Spotlight: Clarissa Clover
June 2025
You can meet Clarissa at the Warrenton (Saturday) or Stafford (Sunday) farmer’s market all season. FoxTales loves partnering with our community and building lasting relationships! Enjoy Clarissa’s story!
How did you first find out about FoxTales Wildlife Rehab?
I honestly don’t remember the exact moment, but I’m pretty sure it popped up as a recommended page on Facebook. I started following FoxTales after seeing a video of a baby possum and I basically stalked the page and loved everything you guys are doing!
How did you get started working with wildlife?
I’ve loved animals since I was a little kid. I was the kid yelling at my parents to pull the car over so I could rescue the turtles from the road. As I got older, I started volunteering at local animal shelters and animal control facilities. One thing led to another, and I realized that working with animals, especially wildlife, wasn’t just a passion, but a calling and I needed to find a way to make a career and a living from it.
Do you still work with rehabbing wildlife in Virginia? If so, what work do you do now?
I don’t work with wildlife in Virginia as much as I’d like to these days, but I’m currently in school to become a Certified Veterinary Technician. This fall, I’ll be working with World Wide Vets, an international organization that provides veterinary care and conservation support to wildlife projects around the world.
How did you wind up traveling to South Africa to work with wildlife?
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with watching Animal Planet and South Africa always had this magical mystical pull on me. Years later, I reached out to Umoya Khulula Wildlife Centre and asked if they took international volunteers. To my surprise, they said yes. I was ready for a change in my life so I sold my retail store, bought a plane ticket, and the rest is history. That experience completely changed my life.
With all your hands-on animal experience, do you have a favorite animal?
That would have to be Lucy - the orphaned baby hippo I worked with in South Africa. On my very first day at Umoya, I was on all fours scrubbing out her pool when she tried to climb on my back like a puppy. She loved to play rough, and one day she nearly pinned me against a tree! Even with her strength, she was gentle in her own way. Lucy was eventually released back into the wild and is now thriving. I’ll never forget her.
What made you want to become a canine nutritionist and herbalist?
My two rescue pit bulls, Stella and Luna, are the reason I do what I do. When I adopted them, both had severe health issues—chronic allergies, digestive problems, and terrible skin conditions. Traditional treatments weren’t helping, so I started researching and making their food from scratch, using herbs and natural remedies. Over time, they healed. That transformation lit a fire in me, and I became certified so I could help other pet parents do the same.
What local farmer’s markets do you plan to be at this 2025 season – if we would like to purchase your products?
This year, I’ll be at the Warrenton Farmers Market every other Saturday and the Long Family Farmers Market in Stafford every Sunday. I’m also signed up for several pet expos and festivals throughout Virginia, which I’ll announce on my Instagram and Facebook pages. And if you can’t make it in person, you can always order online at ClarissaClover.com.
Is there anything about wildlife that you wish the public would understand?
Wild animals are not meant to be pets. I see so many viral videos of people cuddling wild animals or trying to raise them like dogs or cats. When I was in South Africa, many of the animals we took in had been rescued from the illegal pet trade. They were suffering from severe health issues like metabolic bone disease because they weren’t getting the right nutrition or care. If you love animals then please leave them alone in the wild! The best way you can help is by not littering, avoiding tourist attractions that exploit animals, and supporting conservation-based organizations that truly care about the environment.
