Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Crow.
Hi Michelle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
5 years ago I brought home 2 bearded dragons. I didn’t know how to care for these 2 rescues that were given to me when I fostered dog. I tried to ask the pet store and found the information I was given was wrong. Whoke doing research I learned how to properly care for them. A few months later I was given a veey sick bearded dragon. I rushed hom to the vet who informed me he probably wouldn’t survive. I posted about his journey and started to gain followers who always wanted to know how he was doing. Jeffrey the bearded dragon survived with my 24 hour care.
Word atarted gwtting around and people started contacting me about reptiles that needed help. I reached out to rescues when the reptiles were healthy enough for their new homes. Only 1 rescue would help me because I was not a nonprofit rescue even though I paid for all vetting out of my own pocked and no help from anyone.
I became the vice president of another reptile rescue. A year later the president of that rescue had to end rescuing. Because I was taking in very sick reptiles that needed expensive vet care I wanted my friend and I decided we wanted to start our own rescue that was a 501c3. This way we people who donated could file their donations on their taxes.
Once the rescue North Texas Reptile Rescue launced we were flooded with rescues. We didnt realize how fast this would take off and the amount of reptiles that would need our help. Because I am the only one in the rescue trained to take the sick and injured my days became giving antibiotic injections, sub-q fluids and gavage feedings.
Reptiles don’t get the help loke cats and dogs do. It’s almost like they are the forgotten pet. They are sold at pet stores just to anyone. We work hard to make sure all of our adopters have the correct setup. A lot of the reptiles that come into our rescue are starved, suffer from MBD ( metabolic bone disease) from improper lighting and supplements, even some that the person allowed them to be mistreated so they have broken bones, infections from not being treated and upper respitory infections. We also get healthy reptiles from families who are struggling financially. Our because of illness.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of our struggles are getting the funding for vet bills and food. A lot of times we pay out of our own pockets to ensure every reptile gets the proper vetting, food, enclosure and supplements. Another struggle is once we tell people what they need for housing their reptile they decide to get a reptile from a pet store because they don’t require that stuff. We let them know that those items that they will be told to buy at the big box store is not correct and will cause their reptile to become ill or even pass away. But that if that hapoens we are always here to guide them.
Another struggle is fosters. If we dont have enough fosters we can’t take in reptiles when we become full. We run out of supplies to give to a foster. So we are unable to make room. It’s very rare a foster already has the proper setup to foster for us.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a reptile rescue in the DFW area. We have also helped other states when needed. We specialize in reptiles, proper care, medical issues and homing rescues when theu ate ready.
Im proud of the rescues we have been able to find loving homes gor. I’m proud of my team of board members, foster and adopters. We work hard and long to helo as many reptiles as we can.
What does success mean to you?
Success is when a reptile comes in on deaths door. After getting the care they need they thrive and find their own family to love them.
Success is when we see the faces of the family adopting. Their faces light up. All the updates we get.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Ntreptilerescue.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northtexas_reptilerescue?igsh=aGtxcnlqczEzYmp4
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BcqizFhcu/
