Reptile Rescue

[black_sun]

So, I'm thinking about starting a reptile rescue...

There's only one rescue in my county and neighboring counties that deals with reptiles, but they only offer "promotion" services. So, they'll help you find your animal a new home but they won't take it themselves. It's nice but that still leaves a lot of people and animals in sometimes bad situations.

The only other people that are around is one conservationist/rescuer who's up to the gills with animals currently (he hasn't been taking anything in for months now) and 3 "flippers" who aren't real rescues and just take in animals and resell them to whoever will offer the most.

I contacted the ASPCA for a book they sell "The ASPCA National Shelter Outreach Guide to Starting and Improving a Humane Organization" which shows you how to set up a shelter, hire and manage employees/volunteers, gather funds, set up vet guidelines and get adoptions started. I'm hoping to pick that up shortly.

I don't know, it may be way too much to try and start up something like this. But I just get so tired and disheartened by the animals dumped at my work, the animals that get kept in piss poor conditions because people are no longer interested in them but don't have anywhere to rehome their animals, or just flat out dumped outdoors.

Anyone ever try to do something like this? How'd it work out?

 

[Joe M]

I'd advise against it. My uncle tried it once, and was quickly overrun with reptiles. He needed to stop it after about a year. The problem with it is you can't really decline certain animals, because then you become less of a rescue and more of a person wanting free animals. My uncle was soon overrun wit large iguanas, ball pythons, and leopard geckos that people got at petsmart and couldn't take care of.

This isn't something to take lightly. It will cost you thousands of dollars out of pocket, and you will have to euthanize a decent number of neglected animals. I saw some reptiles in conditions that I hope I never have to see again. People are also generally not willing to help fund a reptile rescue, as most people don't like reptiles. You won't get any help.

If you choose to do it, I wish you luck. But it takes a level of dedication and money that most people just don't have. I strongly recommend that you don't do it, just for your sake.

 

[Masa06]

Someone runs one on here.

 

[mother monster]

As soon as people know you're a rescue, you get overrun. it's incredibly disheartening as well to not be able to help something someone's shoving in your face because you have no more room or money for animal food In the past I've just had to mention that I own snakes& I get people trying to dump their reptiles/exotics on me. ugh... & i never had the space for a rescue nor tried to attempt one, but my house ended up like a foster care center until i had to stop. down here in FL though half the time they just dump the exotic when they're done with it&it thrives in the swamps. i hope you can maybe get something started in your area though, a little help is always better than no help :>

 

[Lepisosteus platyrhincus]

u live in NJ. isnt everything illegal anyways?

 

[black_sun]

u live in NJ. isnt everything illegal anyways?

Haha, not really. Not in reptiles at least, you can't have Gila Monsters, Coral snakes, Cobras, Vipers, Pit Vipers, Gators, Crocs, Caiman and Gavials. Well, I can't say "can't" you can apply for permits and licenses and if you pass the state's criteria and tests you can legally possess the aforementioned.

Stupid stuff like turtles, the whole buy/sell thing applies statewide but individual counties and towns ban them outright. And there's similar cases with other animals, but for the most part that's not an issue.

 

[black_sun]

I'd advise against it. My uncle tried it once, and was quickly overrun with reptiles. He needed to stop it after about a year. The problem with it is you can't really decline certain animals, because then you become less of a rescue and more of a person wanting free animals. My uncle was soon overrun wit large iguanas, ball pythons, and leopard geckos that people got at petsmart and couldn't take care of.

Did he run it by himself, or actually set up an establishment?

This isn't something to take lightly. It will cost you thousands of dollars out of pocket, and you will have to euthanize a decent number of neglected animals. I saw some reptiles in conditions that I hope I never have to see again. People are also generally not willing to help fund a reptile rescue, as most people don't like reptiles. You won't get any help.

Yes, this much I imagined. I have a few networking probes out, that seem... moderately promising. But for the most part, I was eagerly awaiting that book from ASPCA because it has guidelines for trying to do outreaches and funding, figured that would help me come up with a few ideas to test the reception I'll get in this area.

If you choose to do it, I wish you luck. But it takes a level of dedication and money that most people just don't have. I strongly recommend that you don't do it, just for your sake.

Yea, this won't be something I'll be undertaking in this or the next year (outside my normal rescues from work). But I do think it's something I'd like to work on piece by piece and at least attempt should enough things fall in place to make it even remotely feasible.

 

[black_sun]

As soon as people know you're a rescue, you get overrun. it's incredibly disheartening as well to not be able to help something someone's shoving in your face because you have no more room or money for animal food In the past I've just had to mention that I own snakes& I get people trying to dump their reptiles/exotics on me. ugh... & i never had the space for a rescue nor tried to attempt one, but my house ended up like a foster care center until i had to stop. down here in FL though half the time they just dump the exotic when they're done with it&it thrives in the swamps. i hope you can maybe get something started in your area though, a little help is always better than no help :>

Yea, my place is forever in and out of a state of foster care... same with two of my co-workers. The amount of stuff that gets dumped is just asinine. I don't know, it's not going to be a near future project but I kind of figure even if it becomes remotely feasible in the future... it's better to have tried to do something than to have done nothing. We'll see though.

 

[snakeguy101]

The best thing to do would be to get a group of friends together that would not mind taking in some reptiles and distribute the animals between all of you. If there is a local herp society, you could start there. I would not attempt to open a full fledged rescue shelter with staff or anything like that. In this economy, it would not make it.

Good luck though.