Who We Are
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How We Began
The Pegasus Foundation’s Journey began in March 1997 as a private foundation.Prior to Pegasus’ formation, Barbara and her husband Charles (Dave) Birdsey created the Orenda Wildlife Trust in 1986 after they rehabilitated a baby raccoon and learned firsthand both the challenges and the lack of resources for rehabilitation of injured wildlife. The Orenda Wildlife Trust’s key focus was to protect valuable wildlife habitat and to promote wildlife rehabilitation training and the use of protected lands as release sites.
Eventually Orenda’s wildlife rehabilitation program was taken over by The Humane Society of The United States (HSUS) and operated as a wildlife training facility and hospital on Cape Cod. As it grew, those facilities were renamed Birdsey Cape Wildlife Center which is now part of the New England Wildlife Center.
Over the years, advocacy and initiated projects became as important as our philanthropic investment in and partnership in nonprofit organizations.
“Our work is to continually develop a vision for entire ecosystems.The next ten years are critical for many species and the quality of life we will pass onto future generations.”
Barbara Birdsey
Founder and President
Our Mission
The Pegasus Foundation aids in rescuing and rehabilitating domestic and wild animals, awards grants to animal welfare initiatives, and supports vibrant and healthy ecosystems through strategic partnerships and sound environmental policies.
Our Best Work
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Related Questions
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Directors & Advisors
Barbara Ungerman Birdsey
Founder and President
Founder of The Pegasus Foundation, Barbara is a widely recognized leader and national voice for animal protection, environmental preservation and wildlife and habitat protection in the United States and globally. She contributes her passion for all beings to live in harmony to her early career in social work. A lifelong resident of Cape Cod and now Florida, she co-founded, with her husband Charles, The Orenda Wildlife Land Trust and the Pegasus Foundation. She also helped to form the Treasured Lands Foundation. She serves on the boards of The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, National Marine Sanctuaries Foundation, The Guardians of Martin County (Florida), and is Chair of The Treasured Lands Foundation, and Co-Vice Chair of International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).
John W. Grandy Ph.D.
Board Member
With extensive expertise in predator control and migratory bird issues in the United States, Dr. Grandy has worked to protect coyotes, end inhumane trapping, stop the slaughter of mute swans and end the wanton killing of rhinos, elephants and sharks, and has advocated for humane management of select wildlife and wild horse populations. For more than 35 years, Dr. Grandy directed the wildlife and habitat protection programs at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). He now devotes his time and expertise to The Pegasus Foundation and to the Pettus-Crowe Foundation as its Representative.
Carter Luke
Vice Chair of the Board
Carter Luke has spent over 40 years working in animal welfare. For 14 years, he was CEO of Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA). Currently, he is Board Chair of World Animal Protection-US, and on the boards of the American Fondouk Maintenance Committee, Inc. which provides veterinary services to animals of the poor in Morocco, as well as the Thornton Burgess Society/Briar Nature Center in Sandwich, MA. He’s participated in research on animal population dynamics, animal hoarding and the connections between animal cruelty and human criminal behavior.
Melissa Rubin
Board Member
Melissa’s involvement in animal protection began when she founded Students for Animal Welfare, the first college animal protection organization at American University. Rubin received her degree in environmental science from American University and went on to obtain her Juris Doctor from the Washington College of Law. She has a certificate in non-profit business and management from Johns Hopkins University. Melissa currently works at Greater Good Charities where she helps set strategy and heads up the advancement team. She works to develop and cultivate donor relationships through major gifts and grants. Melissa is on the board of the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.
Aleta D. Smith, RN
Board Member
Never content with injustice, Aleta has spent her life advocating and intervening when necessary to create change as an advocate for people, animals, art, and the environment. Aleta is Managing Director of Geoffrey C. Smith Galleries. She also advocates for conservation and environmental awareness. She and her husband, the renowned artist Geoffrey C. Smith, founded the Art of Nature Foundation. Together, this formidable team developed a preserve for wildlife and manatees on their commercial property. A videographer, Aleta travels widely to film and document wildlife. She lives with her husband, Geoffrey Smith, and their family, migrating between south Florida and Alaska.
