Recovery Rescues Inc.

Recovery Rescues Inc. USDA-licensed nonprofit exotic animal sanctuary & wildlife rehab facility in Jacksonville, FL. Honestly, it's really simple- we're in recovery!

Our mission is to work with other recovering addicts to help save animals in need. Our mission: "To do what others won't, to handle what others can't, and to love what others don't." So, you wanna know our story, and why we call ourselves "Recovery" Rescues. Nick and I (Reeci) were both heroin addicts. We were the bottom-of-the-barrel gutter junkies you'd never even consider letting in your home.

We'd lost all trust with our loved ones, served jail time, lost custody of our kids, and were drowning in despair out on the streets. Friends and family were completely done with us. Neither of us ever dreamed we'd find a way out, and death would have been preferable to the lives we were living... and had we continued our ways, that's exactly where we would have ended up. One day, just like that, everything changed. Recovery WAS possible, and we were saved. We never knew each other in our active addictions- we met in rehab, and found mutual interests through our love of reptiles and exotics. We were both in the same profession, working as exotic veterinary technicians, and had even worked for the same doctor at different times! Thanks to Nick putting in a good word for me with the doctor I'd previously worked for, I was hired back into the field I loved- and was given a second chance to get my life back on track, saving animals while redeeming my broken, healing soul. I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful to Dr Darlene Lundberg Eslick, for having more faith in me than I ever had in myself, for showing me trust and love and encouraging me to be the tech I am today. Thanks, Doc, neither of us would be where we are today if it hasn't been for you giving us each a chance. When we first got together, we had a mutual mission - to save the ones who no one else thought were worth saving. Of course we identified most strongly with them because WE were the ones no one wanted to save - someone had to do it, and we figured we were the ones to do it. Nick's been clean since March 2015, I've been clean since April 2016, and we are truly living our dream. While also working full-time and raising two girls, we took in our first rescue - a bearded dragon we named Ducky. He was underweight, worm-ridden, and pissed off at the world. That was our calling - Ducky was the one who started it all. Since August 2016, we've taken in HUNDREDS of animals of varying species and medical conditions. We began on our own, through contacts in the animal and veterinary industries, but as word got out that we'd take in the un-save-able, more and more were thrown our way. We now partner with the FWC, taking in surrendered animals between Amnesty Events. We began our rescue in accordance with the 7th tradition of all 12-step recovery groups - with no outside funding. As we grew and expended, we realized that we simply could not save them all on our own dime, and became a 501c3 nonprofit in March 2019. We obtained our USDA Class C exhibition permit, to legally give tours and events with our Animal Ambassadors, as well as to adopt out some mammals and breed endangered species. We also obtained our Florida Wildlife Rehabilitation license, specializing in bats and wild reptiles- again, taking in the misfits that others do not want to work with. Bats are my heart, and every release gives us motivation to push harder and continue saving as many as we can! We provide mobile, hands-on educational events and "meet the animals" tours by appointment only. All proceeds from our events go to the day-to-day maintenance, feeding, and medical expenses incurred by the animals in our care. Many of the smaller educational events we provide for schools and scout troops are free, for the love of what we do. We offer very reasonable rates for birthday parties, private events, corporate team-building events, and other events. We offer individual sessions teaching husbandry, care, and handling of specific exotic animals - we can use our animals or yours, depending on your needs. We offer exposure therapy classes to help conquer fears of snakes or other reptiles. Contact us for more information, and let us know your needs! If you have a reptile or exotic pet in need of rescue or rehoming, please contact us. We are licensed through the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission to possess and exhibit Class III Wildlife and conditional/non-venomous reptiles. We are also exotic veterinary technicians; every animal in our care receives full veterinary services and wellness exams before rehoming or attending any events. When we DO rehabilitate and decide to rehome, our rehoming fees are nominal, and potential adopters are thoroughly screened. Please do not take offense! We care deeply for our animals and are passionate about their well-being - they are welcome here as long as they need to be until the right adopter comes along. This may mean that they wind up becoming a permanent member of our extensive animal family! Contact us for information on animals up for adoption. Our rates fluxuate on a case-by-case basis and are subject to change and/or negotiation based on individual circumstances. We are a legitimate 501c3 nonprofit, also recognized on GuideStar, and all income from private tours, donations, and/or additional fees are 100% tax-deductible. We do accept and train volunteers; however, spaces are very limited, and we cannot promise that we always have availability. We are always happy to answer any questions regarding husbandry or rehoming; however, being technicians in the veterinary field, our advice is just that - ADVICE. Please do NOT contact us asking specific questions regarding medical conditions of your own animals - we will kindly refer you to an exotic veterinarian :)

Yall, i can't anymore. The brakes went out in my truck a week ago, while i was driving downhill towards a stop sign at a...
06/01/2026

Yall, i can't anymore. The brakes went out in my truck a week ago, while i was driving downhill towards a stop sign at an intersection. If a car has been coming at that moment I wouldn't be here right now. Thank God I've had the brakes go out before and knew how to slow it down and get it to stop before I hit the house in front of the intersection. But being down the truck memes only being able to get one or two bags of feed at a time, number one because our daily driver car isn't big enough to haul our normal quantity and number two we have two bad tires in the back that can't hold the weight of more than a few bags of feed. We live about 30 minutes from town which means that is extra gas and wear and tear in the car and time that we just don't have going back and forth several times a week to ensure everyone eats. That's already hurting us badly.
But that crappy little daily driver that we have? The one that I'm still making extremely high monthly payments on because my credit is so sh*tty from trying to keep everyone fed, happy, and comfortable on the weeks that sanctuary needs exceed income and donations? We also rely on that car for our secondary income that not only keeps the animals fed, it keeps their children fed house and clothed as well. Since my truck has been down it has been my only source of getting to and from work 6 days a week. And tonight, someone decided slam into that car and total it while my husband was driving home from dropping me off at work.
Thank GOD Nick is OK, because if hed been injured in any way shape or form I'd already be booked. But saying that we are Beyond SCREWED right now isn't even a fraction of it. Even if insurance pays out it's only going to cover what I already owe on it, and I don't have the credit to finance another vehicle. I don't even have the money to fix my truck right now let alone buy another car or pay for a rental. We don't have a way to get me to and from work we don't have a way for us to work our secondary jobs, we don't have a way to get human or animal groceries or pick up animal feed or do anything else that we need. I don't even know what to do anymore. At this point we need nothing short of a miracle, but I don't think God really feels like doing this any favors lately. We need prayers, we need a ways to figure out feed and hay and grocery delivery, we need a way to keep me from losing my primary job or my secondary job, and with my husband having a disease that could result in anaphylaxis shock in a very short period of time we don't have a way to get him to help and the ambulance takes too long to get here.
I'm open to any suggestions because you hitch just keep coming and I don't know what to do anymore.

🖤 Ways to support Recovery Rescues Inc:

We’re still showing up for every animal in our care while they wait for their next chapter—and that means we’re still covering feed, supplies, and daily care every single day, even on the hard days, even with all the uncertainties that we're facing as humans.

If you’d like to help us help them and now assist in getting their Necessities delivered here are ways you can help:

PayPal (donate):
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U

PayPal.me:
https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

Gift cards for supplies (Tractor Supply, Rural King, Lowe’s, Walmart) are also incredibly helpful and can be sent to:
[email protected]

Every dollar, share, and bit of support helps us continue showing up for them even in eye hardest days 🐷

👑🐷 OFFICIAL GRIEVANCE REPORT FROM KING KOTA 👑🐷Today's complaints include:• Breakfast was not served the exact second he ...
05/31/2026

👑🐷 OFFICIAL GRIEVANCE REPORT FROM KING KOTA 👑🐷

Today's complaints include:

• Breakfast was not served the exact second he woke up.
• He was denied snacks.
• There may be food somewhere on the property that has not yet been given to him.
• Life remains unfair.

For those who haven't met Kota, he has spent the last three years perfecting the art of dramatic protest.

His favorite hobbies include:
🐷 Interpretive yelling
🐷 Filing complaints
🐷 Inspecting anything that might contain food
🐷 Convincing everyone he is starving immediately after eating

Meanwhile, we're over here trying to keep feed bins full, hay stocked, and all of our animals cared for the way they deserve.

If you'd like to help support King Kota and the rest of the crew, our donation links are below.

PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U

PayPal.me:
https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

Gift cards: [email protected]

As always, shares are appreciated and help us reach new supporters.

🚨 EMERGENCY SUPPORT NEEDED 🚨My primary vehicle suffered brake failure while in motion yesterday morning. I was somehow a...
05/23/2026

🚨 EMERGENCY SUPPORT NEEDED 🚨

My primary vehicle suffered brake failure while in motion yesterday morning. I was somehow able to avoid an accident, by the grace of God and nothing else, but the Tahoe is now out of service until repairs can be diagnosed and completed.

At the same time, we had literally JUST Frankenstein'd together the last of our available gift cards to place a feed order that was really only enough to last maybe half a week or so— and is now sitting in town with no reliable way to transport it home.

We are currently operating with no emergency funds and no buffer left.

Immediate needs right now:
• feed transport
• produce / hydration foods
• hay / bedding
• fuel
• fencing repairs
• vehicle repair costs

💰 Immediate goal: $150
📉 *Minimum* daily survival gap: ~$5/day

We are still providing full daily care for the animals already here while navigating a full shutdown of intake and ongoing placement of animals through careful, private, responsible transitions.

We do NOT place animals quickly or irresponsibly. Every placement is handled based on the animal’s needs and safety — not urgency or convenience.

We are simply trying to keep everyone fed, safe, and stable through this transition.

💚 DONATIONS:

PayPal Donate:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U

PayPal.me:
https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

🎁 Gift cards:
[email protected]
(Tractor Supply, Rural King, Walmart, Kroger appreciated)

If you cannot donate, please share or engage with this post. Visibility is everything right now.

Thank you for helping us keep them fed and safe.

Help support Recovery Rescues Inc. by donating or sharing with your friends.

🚨 EMERGENCY SUPPORT NEEDED 🚨Our truck is down after a dangerous brake failure.Feed is sitting in town waiting for pickup...
05/23/2026

🚨 EMERGENCY SUPPORT NEEDED 🚨

Our truck is down after a dangerous brake failure.

Feed is sitting in town waiting for pickup.

We are out of emergency funds and trying to maintain care for the animals already depending on us.

If you’ve ever wanted to help us directly, now is the time.

Even $5 genuinely matters tonight.

PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U

PayPal.me:
https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:

Gift cards: [email protected]

Please comment or share if you cannot donate — engagement is the only way rescue posts stay visible anymore.

Help support Recovery Rescues Inc. by donating or sharing with your friends.

KOTA has reviewed your behavior. 🐷He is not impressed.Kota and friends are currently running a very expensive daily oper...
05/18/2026

KOTA has reviewed your behavior. 🐷
He is not impressed.
Kota and friends are currently running a very expensive daily operation: hay, feed, bedding, hydration, and heat care.
We’re doing everything we can to stretch supplies, but essentials like hay and fresh feed are still cash-only from local farmers—and summer heat is pushing costs up fast.
Today we’re just trying to cover basic care:
$60 goal
If 12 people gave $5, we’d be covered for today. ❤️

PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U

PayPal.me:
https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

Gift cards: [email protected]

We’re making it work — one day at a time. ❤️Thanks to the incredible support we’ve received over the last couple of days...
05/17/2026

We’re making it work — one day at a time. ❤️

Thanks to the incredible support we’ve received over the last couple of days, we were able to grab a couple more bags of feed and keep everyone going a little longer. That kindness has mattered more than you know.

But we’re still not through the week yet.

Right now we are completely out of bedding, out of hay, low and inconsistent on produce, and still working hard to provide for all of these babies until each one reaches their new home safely.

At the moment, monetary donations help us the most because of our rural location and unpredictable work schedules. Physical deliveries can be difficult for us to secure safely before wildlife gets into them, so direct support allows us to grab supplies as needed and make every dollar stretch as far as possible.

We’re exhausted, but we’re still fighting for them every single day. Thank you for continuing to help us work a little magic. ✨🐾

PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U

PayPal.me:
https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

Gift cards (Tractor Supply, Rural King, Lowe’s, Walmart):
[email protected] 🐷

-And before anyone panics — rest assured, KOTA is just doing his best impression of a land walrus and enjoying the driveway like it’s a five-star resort. He is very much alive, just dramatically relaxed as usual. 🐷😌

It’s $5 Friday for Recovery Rescues Inc… and this week, we truly need the village. ❤️I’m going to be very real for a min...
05/15/2026

It’s $5 Friday for Recovery Rescues Inc… and this week, we truly need the village. ❤️

I’m going to be very real for a minute.

Right now we are down to the last couple bags of feed, almost completely out of hay, scraping together bedding, and relying on sporadic produce donations just to make it through day to day. The last few weeks have been incredibly hard on us emotionally, physically, and financially.

On top of everything else, one of our pig placements unexpectedly fell through right before transport, which means we are now starting back at square one trying to secure the right forever home for that baby.

As many of you know, we made the difficult decision to begin closing rescue operations. That choice was not made lightly. These animals have been our life, our purpose, and our family for years. My husband and I built this rescue with our own hands, our own sacrifices, and our whole hearts — and we are committed to seeing every single animal through safely, responsibly, and with dignity until the very end of this chapter.

We are tired. We are grieving. We are stretched thin.

But we are still here.
Still feeding.
Still cleaning.
Still medicating.
Still loving them through every single day.

If you’ve ever wanted to help but weren’t sure how, this is one of those moments where even a small contribution truly matters.

$5 Friday may sound tiny, but if enough people give the cost of a coffee, it helps us buy:
🐷 feed
🐰 hay
🦆 bedding
🥬 produce
💊 supplies and medications

And right now, every bit genuinely counts.

Ways to help ⬇️

PayPal:
Donate via PayPal

PayPal.me:
PayPal.me Recovery Rescues Inc

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

Gift cards (Tractor Supply, Rural King, Lowe’s, Walmart):
📧 [email protected] 🐷

If you can’t donate, sharing this post or leaving a comment to help boost visibility helps more than you know.

Thank you to the people who have continued standing beside us through the hardest season we’ve faced yet. We see you, and it means more than you know. ❤️

Just wanted to sit down and share a little real-life update with you all.The last couple of $5 Fridays have been really ...
05/13/2026

Just wanted to sit down and share a little real-life update with you all.

The last couple of $5 Fridays have been really quiet, and we haven’t brought in enough to sustainably cover feed and daily care. We’ve been stretching things as far as we can with what we have, plus a few gift cards here and there—just doing that “make it work” thing.

Right now, we still have close to 30 animals in our care, and they all need to be fed and looked after every single day while they’re here with us.

As most of you know, we’re in the process of rehoming the majority of the animals. For those who are still here in this transition phase, we’ve made a commitment that as long as they remain in our care, we will continue to fully provide for them. That matters to us, and we intend to follow through on it—on their timing and in the way that’s right for each situation.

With that in mind, we’ll need to pick up more feed and supplies soon so we can keep everything running smoothly during this transition.

If you feel led to help, here are the ways to do that:

🖤 Ways to support Recovery Rescues Inc:

PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U

PayPal.me:
https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

Gift cards (Tractor Supply, Rural King, Lowe’s, Walmart):
[email protected]

Even if you’re not in a place to give, sharing or just continuing to follow along means more than you probably realize. We appreciate you being here through all of it 🐷🖤

Happy Mother’s Day 💐To my mom—thank you for everything you’ve poured into me. To my kids—you’re the reason I get to wear...
05/10/2026

Happy Mother’s Day 💐

To my mom—thank you for everything you’ve poured into me. To my kids—you’re the reason I get to wear this title, and it means everything. And to every kind of mom out there—the traditional ones, the dads who are also moms, the grandparents, the step-ins and stand-ins… if you’ve ever shown up with love, patience, and sacrifice, today is yours too.

We didn’t receive any $5 Friday donations this week, and it would mean a lot to honor a mother (yours or someone else’s) with a small donation in her name today. Every bit helps us keep showing up the way moms do—no matter what.

Thank you, and Happy Mother’s Day ❤️

🖤 Ways to support Recovery Rescues Inc:

We’re still caring for every animal here while they wait for their next home, and every bit of support helps more than you know.

PayPal:
https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U

PayPal.me:
https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U

Cash App: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

Gift cards (Tractor Supply, Rural King, Lowe’s, Walmart):
[email protected] 🐷

$5 Friday 💛Right now, we’re in the final stretch.After everything—the chaos, the setbacks, the heartbreak—we’re watching...
05/08/2026

$5 Friday 💛

Right now, we’re in the final stretch.

After everything—the chaos, the setbacks, the heartbreak—we’re watching these animals get closer and closer to the lives they were always meant to have.

Homes are lining up. Futures are forming. This is the part where it all starts to pay off.

But this stretch? It matters just as much as the beginning.

We’re making sure every animal leaves here healthy, fed, and set up to thrive—not just survive. No cutting corners. No “good enough.” They deserve better than that.

If you can throw in $5 today, you’re part of that finish line. You’re part of the moment they step into something better.

Show up for the ending they deserve:

PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=W7G3CQVBJB95U
PayPal (alt): https://www.paypal.me/recoveryrescuesinc?locale.x=en_U
CashApp: $recoveryrescuesinc
Venmo:
Chime: $reeci
OnePay:

We’re keeping this going all the way through—because if you’ve ever worked with animals, you know things can flip fast. We don’t slow down until every single one is safe, settled, and home.

Gift cards (Tractor Supply, Rural King, Lowe’s, Walmart) go straight into keeping everyone fed, clean, and comfortable while they wait. Send to: [email protected] 🖤

Can’t donate? Share it. That still moves this forward.

Let’s finish strong.

Address

We Keep Our Location Private. Please Contact Us Directly For Animal Dropoffs And Tours
Jacksonville, FL
32210

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Recovery Rescues Inc. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Recovery Rescues Inc.:

Share

Category