Wildlife Vet

For the opossum who has a toothache, a swan lead poisoning or a box turtle with a broken shell, Leslie Reed is a true lifesaver. The veterinarian delights in the sheer variety and challenge that each day brings at the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota, where she serves as the director of veterinary education. During her stint at the rehab center, Reed has created a dentistry practice, cultivated a specialty in turtle shell repair and built a training program that draws students from around the world. “I could easily see, between new admits and rechecks, a couple hundred patients a day,” she says. “From a baby mouse all the way up to a bobcat.”