We are contacted often by enthusiastic herpers who want to know how to start a reptile rescue in their area. Instead of taking the time to talk to each individually, here is all the information and advice that we can offer...

Doing reptile rescue and/or rehabilitation has very little rewards outside of helping the animals that are in need. It is extremely expensive and time-consuming, and it is quite easy for those with good hearts and intentions to quickly get in over their heads. If you are thinking of starting a reptile rescue operation or wildlife rehabilitation facility, there are a large number of factors to consider in preparation. Thinking ahead, planning, and forethought are critical, or the operation is doomed to fail before it ever starts. Even the initial planning of a rescue organization can be overwhelming enough to make the most dedicated reptile fan throw their arms up in the air in disgust and defeat. Read the following advice and see how appealing the idea still is.

FINANCING
How will your organization be financed? Most reptile rescues are financed by the individuals who create and operate them. While many accept and solicit donations, adoption fees, and other income sources, these are few and far between. Our rescue generates only about half of what is required to actually run the organization. The rest comes out of the pockets of those volunteers who are determined to keep the entity alive (usually only one or two dedicated individuals). Before starting any reptile rescue venture, there must be one of two things. There must either be a solid financial investor willing to provide for and support the group, or the founder must be financially independent and/or stable enough to keep things running. Without one or the other, there is no way to be reasonably sure that the animals in care will not starve to death, freeze, or be in a worse situation than where they came from due to lack of funding. Money is critical- we have not yet found a way around the costs of heating and cooling, feed and diet, medical care and supplies, housing and transportation, etc. How much does it cost to build one large cage and equip it with heaters, special UV lamps, timers, humidity and temperature controls, etc? How much does it cost to feed one large reptile every day or week, provide medications and treatment, cage supplies and furnishings? Now multiply that by hundreds and you can see what I'm getting at.

SPACE
A majority of the reptiles in need get quite large. At least a third of the animals we see will not adequately fit in an aquarium, and need larger custom-built enclosures which are expensive to set up and take up a lot of room. Without adequate space for a shelter or facility, you will inevitably have to either turn away or euthanize a large number of animals due to lack of housing- which defeats the purpose. One way our rescue has tackled this problem is by using foster homes, or volunteers who are willing to house and care for rescued animals. This has several pros and cons... the pros are the obvious- the ability to take in and house many more animals than would be possible using only one location. However, the cons represent a serious drawback, and potential legal ramifications are abundant. How do you know the "foster home" is taking proper care of the animals in between your visits? What happens if one of the fostered animals escapes or harms someone? The list for both sides of the argument is long. Using foster homes is in itself a whole new hassle and creates yet another set of problems for the organization- but who has enough room and money to house hundreds of animals properly?

PERMITS AND LICENSES
Very few exist for reptiles. However, it is in the organization's best interest to obtain any that might even remotely pertain to the activities conducted. Any documentation as to the authenticity and legitimacy of the operation is far more appealing than having none at all. Cooperation from local shelters, humane societies, zoos, museums, and most importantly state and government agencies should be sought. Rules and regulations (local, county, state, and federal) must be thoroughly researched, including rehabilitation permits if you want to legally conduct wildlife activities, business permits and licenses, etc.

STATUS AS A LEGAL ENTITY
It is crucial that any organization be established in the public domain as a legal entity. Without this status, only the individual (you) is held accountable. Creating a legal entity is generally done by filing the necessary paperwork with the Secretary of State and/or State Attorney General where you live. Incorporating is one way to keep the legal liability down, and is one of the most widely recommended methods of creating an organization of this type. There are other ways to legally establish your group, as well. We are an "unincorporated association"... we are a group of individuals and members with a common goal. No matter what form of legal entity is created, it is imperative that the organization be created as a not-for-profit organization. The non-profit status allows the rescue to solicit donations and contributions from the general public. To do so without filing the appropriate documentation with the state may be illegal and a potential source of serious problems for the organization down the road. It is highly recommended that the advice of a professional lawyer and/or accountant be sought to determine which method would be the most desirable route for your organization to be created. Whatever method you choose, it is critical that the organization be legally documented and certified.

IRS 501(c)(3) NON-PROFIT DETERMINATION
In order to be able to solicit donations for a tax-deduction, you must acquire an IRS letter of determination of tax exemption. This is a common procedure that non-profit organizations must endure, and with it comes the necessity of filing annual reports- not to mention the 32-page application just to get the determination. Filing for tax exempt status is a painstaking, grueling, months-to-years long process that can be just as much of a headache as everything else combined. The paperwork must be precisely worded to fall within the scope of the law and the organization's intentions. The process of filing for a tax-exempt status usually requires an accountant and/or attorney just to figure out how to do it properly.

VETERINARY ASSISTANCE
This issue goes back to the financial debate. Unless you truly are independently wealthy, I don't know anyone who can afford veterinary care for scores of sick and abused exotic animals. Probably the single most important issue to resolve in starting a rescue is trying to find appropriate affordable medical care for the injured and sick animals that you receive. To do this you must find a local exotic veterinarian who is sympathetic to your cause, and willing to provide services at low or discounted cost. Obviously this is not an easy task. I have worked for veterinarians off and on for years, and most of the vets I know like to collect a paycheck and feed their families. Let's face it... who wants to work for nothing? Would you go to work in the morning if you didn't get paid for it? Most people wouldn't (God love volunteers... we couldn't exist without them). Don't get me wrong- I'm not trying to speak sorely about vets. All the vets I know personally are very kind, caring, decent individuals, and most wouldn't be vets if they didn't care about the animals to begin with. But we all have to eat... even veterinarians. Which is why you should not be discouraged when, and in fact expect, most vets to reject a request to provide free or low-cost services. On the bright side, there are some out there. But finding the ones sympathetic to your cause is the hard part, and no rescue or rehabilitation organization can effectively operate and exist without some sort of veterinary support.

VOLUNTEER HELP
No rescuer can go at it alone. There are simply too many unwanted, neglected, and abandoned animals out there for any individual to do this without help. Volunteers are not necessarily all that hard to come by, but finding good dedicated individuals is a very difficult task. Finding volunteers that are well educated and/or experienced is even harder. Beginner volunteers can provide a lot of help with basic shelter work, and for them experience has to come from somewhere. Only time will determine any given volunteer's abilities and dedication. But with inexperienced volunteers comes the task of educating them... yet another time-consuming part of running a rescue operation.

THE MINOR DETAILS
Just a few other things to consider besides all the licensing, legal documentation, and problems listed above. All of these issues are just as important:

-Liability insurance can be essential, and even required in many situations.

-Emergency first aid protocol for both animals and humans must be in place (ie: first aid kits, medical instructions, antivenin or bite kits, etc).

-Fire suppression and detection equipment is imperative.

-Quarantine and isolation areas must be designated for sick animals.

-Ventilation, circulation, and exact environmental control are mandatory.

-Proper security for the protection of both animals and neighboring human residents must be enforced at all times.

-Enclosure construction materials must be carefully selected for non-toxic qualities, as well as sturdiness.

-Proper water filtration for aquatic species is crucial and expensive.

-Many species have very specific diets (ie: horned lizards eat ONLY harvester ants). Good feed sources are hard to find for some of these animals.

-Access to natural sunlight is important for long-term residents and many common reptile species.

-Advertising, printing costs, Internet presence, and other methods of reaching the public must be addressed.

-And then there's the big question... how the hell do we place all of these animals?

As you can see, starting a rescue or rehabilitation organization is not an easy chore. It is also not something to be taken lightly, or started on a whim. Having all the legal issues covered, not to mention the humane issues regarding proper medical care, housing, feed, etc, are of vital importance to any rescue organization and will eventually lead to it's rise or death. With adequate research and preparation, a properly organized rescue will flourish. Believe me- there's no shortage of animals in need. However, trying to start this without doing your homework or attempting to run an unprofessional and/or unrecognized operation by yourself will never work for the good of the animals.

AND THEN THERE'S BURNOUT
I can tell you from experience, burnout is no joke. I can never take a vacation (who would care for over a hundred animals while I'm gone?). I can never have a day's peace without getting dozens of phone calls and an equal amount of emails. There's no such thing as a day off, or calling in sick. My children rarely see their father on the weekends because the appointment schedule is full. Police dispatchers complaining about snakes in dumpsters pull you out of bed at 2 or 3 in the morning. On a weekly basis arrangements have to be made with feed suppliers, vets, unhappy pet owners, shelters, police depts, rescue volunteers, potential adopters, people just wanting general information, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc.

Make no mistake... it is highly rewarding to be able to help out so many animals in distress. But you have to give up a normal life if you really want to do this. For an alternative source of information on starting a rescue and specifically a great article on RESCUER BURNOUT, visit Melissa Kaplan's web site at http://www.anapsid.org/

Always keep in mind if you are not willing or able to start a reptile rescue yourself, there is absolutely nothing wrong with volunteering for an existing group, thus gaining the priceless experience necessary to take with you for later use- not to mention fulfilling your desire to help animals in need. Not to mention the fact that WE aLWAYS NEED HELP!

Good luck, and may you make a wise decision not only for yourself and your family, but for the animals that you feel compelled to help. Keep in mind that often people do more harm than good while having the best of intentions.