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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.
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