10/10/2026
An open letter to whom it may concern;
Before anything else, we want to make something very clear. This is about the responsibilities that come with operating an animal rescue, not about 'attacking' one individual.
We have not accused this individual of abusing or neglecting animals, nor are we claiming that animals currently in their care are being mistreated. What we ARE saying is that we are seeing a concerning number of warning signs that in over a decade of rescue work, we have encountered time and time again. We have seen where these patterns lead. We have dealt with the fallout, taken in the animals, paid the vet bills, and watched the consequences unfold when people take on responsibilities they are not properly prepared to handle.
These concerns are not exclusive to one person or one newly established rescue. They reflect a recurring problem within the reptile community, and one we are no longer willing to watch develop quietly without speaking up.
You do not have to wait until animals are suffering to recognize and address the warning signs that may put them at risk.
We have been around for over a decade, and have seen this happen again and again every year. Someone starts a "rescue" and directly out of the gate they're asking for donations, messaging people to obtain animals, as a rescue or as personal, using their "rescue" to gain trust and convince people to surrender. Taking on multiple animals in a very short time frame. Claiming they've spent thousands on vet bills or animal care.
Do you know what happens with every single one of them? And we know because we've seen it happen again and again over the years. They end up disappearing, or we get a call because ACC has seized the animals, or the person contacts us wanting to dump them all, or they are abandoned.
Intentions may start out well but a rescue is not an easy task, and there is a reason only 2 exist in Alberta. One is a registered non profit funded by a large expo twice yearly. We are the other. Do you know how we gain our funding? Our operator. Not grants, not relying on donations, but working and using their savings to ensure funds are met. Donations of equipment or funds are appreciated, but they are not what keeps our operations running. A rescue should have the resources necessary to care for the animals it takes on BEFORE those animals arrive. You best bet we weren't putting up a page and asking for donations before it's even 24 hours old.
You also will not find us relying on AI to fully form our responses or posts. Why? Because AI removes a huge part of the human aspect of communication when someone uses it in place of their own knowledge, thoughts and words. AI can make absolutely anyone sound experienced, knowledgeable and professional, but sounding that way and actually BEING that way are two very different things. If you cannot explain your own practices, decisions or policies without having something generate the response for you, how are you going to handle the intricacies of the human aspect of rescue? Cutting corners in how you present yourself to the public raises concerns about how prepared you are behind the scenes. Public communication is only one part of rescue work, but it is such an important part. If you're unwilling or unable to put the effort into explaining your own practices, in your own words, thinking through your responses, and building genuine connections with people, why should the public NOT automatically assume you are unwilling to put the required level of attention and detail into the animals in your care?
Rescue is not just taking an animal. There is outreach to the community, connections with vendors, adopters, veterinarians, reaching people in the community for real support and dealing with surrendering owners. AI FREQUENTLY gets information wrong, can contradict itself, and uses words that often sound nothing like the person supposedly writing them. Do you know what allows a rescue to gain trust and experience? Having human connections. Go look at public pages where AI advertising and generated content are being used. There are plenty of people frustrated with it, and there is a reason for that. People want to know they're speaking to someone who actually understands what they're saying, not someone presenting a polished response that may not reflect their actual understanding.
If you cannot connect with people, you have immediately lost the battle before even considering the other aspects of rescue. You cannot AI your way through building trust, dealing with difficult people, or making decisions when an animal's life is on the line. Using AI as a tool is one thing. Using it to replace your own understanding and ability to communicate is an entirely different problem, and one that can damage credibility very quickly.
We take all concerns brought to our attention seriously. We have worked hard to gain trust in our community. The reptile community is small and tight knit. People from all walks of life know they can come to us with concerns and that we will look into what they bring forward where we can, and when needed, make the public aware. Having someone we've worked alongside for nearly a decade advise us of pressure tactics for another to obtain an animal is not something we take lightly. That doesn't mean we automatically accept every complaint as fact, but we aren't going to disregard a worry simply because the person being questioned doesn't like it. We have a responsibility to look into these things, and we take that responsibility seriously. We work with other rescues that we communicate with to ensure people of a shady nature are closely watched and that when needed, other rescues do not adopt or recommend them for the safety of the animals.
Choosing to start a rescue after a yearish of experience rehabbing a couple animals does not automatically equal the appropriate amount of experience to take on the challenges of each unique situations. You cannot AI your way through actual hands-on experience and knowledge. You need real experience behind you, more than a dehydration and emaciation case. You need established connections and trust built with those who fill in the gaps in your experience. You need these, or you are risking animals every single time.
Do you know exactly what warning signs to watch for that come with IBD? Do you know what symptoms come with Nidovirus? Are you aware of how they're spread? How to treat for mites? Deal with chronic infections or how to classify an animal as failure to thrive? Do you have QUALIFIED vets available who are experienced with these diseases? These are not things you can simply ask AI about and consider yourself qualified to handle.
Are you prepared, even if you have the best quarantine on the planet, for the possibility of watching every single reptile in your home die a slow, painful death from an infectious disease simply because you were trying to help another animal? Are you prepared to make the decision to euthanize animals when a serious disease outbreak leaves you with no other humane options? INCLUDING your own personal animals? What happens if you split from your partner? Or have to move? Lose your job? Get sick yourself? What happens to every single animal you've taken responsibility for? Who takes over? Do you have the funding, resources, and actual plans in place, or are you just hoping you'll figure it out when the time comes? These are questions that EVERY owner should consider as well, not just someone wanting to be a rescue.
You believe newer rescues deserve to be evaluated based on their practices rather than assumptions about their intentions. That is fair. From our experience, we will be candid that there are already a number of concerns with how things have started off to a bad beginning.
- Under 24 hours of publicly establishing a rescue and already requesting donations and equipment. A rescue should have the resources necessary to operate before taking responsibility for animals. Donations are wonderful when they supplement an existing operation, they should never be NEEDED. If you cannot operate without immediately relying on the public for equipment or money, are you actually prepared to operate a rescue?
- Heavy reliance on AI generated posts and responses means no human aspect. A rescue is a public facing organization dealing with real people, often during extremely difficult situations. AI can make you sound knowledgeable and professional without showing that you actually possess the experience behind those words. People need to know the person responsible for their animal understands what they're talking about. You cannot expect everyone to trust a generated response simply because it sounds nice.
- Responses that appear contradictory or inconsistent. This is one of the problems with relying too heavily on AI to communicate. You need to understand what you're saying and be capable of explaining it consistently. If your public statements keep changing or contradicting one another, people are going to question you instantly.
- A publicly described history of taking in multiple animals over a relatively short period. Taking on several reptiles is not proof of being a good rescue OR owner. The number of animals you've obtained doesn't determine your ability to care for them, and taking on too many animals before establishing the resources, procedures, and experience to support them is a serious concern. We've watched people get overwhelmed doing exactly that.
- Confirmed acquisition of multiple animals from a free listing post. There is nothing inherently wrong with personally owning reptiles or purchasing animals for your own collection while operating a rescue. However the amount of animals you take at once will always be watched.
- FIVE edits to one public response within minutes. Think before you post! People make mistakes, and correcting information is absolutely reasonable, but repeatedly rewriting a response while actively engaged in a disagreement gives the impression of reacting before actually thinking things through. Public communication represents your organization, not just you personally. Consistency and professionalism matter. If you're struggling to communicate carefully during a disagreement on Facebook, how are you preparing to handle genuinely hostile owners, emotional surrenders, accusations, and the other difficult conversations that come with rescue?
- Bragging about giving animals away for free. That doesn't automatically give you credit as a rescue. Do you know why established rescues have adoption fees and screening procedures? Because we need to do everything reasonably possible to ensure animals are going to appropriate, committed homes. Free animals can attract people who simply want something because it costs them nothing. That doesn't mean everyone seeking a free animal is irresponsible, but it certainly creates concerns that need to be addressed through proper screening. And with 300+ requests for surrender yearly, the majority involving animals that are sick or require veterinary care, costs do need to be covered to maintain the work being done. Giving away an animal doesn't automatically demonstrate responsible placement any more than charging a fee does. What matters is the screening, the care, and the home that animal is going to.
- Repeatedly emphasizing how much money you've personally spent. We've dealt with some of the highest-profile neglect cases in Alberta, including animals requiring surgery and significant medical intervention. We understand vet expenses firsthand. Spending thousands of dollars isn't automatically proof of competence or preparedness. What matters is whether you have the funding available when the next emergency happens. What happens if multiple animals come in needing extensive care at the same time? Can you cover those costs without scrambling for donations? Can you maintain that level of care for months or even years for every animal? Those are the questions that matter.
- Getting furious and making public posts in response to scrutiny. Professionalism is everything. You are choosing to operate a public facing rescue. People are going to question you. Some will be reasonable, some won't. Some will make accusations, some will be nasty, and some will do everything possible to make your life difficult. That's rescue. You don't get to control how people speak to you, but you absolutely control how you respond. If every disagreement turns into an angry public post, what kind of confidence is that supposed to inspire? It's been shown in under 24 hours that handling public criticism professionally is proving to be a challenge.
- Repeatedly pointing out that you've paid for everything out of your own pocket. That does not make anyone a hero. We've been doing that for over a decade. Our operator works, pays bills, and uses personal savings to ensure the rescue has what it needs. That's part of the responsibility of choosing to run an organization like this. You need to have the financial ability to care for the animals you accept, regardless of how much the public gives you. Paying your own way should be expected, not treated as proof of being exceptional.
- Repeatedly emphasizing that you haven't made a dime. That's rescue. There is supposed to be zero expectation of profit, if you break even you're viewed as doing good. The fact that you didn't make money from an adoption isn't proof that you've done something amazing. It means you didn't make money from an adoption. What matters is whether the animal was appropriately rehabilitated, and placed in a proper home. Those are the accomplishments that actually count.
- Bringing up legal action in response to public criticism. That happens every single time with these fake rescues we see and that does not address a single concern about animal welfare, preparedness, experience, or rescue practices. We've dealt with criticism, threats, and accusations for over a decade. People aren't always going to agree with you, and some are going to say things you don't like. That comes with the line of work we do. Suggesting legal action doesn't establish that the criticism is wrong, and it definitely doesn't replace answering questions about your organization. A page created yesterday does not come with an established history of anything. Those things take time to develop. Trust is something you EARN through consistent actions, not something you're instantly entitled to because you've decided to call yourself a rescue.
There is a fine line between having the compassion to help animals and having the ability to operate a public facing rescue. Helping individual animals is never a bad thing, and we encourage people to do so responsibly. But moving from privately helping a couple animals to running a public rescue is an entirely different level of responsibility, and it isn't the right choice for the 99% of people.
Our suggestion? Keep doing things privately. Help a couple individual animals at a time. Build your experience, build your veterinary connections, and learn from people who have dealt with the situations you haven't encountered yet. You're not under the same public microscope, you're less likely to become overwhelmed with animals, and you can focus on improving the individual care you provide. Better yet, volunteer or work alongside an established rescue and see what actually goes into doing this day in and day out. There's no shame in learning. There's no shame in admitting you don't have all the answers. We've been doing this for over a decade and WE STILL LEARN NEW THINGS.
What concerns us is when people move straight into operating publicly without showing that the necessary experience, procedures, resources, and support systems are already in place. The animals are the ones who pay the price when people take on responsibilities they aren't prepared for and that is the part that seems to get lost in these conversations.
We have watched rescues appear, take on animals, make promises, and disappear when things become too difficult. We've received the calls when people cannot afford veterinary care, when animal control has become involved, and when someone suddenly realizes they cannot handle the number of animals they've taken in. Those animals don't suddenly stop needing food, heat, medical attention, and appropriate homes because someone has decided running a rescue isn't for them anymore.
Do you know who commonly gets called to deal with the fallout? The established rescues. The same organizations that already have their own financial responsibilities, intake limits, and animals needing care and attention. This isn't about if someone loves reptiles. Plenty of people love them. It also isn't about someone who has helped an animal. Plenty of people have done wonderful things for animals. It's about whether someone is prepared to take on the responsibility of operating a rescue and everything that comes with it.
You are not automatically protecting animals simply by calling what you're doing as a 'rescue'. The title means nothing without the knowledge, preparation, resources, accountability, and actions behind it.
We would have loved to have a private conversation about these concerns, but we are interested in speaking with the actual person responsible for the animals, not having an entire conversation conducted through ChatGPT.
Because at the end of the day, it isn't AI taking responsibility for those reptiles.
It's YOU.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EQqOcvIQjwNaYradVGT_Iv6eRG9wvX3M_a4RvkOpjgE/edit?usp=sharing
