Starting a Reptiles Sanctuary in Florida

[Austin236]

OK i should have said this in my original post. I AM NOT STARTING THIS BY MYSELF OR ANYTIME SOON. This is an IDEA its that simple, i would never jump into something this huge and expect to have everything i need. This will not happen even if i had enough money to do so for at a minimum of 3-4 years fro planning etc. I know i need a large building with many many rooms for breeding feeders, for quarantine, housing for all kinds of reptiles, etc etc. Yes no doubt i am doing it small scale still but i only have 5 animals at a time if i get more they are adopted out the same day or given to my friends at Strictly Reptiles Inc. So please don't start spamming me with oh you need permits or don't do this don't do that, do you have this or that. I KNOW WHAT IT WILL TAKE thank you for your concern but i know what i will need. It isn't gonna happen over night, so sorry if i made it seem like i was just jumping into this right away.

[Skiploder]

I live in South Florida and i am trying to start a reptile sanctuary so people can bring in there snakes or lizards or amphibians they do not want anymore, so they don't feel the need to go let them go in a park or in the everglades etc. I believe if this was around before the reptile bans, we wouldn't have a problem with burms etc in our ecosystem and we wouldn't have these new laws. So i have been starting slowly by posting adds on Craigslist.com for unwanted reptiles. Guess what?? Ive received 5 ball pythons a savannah monitor and a beardy in the last month and a half, seems pretty darn effective to me. Now turn that into something big and get a building to house a lot of reptiles and advertise on TV and that will solve our reptile problem. So the more people willing to help maybe we all can make this a reality.

What reptile problem are we solving?

[Austin236]

what reptile problem are we solving?

its not solving the entire problem as a whole, its going to help none the less.

[Skiploder]

its not solving the entire problem as a whole, its going to help none the less.

What problem are you helping to solve?

[j_h_smith]

OK i should have said this in my original post. I AM NOT STARTING THIS BY MYSELF OR ANYTIME SOON. This is an IDEA its that simple, i would never jump into something this huge and expect to have everything i need. This will not happen even if i had enough money to do so for at a minimum of 3-4 years fro planning etc. I know i need a large building with many many rooms for breeding feeders, for quarantine, housing for all kinds of reptiles, etc etc. Yes no doubt i am doing it small scale still but i only have 5 animals at a time if i get more they are adopted out the same day or given to my friends at Strictly Reptiles Inc. So please don't start spamming me with oh you need permits or don't do this don't do that, do you have this or that. I KNOW WHAT IT WILL TAKE thank you for your concern but i know what i will need. It isn't gonna happen over night, so sorry if i made it seem like i was just jumping into this right away.

I'm a little confused. In your original post you said this is what you want to do, but here you say that's not what you want to do. which is it?

What was the purpose of your post if you don't really want to start a reptile sanctuary?

Still confused.

I live in South Florida and i am trying to start a reptile sanctuary so people can bring in there snakes or lizards or amphibians they do not want anymore, so they don't feel the need to go let them go in a park or in the everglades etc. I believe if this was around before the reptile bans, we wouldn't have a problem with burms etc in our ecosystem and we wouldn't have these new laws. So i have been starting slowly by posting adds on Craigslist.com for unwanted reptiles. Guess what?? Ive received 5 ball pythons a savannah monitor and a beardy in the last month and a half, seems pretty darn effective to me. Now turn that into something big and get a building to house a lot of reptiles and advertise on TV and that will solve our reptile problem. So the more people willing to help maybe we all can make this a reality.

I know I shouldn't pick on your posts, but you sounded like you were ready to start this sanctuary, now you think 3-4 years is what's needed.

I guess I shouldn't have told you what you already knew, but you sounded like some pie in the sky idealist and I just wanted you to see the reality of trying something like this.

Good luck in 3-4 years!
Jim Smith

[j_h_smith]

Got another question for ya. If you're not doing this now, why is your location listed as Reptile Haven Florida? Sounds like you got a little dose of reality and you're trying to downplay my advise.

Either way, good luck trying to save your little part of the world!
Jim Smith

[Austin236]

Whatever i don't need to explain myself im leaving this post alone no sense trying to explain, like i said i worded my original post wrong, that's my fault i should have put some more thought into it and typed it differently. And why the hell would my location being Reptile Haven Florida have anything to do with what i posted hmm?? Florida has a huge variety of reptiles in the wild does that not make sense to you or something?? is it a problem that, thats what i put?? it has nothing to do with anything ive posted.

[Skiploder]

I still don't know what problem you are trying to solve.

[Jay_Bunny]

Starting a reptile rescue is a great idea but it does take a lot of planning and a lot of work to get it off the ground and at a place you are actually doing some good. I'd say in the next 3-4 years, find yourself a building, go through all the legal mumbo-jumbo, begin saving up money, and ask around about possible volunteers (you won't be able to do this on your own.) Get a website planned as well.

I would love to do reptile rescue as well. I see tons of ads on CL every day with people trying to sell their snakes and lizards off because they are moving or just don't want them anymore. I've taken in (technically) 3 snakes already, and two are going to my friend.

Also, make a plan for yourself. What kinds of animals will you be set up to take in? Me, for instance, I can't take in the big snakes because I simply don't have the space or the ability to care for and handle such a large snake. Take these things into consideration. I'd get a building with plenty of rooms so you can separate your rescues. It would really suck if all you had was one room and you had X amount of snakes ready to come out of QT but you had to bring in a new snake and reset the whole clock.

Good luck to you! I hope you can make this reality in the near future.

[wolfy-hound]

"So please don't start spamming me with oh you need permits or don't do this don't do that, do you have this or that."

Sooo... what was the purpose of posting your intention to start a reptile sanctuary? Did you think everyone would leap up and down and sing praises to you? Everyone here is great on the idea of a properly run reptile sanctuary. Everyone was posting advice and things you might not think of when opening a sanctuary.

Right now it sounds like you adopted a few animals and have been pushing the rest off on a business run by someone you know. It's great to adopt animals that need a home, but putting out that you're a rescue and a reptile sanctuary then turning around and saying no no, you'll be looking into it in 3-4 years.. it's just not really kosher, especially not in florida, where all the permits and restrictions are going into place.

Then in your first post, you're talking about how the burmese problem is from owners releasing pets, which we all know isn't the case. You should be well informed BEFORE you start posting how you'll be a reptile rescue and putting yourself forward AS one.

We want the same thing, reptiles to have somewhere to go safe to care for them properly. Don't get all out-of-sorts just because people offer advice and ask questions. It's because THEY care about reptiles too. Surprise.. this is a site for reptile lovers.