Reptile Rescue SOS

Jenny Jones is organizing this fundraiser.

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Hi, my name is Jenny and I've always had a passion and life-long interest in nature. I'm actually an ecologist by trade, but for just over 9 years I have also been operating a self-run and self-funded 'Reptile Rescue SOS' from my home. I'm based not far from Cardiff, South Wales, in the UK.

It all started with my first 'rescue', Neo the green iguana. She was found wandering in a garden in Cardiff, cold, badly malnourished and with a deformed lower jaw. It is so incredibly hard to find anyone with any space to rehabilitate unwanted or abandoned reptiles, let alone large and sometimes aggressive species, so I decided that she was going to stay with me. I had not kept reptiles before, but literally read everything I could for months about iguana care. Neo has taught me so much about iguana behavour as well, just from watching and studying her. A lot of reptiles are so misunderstood, and I couldn't help wondering how such a beautiful animal came to be 'dumped' and left to fend for herself in a climate that is totally unsuitable for her (and would have killed her, had it been the middle of winter). Clearly improper care had resulted in her deformed lower jaw as a youngster; whoever owned her early on had not researched the species and their requirements. It's not her fault that she's not where she's supposed to be in her warm native habitat. It's not her fault someone got fed up of her and 'set her free' to face a slow and cold death 'in the wild'. Her jaw will never recover, neither will her slightly wonky spine or crooked toes, but because she got the correct care just in time she was able to be saved, and she is still with me and thriving 9 years later. Why should reptiles like Neo suffer because someone could not commit to her likely 15 year existence? Because someone couldn't be bothered to look up how to care for her properly? Because someone couldn't afford to care for her anymore?? Because hardly anyone is willing or able to offer help to reptiles in need...

And I found that there were so many other reptiles out there needing new homes too. I dreaded to think what might happen to them if nobody, or the wrong person, offered to take them.

'URGENT- Bearded Dragon Free to Good Home'

'BOA - NEED GONE ASAP'

'Need corn snake rehoused, son went to college and left me with it - comes with vivarium and all equipment'

'Gecko with bad eye, cannot afford to take to vet'

'Terrapin found in canal, what shall I do with it I've got it in a bucket'

'There's a bright orange snake in my garden, will it kill my dog/cat/child'

'I have to get rid of 11 of my reptiles by Friday at the latest and the RSPCA won't take any, please please can you help'

'I've found a lizard in a tank in an abandoned property and have no idea what it is, how long it's been there or what to do with it. It might be dead because it's not moving very much. Are you able to come and collect it?'

I don't want to make anyone feel bad, because all these situations are where people genuinely couldn't care for the reptiles, were being made to part with them or they lacked the knowledge to know what to do with them. Sometimes people are faced with no choice as there is nobody and no organisation that is able to help them out. Small organisations or private households are often more than willing to help out, but everyone has limited space, time and finaces, and there will always be people and reptiles out there needing help. I know, in an ideal world everyone would care enough and have enough forethought to read up on what they are getting into before obtaining a reptile, make sure that their landlord was ok with them getting a reptile in the first place, and all pet stores would be ethical enough to refuse 'pets' to people who clearly weren't in it for the long run, or people who just want a 'scary' snake for the 'wow' factor to impress their mates for a few months, and they would ideally advise people accurately on reptiles in the first place (no, co-habiting adult bearded dragons will not live happily, it is best to get just the one, and no, just because the 5 foot boa in the shop is friendly here with its current handler does not automatically mean it will be 'friendly' when you get it back home right away).

I came up with a name and rough logo and decided to make a Facebook and web page for Reptile Rescue SOS. I started to take in more and more reptiles, and began to rehome the 'suitable' ones with new owners, usually fairly docile corn snakes and bearded dragons. Sometimes it was just a case of connecting two people up via the internet, one having messaged me asking if there were any bearded dragons available for rehoming, and another asking could I take their bearded dragon for whatever reason. I am contacted at least once a week for advice on reptile keeping, or by someone asking me to help to rehome a reptile, or (the best part) by people wanting to show me photos of how reptiles I have rehomed with them are doing. I love that bit, because seeing that makes it all worth while.

Sometimes completely healthy, well loved and cared for reptiles just needing a new home because of a change in their owner's circumstances come in. But other times reptiles in dire need of veterinary treatment arrive. Either they have been found 'in the wild', or their owner, for whatever reason, cannot get them back on track due to financial or other reasons. In any case, the RSPCA often don't know what to do with them, cannot take them in or flat out refuse to help (sorry - but I have had to go and collect boa constrictors out of people's gardens because they were told on the phone that unless they could give an ID on the species they could not come out). There is no real RSPCA equivelent for reptiles, no reptile pounds like there are dog pounds, and not much luck for people relying on the PDSA either if they need reptiles treated (I think they might treat tortoises but not much else - reptiles don't come under the category of 'small furries' or 'companion animals' - although the latter will probably be disagreed with by most reptile keepers, myself included - they are great company!) I have one good reptile vet I use, and as anyone with animals will know, vet treatment does not come cheap. Neither does reptile food, heating, lighting, new vivariums, light bulbs, etc for that matter.

I am asking for anyone kind hearted enough to donate anything they feel they are able, to assist in the rescuing and rehabilitation of these animals. If everyone that reads this donates one pound, it is still massively appreciated and may mean one more reptile will be saved, fed or rehomed. (Also, if anyone in the South Wales area reads this and is able to offer a home to a reptile, please also get in touch with me!) I have been able to fund this myself (just about) for 9 years, but the increasing number of reptiles needing help seems to be getting higher every year. Sometimes pet stores will take them, but rarely. I have had to turn away some of the larger species recently due to a lack of space, and networking with other people online is increasingly becoming the best way to find new homes for these animals. I do not need 'urgent' funds as such, just a little reserve to be a pot set aside for 'urgent' cases. One day it would be great to open a small zoo-type rehab centre/reptile house where people can come and learn about reptiles, what its like to keep them and ideal enclosures for all life stages of reptiles, but first I'll just see how this does and build it up from there. Thanks for taking the time to read this, if you've got this far :)

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