The Ledger

By Becky Holland

For Heather Zaresky, caring for animals isn’t something she chose—it’s something she’s always done.

At just 3 years old, she was already rescuing creatures in need, gathering frogs and salamanders from the street during rainstorms to keep them safe. She brought home turtles to rehome and even once showed up with an iguana she told her mother she had found in the road.

“Literally born this way,” Zaresky said.

Now 43, the Cochran resident is the founder and president of Georgia Canine Rescue and Rehabilitation Inc., a role that reflects a lifelong calling that never faded—only grew.

Zaresky, a wife and mother of two children, ages 15 and 10, moved to Cochran in 2007. Though she once thought she might become a veterinarian, her path took a different direction—one that still placed her right where she felt she belonged.

“I do life to do life,” she said. “I feel like I am doing it right.”

Her days are what she describes as “organized chaos,” balancing the demands of running a rescue with raising her family. From coordinating adoptions and fundraising to providing low-cost veterinary services like spaying and neutering, the work is constant.

And often, it overlaps.

“I’ve learned to multitask,” she said. “I’ll be walking my own dogs and answering messages, sending emails, taking calls.”

Despite the reach of the organization, Zaresky is quick to clarify a common misconception.

“A lot of people think we are a big organization, but we are not,” she said. “There’s just three of us.”

Even so, the impact is wide. The rescue continues to provide affordable services and place animals into loving homes, all driven by Zaresky’s deeply rooted belief in helping where she can.

“If I have a little bit and someone needs a little bit, then I am going to help,” she said.

That mindset has guided her not just in her work, but in her life. Looking back, her advice to her younger self is simple but meaningful.

“Pay attention to the small things—the things you think don’t matter,” she said. “A lot of what we stress about really isn’t going to matter in the long run.”

When she does find moments of free time, Zaresky returns to something that grounds her.

“I’m from Florida, so I’m a sun baby,” she said with a smile. “I love the sun and the water. Anytime we can as a family, we’ll get on or near water. I love the outdoors.”

But even in those quiet moments, it’s clear—her life’s work is never far away.

For Zaresky, helping animals isn’t just what she does.

It’s who she is.

And that’s OK.