Welcome to the Turtle Ally Certification Program!

Courtesy: John Joyner, NCSU CVM

This program was designed by the Turtle Rescue Team at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine with the goal of increasing the number of veterinarians in the state of North Carolina who feel confident in treating injured wild turtles. Turtle Ally veterinarians are part of a larger network of clinicians across the state who will take in and treat wild turtles at their clinic when they can, and who can work together with the Turtle Rescue Team to ensure that North Carolina’s wild turtles do not have to go without care when they are injured. While the program is aimed towards veterinarians, we also welcome veterinary technicians, licensed wildlife rehabilitators, and certified euthanasia technicians to participate in the course.

Our mission is to make sure that wild turtles who get injured due to human activities have access to care no matter where in the state they are located, and to improve networking within the North Carolina veterinary community regarding wildlife medicine and rehabilitation.

How to get involved

The program is currently open to licensed veterinarians, veterinary technicians, wildlife rehabilitators, and euthanasia technicians in the state of North Carolina – the registration fee is $50 and veterinarians who complete the program will receive 8 credits of NC CE (2 online, 6 live). After registering on this website, you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the online learning modules. These modules are designed to be worked through in your own time at your own pace. Altogether, the online modules should take about two hours to work through, with 50 multiple choice questions to accompany the material. The in-person workshop, where hands-on techniques will be taught, will take place at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine campus on Saturday, September 23rd, 2023.

After completion of both the online modules and the in-person workshop, you will receive a certificate of completion and will be added to the Turtle Ally Network. Your certification lasts for one year, and you will receive access to educational materials, a video library, as well as communications from the Turtle Rescue Team about new techniques and protocols in turtle medicine. You do not have to repeat the course to become re-certified in subsequent years, you just have to indicate that you wish to remain certified and we will keep you in the network.

The Turtle Ally Certification Program is an excellent way to improve your confidence with reptile medicine so you can start treating wild turtles at your clinic while having access to a wider network of veterinarians and the Turtle Rescue Team for support. If you are interested in becoming a Turtle Ally, register today!

For more information about the program, please contact us at turtleallyprogram@gmail.com.

Register Here!