Carla Johnson has loved animals all of her life. She joined CRT back in 2009, after seeing the need to help the many Chihuahuas that were being euthanized in shelters just in her area. Shortly there after, she became the SE coordinator.
Carla grew up wanting to become a veterinarian but, after failing Chemistry her freshman year at NC State, knew she wouldn’t have the grades to get into Vet School, so she quit college and joined the Marines. After a 4-year stint with the Marines, her mother became ill and Carla left the Marines to help her family take care of her ailing mother. Carla continued with her love of animals becoming a licensed wildlife Rehabilitator and then a licensed Federally permitted Raptor educator which allowed her to keep hawks, owls and vultures that could not be released back into the wild, in her back yard. She still uses these birds to provide environmental education programs to the public.
Along the way, Carla was employed in many different jobs: Bridge builder, CDL truck driver, Putt-Putt Golf & Games Manager, Missionary, Office Manager, Genetics Clinic Scheduler/Clinic Notes transcriber and Genetics Senior Data Entry person. During all of these jobs, Carla managed to continue to rescue Chihuahuas and has seen the SE region grow to over 175 volunteers, covering from Maryland all the way down to GA.
Although it is a lot of hard work, Carla enjoys taking in the Chi’s that no other rescue wants to tackle and with CRT’s generous supporters, always finds a way to get these dogs the medical care that they need.
