The animals used in our programs are almost all orphans rescued from a variety of unfortunate situations. Some are unwanted or abused pets, others were confiscated by authorities, still others were picked up in neighborhoods, along roads, from abandoned apartments or humane organizations. These animals are important to us and are given appropriate foods, habitat, medical care and a safe, secure home for the rest of their lives.

       We are not a pet store. Snakes-N-Scales is part of an amazing network of state and local officials, humane, rehab and zoological professionals working constantly toward the proper care, rescue and preservation of animals both in the wild and in captivity.

       The photos that follow are all taken by us with animals that were brought to us unless it says otherwise. The photos are what we see and maybe a little intense for younger viewers, but it is our intension that everyone can look at these pages so we have tried to be careful in our presentation not to be too graphic.

Dogs are supposed to wear leashes, but those leases go AROUND the animal’s neck, not through a part of it’s body! For all the years I have worked with reptiles the single most infuriating aspect is how other people think, and then treat, these animals because they aren’t furry and cute. No one would think of boring a hole into a dog’s leg to attach a leash. But as you will see below, this seems to be a common idea for some people with turtles.

Having an animal that you don’t understand is very often the cause of trouble for animals that are brought to us. Often, the people responsible are very good and loving people and would never intentionally hurt these animals, but through ignorance they cause havoc!

This poor caiman really got an overdose of kindness. He was owned by one person who thought that hot dogs would be a tastier food than dead mice and then was given to a second person who had read that caiman needed a lot of heat. So by the time he came to me, at about 3 years old, he had almost no bone strength from eating hot dogs that have no calcium, and then had been almost cooked by his second owner.

This ball python was burned when his owner decided to use his 500 watt driveway flood light to replace the 50 watt tank light the snake was using. Again, out of no malice, or wanting to do harm to the snake, just trying to be helpful without reading about what actually should be done.

You can ask for this snake in your show, he's fully healed and is a great show snake.

It’s just my opinion, of course, but this is why we should be considered first over others as to whether to have us perform your show. This is just another Tuesday at Snakes-N-Scales, 23 sick bearded dragons from a breeder that thought he could make some money on selling the babies but instead created two dozen sick animals. Who pays for these animals?

We do.