#InMyHappyPlace | Max Strong

Say hello to Max Strong... Animal enthusiast extraordinaire! Max spends much of his time in the company of the furry, scaly, and feathered. Aiming to educate and inspire others about the beauty of wildlife...

Tell us a little about yourself and what you do Max?

I grew up in Louisville, KY and played sports pretty much year round, but animals have always been my passion. Once I graduated college and sports were over, I really dove head first into the animal world. Now I spend much of my free time volunteering at various wildlife facilities cleaning, feeding, and helping take care of all different types of wildlife.

What do animals mean to you?

Animals to me just represent so much of the good in the word. They are so pure. I truly enjoy my time spent with animals more than most people. Animals don’t lie and talk about you behind your back. With them, you get what you give. Show an animal love and that’s exactly what you’ll get in return. It may take a long time, but if you put in the time I promise that’s what you’ll see!

Not making you play favorites…but do you have a particularly favorite animal?

For most of my life tigers were my favorite animal, how could they not be?! Their combination of beauty and power is simply unmatched by anything else on the planet. They will always have a special place in my heart however over the last few years I have really shifted towards a love for hyenas. Spotted hyenas in particular. They are just so misunderstood and I love being able to show people the loving side of them that they have never seen before!

How can everyone out there do there part time help animals?

In my opinion, one of the biggest things people can do to help animals is just to respect them. I work with wildlife in captivity, however I very much wish captivity didn’t have to exist. If humans respected animals and the land that they live on then our world would be a much better place for animals. Unfortunately, most people don’t. They put their needs above an animals and 9 times out of 10 the animals are the ones paying the price for human decisions.