Dragon Sanctuary

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Lara

Member
Hi guys

I havent been on this site for a while now. I have been playing with the idea of a dragon sanctuary. There are so many dragons here in South Africa, being bought as babies cause theyre cute and interesting, and later on people just dont have time for them anymore, but wouldnt give them away, you'll have to pay at least R1200 for dragon and cage (roughly 140 us dollars). Most importantly, people dont know how to take care of them. MOST people dont have uv lights for them. MOST dont give them calcium supplements. Some dont even have heat supplied - im talking commercial like petshops as well as privately owned.

So im already buying peoples dragons that are in need of proper care, so far i can provide them with that. I just want to hear from YOU GUYS - would you want or do you think your area needs a dragon sanctuary?
This sanctuary would:
Buy neglected/abandoned/unwanted dragons
Take care and nurse them to health
Give them to loving homes - on condition that proper equipment is bought from the sanctuary at a VERY reasonable price.
 
I'm a veterinarian who rescues neglected dragons and it has been fulfilling. I have saved many dragons from death, but some still have lingering problems from metabolic bone disease, malnutrition at an early age, etc. I do adopt some of my dragons out to pre-screened good homes, but even the best screening of potential homes can present problems. I have potential owners attend a workshop where I present care sheets and basic knowledge of dragon husbandry. Then they sign a contract which states the dragon or dragons will be returned to me if a health problem arises or they are no longer able to provide proper care and attention. Unfortunately, even with these measures in place, I have had dragons returned with tails bitten off from housing together (even though they were told this was prohibited), malnourished, and with other problems. So if you do decide to run a rescue or sanctuary, put safeguards in place to make sure you have some means to track the dragons if you adopt them out. Of course, I have success stories as well and some dragons find excellent homes, but all too often people lose interest and the cycle of neglect can start all over again.

Good luck!
 

Phoenix17June2009

Gray-bearded Member
hi there, while i dont have much on the grounds of what you would need and what not i wanted to drop a line and say that you are wonderful for taking in dragons that need help! if i had the time/money/space, i would do the same :D
two thumbs wayyyy up to both of you for all that you guys do for these loving creatures :D
 

wckdbtch

Hatchling Member
Hi there Lara

I've been rolling the same idea around in my head for a while now, but don't have space for more than one extra beardie at a time, and only temporary. I'm around two hours drive from you, but if you need me, just give me a shout.

Karin
 

Lara

Member
Original Poster
Hi all

@ lovemybeardies : I know what you mean, the saying goes you can lead a horse to the water, you cant make it drink. Where I live, the town, we dont have any vets that have half a clue about reptiles. My nearest reptile vet is 1 and a half hours drive from here.

@ Phoenix17June2009, thanks for your moral support. At the moment I dont have much space either, but where there's a will there's a way, even if it means i have a small room for myself and the rest of the house is dragon cages, that's fine by me.

@wckdbtch: Maybe we should put our heads together. (Maybe even open two branches :lol: ) But it's something Ive been passionate about for a while, and im doing my homework on the matter, pm or email me and we can discuss ideas.
 

crazyerick

Member
Hi Lara,

It is a awesome idea as I still sooooooo many Beadies on classified sites its scary. I am in the process of Building 3 cages to rescue some myself, but I always feel lost as there is so many that need good homes. Keep me posted as this topic is always on my mind.

Cheers,
Erick
 

Lara

Member
Original Poster
Hi guys

Apart from my own 2 babies, ive rescued another girl from neglected conditions. No heat, no UVB, no meat, and only carrots for veggies.

My problem right now is space. Funds I have (to take care of them i mean), but to buy them in the first place, and buying the initial cage setup and such is rather expensive.

My idea is to either rent a premises or build an extra room or even setup a temporary housing (like wooden wendy house) to house all the dragons. I would like to have all the space and cages available, so when i see a dragon in need, I dont have to worry about wether I have space or equipment, I can just take him home and start giving him everything he needs. There are still a few dragons that I would like to buy off from people that dont really care, but as i said, no space and no funds.

Anyone got an idea for fund raising for this purpose?
 

Lara

Member
Original Poster
@ Erick

I agree with you, it seems like a neverending battle since there are no rules or laws prohibiting sale or even setting a standard for husbandry.

But Ive found that there are people that are willing to take them in like you and me and wckdbtch, the three of us live in 3 separate locations, so we can make a difference in three different areas.

Be sure to post your rescues!

And good luck, pm me if you got any other ideas
 

Jamiedog

Sub-Adult Member
For everything "else" (besides the housing) you'll need, maybe talk to local vets (or your reptile vet) about offering discounted prices on medications and treatment? I know our vet will sometimes donate flea preventatives, heartworm medication, and services (basic check-ups) to the no-kill shelters. They may do it for individuals who rescue as well, not sure about that. Certainly couldn't hurt to ask.

It never hurts to ask around at various places for discounts and/or defective materials they might want to offload (they've gotten in a shipment of slightly off-color or chipped tile? You can still use that, and they might offer you a pretty good discount to take it off their hands!). You might not get anywhere, but you never know. :) Grocery stores/greengrocers might be able to do the same for the veggies, unless you want to grow your own, which might be the most cost-effective method.

HUGE thumbs up to you for even considering doing this. Rescue is hard work, and I seriously admire those who can do it. :)
 

Lara

Member
Original Poster
That's a great idea Jamiedog. I'll let you know what i manage.

And thanks to everyone for the support on this idea. You wont believe when I tell you that all my family and friends think Ive gone mad. They think it's a complete waste of time and money. So not getting much support on the homefront, my boyfriend is understanding but that's about it, so I really appreciate all your input and encouragement.
 

Phoenix17June2009

Gray-bearded Member
would it be worth it for you to look in to building your own enclosures? or go to www.rioreptiles.com she has details on how to make baby racks for pretty cheap... just an idea, then you could make a few of them and house a few, of course not forever but it would work to be a temporary home... i think at least...
 

Jamiedog

Sub-Adult Member
Lara":4sr41gwk said:
That's a great idea Jamiedog. I'll let you know what i manage.

Good luck! :) And yeah, definitely let me know - if it works, maybe I could suggest it to someone else in future!
 

Sashee

Sub-Adult Member
That's awesome that you're considering doing this. I'd love to rescue beardies but I just don't have funds and resources to do so. Good luck!
 

ziggy23

Gray-bearded Member
Jamiedog is right, DO ask for discounts. I've done a ton of rescue work, and there are vets who will give discounted services for rescues.

One thing you're going to have to realize, is you can't save them all. Extreme neglect in reptiles has been a HUGE problem forever. In the neglect department reptiles actually take the number one spot. They are considered (by the majority) to be throw away pets who don't have feelings. Just look how many times in movies and tv a pet turtle has been lost in a garbage disposal. And the usual response is Oops! lol, or darn it, now I have to find another turtle and hope the kids don't notice. Get what you can, and give them the what you can, and try not to think about the rest. If you can't afford to take in another animal, don't even look. You'll just torture yourself, or guilt-trip yourself into and spread yourself too thin.

DO NOT spend too much to get a rescue. I personally won't spend much buying the animal at all. I've gone with donations only and still had a house full of animals, and had to turn some away. The more money you spend acquiring an rescue the less you have for their care of all your animals.

DO NOT go all out on their vivs. Give them a small basic no frills set-up to start. If they're sick, they're not going to be that active, and you'll have to keep their vivs meticulously clean anyways. Most rescues live in too small tanks anyways, it doesn't take much for an improvement from their perspective. Once they get better, you can upgrade them to a nicer one. I rescued a large iguana who never even had a viv in my home. I couldn't afford it, but she was in too bad shape to turn away. So I sectioned off and iguana proofed my kitchen and hung some lights from my table. It wasn't pretty, but it worked.

Get a network of rescuers. There are a lot of like-minded people, and probably several in your area. Join your state's herpetology society, meet people at shows, or other animal shelters, your vet might know some people. Occasionally you'll find a pet store employee who got the job to save the animals. If it's something you can't do, pass it down the network. Don't be afraid to say you have a rescue you can't handle. IMO there's no shame in admiring you can't provide what is needed, and giving it to someone who can. With the iguana I mentioned above. I couldn't afford her long term.. But i could give her a uv, heat, proper diet and a vet check. Which was a billion times better from what she had before. So I took her until I could find her better. It was far from perfect, but I made a HUGE difference in her life.

If possible try and find a few shelters or facilities that can take the occasional long-term occupant. It's only a matter of time before you run into an animal that has become an unsuitable pet for the average owner. It could be disabilities, expensive and/or time consuming long term health issues, or severe aggression or behavioral problems. Special needs animals are very very difficult to place. In some cases, a long term shelter, sanctuary or zoo like place might be the best option for them.

Also, I recommend getting a subscription to a reptile care magazine, and getting links to various reptiles and reading up on them. Once people find out you rescue reptiles, you'll get lots of offers of animals in dire need. Some are hard, and some are a cinch to care for. There are a lot of different reptiles you could feed with stuff you are already buying for your bd. Some might not necessarily cost you much if any to feed. In some circumstances herbivores might even make you more cost efficient. They can help finish off produce before it goes bad, and encourage you to buy more variety to make all your salads better for all your animals.

I'm not saying you have to, or should take in other reptiles. But as an animal/reptile lover and rescuer it can be hard to walk away. there are many reptiles that share a lot of needs with bds, and with a little basic knowledge then you don't have to turn them away if you don't want to. You don't have to become an expert, but a general knowledge of reptiles can go a very long way. If you can provide better than what they had for a short term, long enough to find someone with more experience, you will make a difference. Even if you can only give heat and food for long enough to place them with someone more experience or better equipped, it CAN save a life. even if they need a billion other things to be healthy, a proper diet can give them the strength they need to tackle everything else.

That's all I can think of right now.
 

Lara

Member
Original Poster
Thanks for your reply Ziggy.

I know what you mean, it is hard to turn away other reptiles. And yes, it makes me sad to think that I cant save them all. Cant hurt to dream big though.

Im definitely going to do my homework on the long term and short term housing and shelter. Taking care of reptiles is my hobby, an expensive one but something im passionate about nonetheless. I am considering building my own enclosures, like you said, it need not be a palace.
Give them a small basic no frills set-up to start. If they're sick, they're not going to be that active, and you'll have to keep their vivs meticulously clean anyways. Most rescues live in too small tanks anyways, it doesn't take much for an improvement from their perspective.
One beardie that I got recently, has a rather small cage, and had nothing else at all. :angry5: I felt she would be better off in the same cage at least with the right heat and light and the right diet. She has improved immensely since. :D

Phoenix - the idea has helped thanks a lot. I'll of coarse modify it a bit so i can fit a bit bigger cages in them. :blob5:

Cant wait for my December bonus to pay out this year...
 
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