of experience.
“So yeah, unwind your panties hun,” the account said after Carley had started posting about the drama.
Image credits: nolakittennursery
Another similar incident happened last year when someone Carley saw as a friend turned her back on her.
A moderator, who used to frequently chat with Carley, had posted on social media, insinuating that the animal rescuer did not deserve many of the things she had, saying it was “really hard for [me] to watch people who haven’t been in rescue as long as [me] get things that others are deserving of.”
Later on when Carley posted a video about “losing” several animals, the same woman allegedly created several accounts online to blame Carley for being careless and inexperienced in her line of work, saying it was her fault those animals had died.
“She actively trolled me on a very vulnerable, very hard emotional video,” Carley said while adding that she “really [hasn’t] been the same on this app since.”
Carley has since chalked up the exchange, and a majority of the drama in the animal rescue community, to past trauma
Image credits: nolakittennursery
@nolakittennursery It’s a tough job and it’s made tougher when we aren’t on the same team. If you don’t all have to rescue the same way. We all don’t have to process things the same way. Hell we don’t even have to work together. What we shouldn’t be doing is working against each other. #animallover #mentalhealth #animalrescue #thetea #childhoodtrauma #therapytok ♬ original sound – NolakittenNursery
The social media creator explained that many animal rescuers are in this field of business because of the “comfort and solace and unconditional love and acceptance in animals.”
“They saved us,” she said. “And so we return the favor.”
But Carley said there is “a lot going on behind the scenes” of caring for animals and many rescuers haven’t found the right coping mechanisms and communications skills to “deal with people day-in and day-out.”
Image credits: nolakittennursery
“We are a group of emotionally, physically traumatized beings trying to manage our mental health crisis by helping animals who cannot communicate with us,” Carley stated.
And while the drama within the community may not be intentional, the platform animal rescuers are given on social media can lead to toxicity.
“[Social media] is a very toxic place in and of itself and then when you do so with mental health crisis, it creates a rough situation,” said Carley.
Carley’s followers have expressed their support to the animal rescuer
Image credits: nolakittennursery
“The person who sent you those messages is rude. Opinionated. And certainly lacks communication skills,” someone wrote. “I am very impressed with how you responded to this person.”
Another joked, “Plot twist: the whole group of people she’s referring to is just her talking to herself on her different burner accounts.”
“That was a whole lot of mean girl behavior,” someone else said. “This isn’t the way.”
“I’m sorry you have to deal with such ignorance and incompetent, Carley,” added one user. “Speaking from a non-rescue perspective, you are 100% correct in the way you are, once again and as you always do, TEACHING.”
While the animal rescue community on TikTok may be “riddled with drama,” Carley’s followers have remained a key support system for herself
Image credits: nolakittennursery
@nolakittennursery Let’s all remember how new social media is. I think it’s important for older rehabbers to remember that there’s now a lot of new ways to rehab. It doesn’t make them wrong. There are ways that we don’t agree with. And there are ways to get that point across without attacking and causing emotional harm to other Animal rescuers…. #phenomenon #animallover #animalrescue #newway #support #mentalhealth ♬ original sound – NolakittenNursery
Because of Carley’s videos on TikTok, especially those streamed live, she has been able to turn animal rescue work into a full-time job, while also using the platform as a resource for her mental health.
“The community we have built here on this app brings a smile to my face daily which is an invaluable gift in a line of work that is so mentally and physically taxing,” she told Bored Panda. “Rescue can be so isolating at times.
Image credits: nolakittennursery
“Unfortunately, people in the animal welfare world continue to be ranked among the highest for risk of suicide. This app allows us another avenue to reach out for help from others who ‘get it.’”
Carley began her journey on TikTok as a way to share her love for animals and “to help others grow and learn” as a rescuer but also for those who may struggle with mental health — but “never in [her] wildest dreams” could she have imagined where it would get her.
Carley is now in the works of opening New Orleans’ first neonatal animal hospital
Image credits: nolakittennursery
Ever since Carley took on rescue work as a full-time job, thanks to TikTok, her goal has been to find a building in order to “branch out and receive more volunteers and thus help more animals.”
After being donated one by a neighborhood couple, Carley is working on opening the first 24 hour neonatal animal hospital in New Orleans, with plans of getting it up and running by this time next year.
“Our future plan as a rescue is to become the central rescue and resource hub for kittens, TNR efforts, and neonatal wildlife in the city of New Orleans,” she said. “Our hope is to support animals and their rescuers alike!”
“She obviously has issues” read one of the comments
The post Animal Rescue TikToker Accused Of Endangering Baby Squirrels’ Lives Claps Back At “Toxic” Hater first appeared on Bored Panda.