Drayton Valley Reptile Rescue and Adoptions

Hello from the staff of Drayton Valley Reptile Rescue (DVRR). Over the years we had seen so many dubious postings for fly-by-night "rescues" that our creator became angry, and wanted to offer the community and surrounding areas something reliable and consistent that was well established; established meaning being around serving the community actively with a public presence for more then a few weeks/months. To do so the decision to found DVRR as a home-based rescue in the spring of 2013 was set in motion; this year we've entered our 4th year of serving our community.

Aside from rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming reptiles and other exotic pets, we are also active in providing education to the public by offering informative shows, up-to-date care guides, true-to-source news articles and various other forms of educational pieces for our online community followers to access. DVRR also provides animal and equipment sourcing options, holds adoption events, and undertakes fundraising drives to help with the care of the animals.

At DVRR we have re-homed 99% of the animals that have been taken in. Some animals become long term residents in certain situations where it is in their best interests. Since it was founded, DVRR has successfully re-homed over 220 different animals. We also provide husbandry advice for reptiles and are connected to a network of other specialists in the herpetology community who can often provide aid when our resources are limited. We work alongside various other long-term established rescues as well. These rescues have been around for years.

DVRR is willing and able to assist with any reptile, invertebrate or amphibian that needs some extra help or a new herp owner when we are contacted. There are no surrender fees on animals brought to us, and note, we will not pay you to surrender an animal. We won't absolutely refuse a sick or injured animal, as we are called a rescue for a reason, and we have quarantine procedures in place to protect other animals. Not doing so is one of the fly by night warning flags we see often.

Having to part with our beloved pets may be a heart-breaking experience, and here at DVRR we will not judge you for the difficult decision you're making in placing your animal in our care. Life can be harsh, and sometimes our best plans go astray, leaving us with stressful and discouraging situations. We do our best to make sure the new placement goes as easily as possible for all parties involved, including your little friend. If we have difficulty due to limited space or resources, the network of connections we have can and will provide needed help.

Pick-ups are currently limited so drop-offs are welcome. We strongly encourage you to provide the original enclosure, even if it's not the right size. This minimizes the stress of the transfer on the animal and can serve to house other animals in the care of the rescue of a more appropriate size if this is the case. The old enclosure is not a requirement, but it is helpful as there may be limited options available at the rescue.

There is an adoption fee charged when an animal is ready to be re-homed. It varies depending on the situation of the animal in question and the special costs that went towards its care and/or rehabilitation. The fees help cover things like the costs of taking care of the animal, vet trips and the care of other animals in the rescue. When an animal is re-homed there is an interview process, a pre-adoption information questionnaire, and adoption forms to sign which ensure that the new pet is taken very good care of. We do have limited enclosures available to go with the animals if required based off of donations at the time, please inquire about further details if this is the case.

We also gladly accept any and all donations so far as supplies go, anything from housing, climbing items, hides, vitamins, substrates, lights, heat pads, decorative items, etc. We strive to use these donations at our location first and foremost, and if we are unable to put them to a beneficial use within our organization, we donate the items forward to other established rescues we work alongside. For our supporters who wish to donate money in a more direct way, we have created our sponsorship program. This program allows a supporter to choose a rescue animal, or resident animal, and make a contribution towards its ongoing food bills. Right now we make our food orders in 6 month increments, so that is the period for which an individual sponsorship can be made. Find more details on the Note titled “Sponsor a Reptile” on the Facebook page below.