Starting a Rescue

[Jay_Bunny]

Please note, I do not plan to do this now. This is something I am planning to do in the future, when I have the space, funds, and know-how to do so. For now, this is in the planning stages only.

Recently a reptile rescue here in VA has decided to close down. As far as I'm aware, they are the only reptile rescue in VA. There could be others, but if so, they are unknown to me. I've always been interested in rescue, but now that this place is shutting down, I'm thinking about it even more. There need to be more reptile rescues, not less. Especially with this new legislation popping up all over the place.

Now, while this rescue of mine is several years in the future, I want to begin preparing for it now. I realize this is a huge undertaking. It will require not only lots of money and space, but I will need to have the know-how to run this rescue. So here are a few things I plan to do over the next few years.

1) Research how to start a non-profit rescue. I figured I would read books, research online, and also speak with other rescue groups around the area to find out how they got started.

2) Save money.

3) Research exotic veterinary medicine. I may also consider becoming trained as a vet tech. If anything, the research will at least give me some basic knowledge on first aid.

4) Constantly research and get experience with every type of reptile, amphibian, and invert I can think of. When running a rescue, you never know what's going to come through those doors. If someone drops an iguana on my doorstep, I'll need to know how to take care of it and how to make sure its going to the right home.

5) Save more money. - I'll need money for the purchase of space, housing, and supplies.

I will not start this rescue unless I know I can keep my personal collection far away from the rescues. Preferably, I would want to house each collection (rescued and personal) in separate buildings. Strict QT is essential.

If anyone here has participated, started, or volunteered for rescue, I would love some insight to this. I have volunteered temporarily at a dog and cat rescue before. It was very brief really all I did was clean litter boxes. I didn't really know what was involved in such an operation.

Again, I understand what a huge commitment this is once I get it started. I won't jump into this unless I know I can do it. I would hate to start up a rescue only to be thousands of dollars in the hole and the animals suffering because of it. Again, I WILL NOT start this rescue unless I KNOW I can do it.

Any advice, insight, suggestions, opinions, questions, are welcome.

[wolfy-hound]

Talk to the Burmese Initiative. They're a newly started reptile rescue, so they would be best able to advise you as far as the current issues and requirements and such.

[Jay_Bunny]

Thanks for the advice. I was also looking into emailing the VA reptile rescue and find out some info from them about how they got started.