Ornate nile monitor help

Quick back story. My ex-roommate bought a Nile monitor without doing any research what so ever. Thinking it would be a cool pet to have. And im talking almost 2 years ago now. He got him when he was maybe a couple of weeks old. He wants him to keep at a 'primal level' because that is what he connects with. When they first moved in and got him they never once cleaned out his terrarium. until he had to be transferred to a bigger one. and don't get me started on the water dish. I have been taking care of him since November of last year since they moved out. they left him with my roommates and myself because they figured it would be cheaper care in the long run. they are planning a trip that they are gonna be on for a few short months, and the only thing that they have really done to help this lizard is help me transfer him so that we could clean out his cage. The only research that they have seem to have done is interaction with the poor big man. And knowing that they might not actually keep him after the 2 year mark (being almost fully grown). I want to try and find an actual home for him that can properly take care of him. I know I am not taking the best care of him but it's better than what they had him in. I want to find someone that will make him happy. Legal wise I know he now belongs to me because I have been taking care of him since November and once they are on their trip I should be able to legally re-home him. would anyone be able to help me find out if this might be possible? He surpisingly does not hiss to much when he's picked up but does thrash around and bites. and when he is placed in a diffrent spot to hold him he calms down rather quickly. The temps are wrong, we are using a mulch/ wood chip blend, (their choice not mine). and his home isn't as big as it could be. it's not even really the quarter of the recommended size.I am mad at myself and them

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Originally Posted by odyn

I have been taking care of him since November of last year since they moved out.

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so not only do they not take care of the animal, they don't even keep it in their own home? of course you can re-home him! you said so yourself that you are not giving him the best care; most people don't ever realize this with their pets until they're sick/dying/dead. it's very commendable of you to look into re-homing him, but if you're willing to cut ties with those previous owners and try your best to give this guy a good home yourself, i'm sure you could do it.

if you use facebook, try to find local reptile/herpetology groups and see if they can point you in the right direction for re-homing or advice.

Good luck rehoming a near adult lizard. Most of the people that get them have no idea what they are getting into, then they have a sink or swim moment in time and will either rise up to meet the demands of the reptile, or just not. It looks like you're friend is in the or just not camp.

With a bioactive soil setup, you can get away with just spot cleaning the enclosure. Definitely suggested if you keep it.

Legally speaking, I feel your friend could take action against you for rehoming their lizard, whether it sticks or not is up to the judge.

Honestly, I have no idea what you should do, if it's close to the adult size of 6' then you're pretty much boned

I'm trying to keep them from finding out that i'm trying to re home him. They also don't have their own place right now, they are living out of a van until after their trip. their dad is almost done building his restaurant they are living in the parking lot until it's open. when it is they are gone for a few short months. they visit the house every so often to try and keep the law on their side, but I don't even think that works. I am pissed at them.

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Originally Posted by odyn

I'm trying to keep them from finding out that i'm trying to re home him. They also don't have their own place right now, they are living out of a van until after their trip. their dad is almost done building his restaurant they are living in the parking lot until it's open. when it is they are gone for a few short months. they visit the house every so often to try and keep the law on their side, but I don't even think that works. I am pissed at them.

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I'm sorry...they live in a van, are taking a vacation and own a large nile monitor they know nothing about nor can care for. Balls in your court, get that lizard a good home, they don't really have a leg to stand on in my view, even if they attempted to somehow come after you legally.

Sounds like an abandoned pet to me. There are organizations that will take care of that type of thing. Sucks for the lizard but if you do not want to take care of it, I would tell your "friends" they need to take care of it or you are going to call animal control. It is people like your "friends" that make life suck for the responsible people in the hobby.

Do you think a zoo might take him? and if so any suggestions?

If you do rehome it, do yourself a favor and document everything. If you have old messages from your friend asking you to care for it, as well as any messages with them you have, its living conditions, any sort of enclosure pictures from the old living conditions, etc. Essentially anything that shows how long it was in your care, and that it is not being adequately cared for on their end (too small of an enclosure is big here).

As for sending it to the zoo, call them and ask who to get in touch with, or about the zoo taking it. If you can get in touch with their reptile area's people that's where you wanna be.

Then you can look into shelter options and reptile rescues if that fails

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Originally Posted by odyn

Do you think a zoo might take him? and if so any suggestions?

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what state are you in?

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Originally Posted by tttaylorrr

of course you can re-home him!

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:rolleyes:
No. The monitor does not belong to the OP even if the prior owner is a homeless deadbeat.

OP send the owner a certified letter stating that he has until X date - pick something about two weeks away - to come get the monitor or you will be sending it to animal control or to a reptile rescue. I would also start looking now for reptile rescues to see which ones are capable of taking it, not all can. Similarly not all animal control agencies are set up for reptiles, you may want to check yours to see if they can handle a monitor.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

:rolleyes:
No. The monitor does not belong to the OP even if the prior owner is a homeless deadbeat.

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i appreciate the correction. i get caught-up emotionally in these types of stories; can't say i'm as objective as you can be. :)

Hence me stating that it would come down to the judges ruling on it, and my follow up stating that the OP should document everything they can to build a stroner legal defense.

It's really easy to get caught up in this, but the legal fees just to defend against charges brought up could be pretty daunting.

Whether or not the OP legally owns the monitor lizard comes down to the relevant state laws. There's no way to state definitively without knowing their location. In some locations it may also come down to precedent. Regardless of the location the OP has a strong case. The certified letter would make it significantly stronger.

BUT - how are you going to send a certified letter to a van??? Lol.

Rehoming is what's best for the animal and you'd be very likely to win if your friend wanted to take it up in court, but only a lawyer who has studied the relevant law and case law can tell you for sure.

You guys are being completely awesome. I don't have images of what his enclosure was prior to the one he has now, but my current roommates can actually vouch for their lack of care if it came down to it. And I currently live in Kansas. I have looked into pet abandonment. If need be I can actually wait until they are gone to canada for those few months. after a month of no contact with the animal. they have to be physically present and see him. after a single month he is legally mine.

I like the idea of giving them 2 weeks to find someone else to watch him, but I want to add that it has to be someone I approve of. I am emotionally invested in this lizard. would something like that be alright?

No. The statement that he must collect or rehome the lizard is legally binding. Avoid subjective statements.

Also where I am this kind of thing is something to take up with the magistrate, they would either issue or approve the issuing of the statement. If you go that route you have an extremely solid legal foothold. I'd highly recommend calling your local magistrate about this issue. They may charge you a rate to go before them with it, but it would be you going about it in the "correct" way. At least that's how it would work over here in PA

I don't wnat this to cost me anymore than it would. but I also want to make sure that he has a good home....what I might wind up doing is telling them that I cannot care for him anymore and they can find a professional to watch him. it would cost them and they might give him up on their own.

Since you didn't have a contract when they left you can't do it back to November, but you could also tell them they will need to start paying for food/bedding/etc. starting now - I'm sure monitors are not cheap to feed. If the old roommates balk then suggest they just give you the monitor and call it even, at which point you'll be free to rehome it.

My issue is these people seem like the type to want to say they have a pet monitor but not put the work in ( I don't know them, just from the way you've portrayed them seems this way to me) so asking them to give you the lizard might make it come down to a situation were they just take it and give it to someone else who will take even worse care of it. If need be get a magistrate involved as suggested above. If your pet abandonment laws and the magistrate are in your favor THEN they may give the animal up. Probably the best way to go about this.

I don't know the legalities so I'm not going to comment on it.
I just wanted to say to the OP: I'm sure this situation is giving you plenty of headaches, so good on you for trying to make this right for the animal!!:gj:
I hope everything works out for you and the lizard, good luck!

One could very reasonably say that this falls under Kansas's abandonment laws as is - "intentionally abandoning or leaving any animal in any place without making provisions for its proper care," but not a lawyer. What you could do is email your local animal control. Most of them have their email addresses on their website and they are in charge of enforcing animal abandonment laws, so there is a decent chance they can assist you.

That lizard shouldn’t return to those owners. They obviously can’t care for it and sooner or later something bad will happen with the lizard that they want to be “primal”. I would just re-home it as if they’re living in a van they can obviously not pay for a lawyer or this lizard. I’m sorry that you have to deal with this whole fiasco! I’m getting my own nile from some similar keepers but my little dude only about 6-12” so he might be recoverable!

That poor thing, one thing I don't like is how people get animals and then don't take care of them like that. Reptiles seem to be more difficult to rehome than dogs & cats as well, which to me makes this even worse in my opinion. Especially the larger sized ones.