Surrendering With Herp Habitat
Committed to giving animals get the care and attention they deserve
We are currently unable to take in: aquatic turtles, large lizards, chameleons, large tortoises, snakes over 6ft, and crocodilians.
See more policies below
PLEASE NOTE: We are temporarily halting new surrender intakes until the end of April. We apologize for this inconvenience. If you would like to be added to our waitlist to surrender, please submit a surrender form and we will reach out as soon as we can. If you have medical concerns, please reach out to a qualified veterinarian.
Surrender Process:
- Fill out a surrender form
- We will reach out to let you know if we are able to take them in
- We will then set up a time and place to meet up with you so that you can drop them off with us
Fill out a form
We understand that life can throw you unexpected challenges and you may find that relinquishment is the best option for you and your scaly friend. We understand that it is not an easy decision, but we appreciate you taking the step to make sure your animal gets the care and attention that they deserve.
Surrender Policies
Surrender Fee
We charge a $40 fee for surrendering. This fee goes to assure that each animal receives the care they need. It goes directly to electricity, food, enclosures, supplies, vet bills, and upkeep costs.
(If you are unable to pay this fee and it is preventing you from surrendering, we will waive it. This fee is meant to help save animals, not to prevent surrenders.)
Aquatic turtles
While we would like to accept aquatic turtles (sliders, painted turtles, map turtles, etc.) their enclosure size requirements, cost and maintenance of equipment, high frequency of surrender, and notoriously low adoption rates make them unsustainable for our rescue. If you have a turtle you feel is only semi-aquatic (such as a box turtle), feel free to reach out and we’ll let you know if we can accommodate them.
Waitlist
Typically our waitlist works on a first come, first serve system, and we can take in new surrenders as adoptions go out. Occasionally though there are exceptions to this rule and we will fast track urgent surrenders. HOWEVER, exceptions are only made if we have the space, resources, and means to. If we cannot provide the care that a sick animal needs in time, we will decline the surrender entirely.
Home Visits
We will NOT come to your home for surrenders. We are a purely volunteer run organization, and we strongly value the safety of our volunteers. As a policy, we refuse to do home visits. If you are unable to lift, handle, or move your animal, please contact family or friends that can help.
Other Species Rules & Exceptions
There are a few other reasons we may deny or postpone a surrender based off of species, but they are more case-by-case. For instance, we have very limited capacity for crested geckos, tree frogs, chameleons, or any other species that requires a vertical enclosure. Some other reasons include lack of experience with the species, exceedingly slow adoption rates, lack of space, or lack of resources for specialized care.
Why Choose Us?
Choosing us means that you’re choosing a rescue that treats every reptile with the compassion and respect they deserve. We believe in individualized care, taking the time to understand each animal’s unique needs and providing them with the space and rehabilitation necessary to thrive.
We hope you understand that we take in each and every surrender with lots of care and consideration. If we do not have the space and/or resources available at the moment and we place you on a temporary waitlist, this is because we refuse to take in animals that we are unprepared for. We also refuse to take away needed time and resources from the animals already in our care. Because of this, you can trust that once a surrender comes through our doors, they get our full care and attention.
We also go beyond rehoming by educating adopters on species-specific care and offering ongoing support. At our rescue, your reptile is not just rehomed, they are they are set up in their forever homes with the tools they need to thrive.
OUR RESCUE DOES NOT TAKE IN WILDLIFE!
Wildlife refers to any native animals found in the wild within the State of Wisconsin. This includes, but is not limited to, wild snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, salamanders, and other species naturally occurring in the region.
For help with wildlife reach out to Wildlife Rehabilitation Center at Wisconsin Humane Society or another wildlife rescue.