Authored by Karen Venaas of The Daily Chameleon
Dollars and Sense of Chameleon Rescue
Animal welfare and rescue as a cause began in the U.S. in the 1860’s, when Henry Bergh founded the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or ASPCA. Other animal welfare groups soon entered the picture and by the 1960’s many organizations had formed and begun operating private shelters to rescue and adopt out animals.
Of course, these shelters, and even many shelters in operation today, are primarily designed to rescue dogs, cats and other furry pets.
Keeping reptiles as pets is a much newer phenomenon than keeping dogs and cats. As reptile keeping began gaining in popularity information was limited and difficult to find. Wild caught specimens were all that was available, care sheets were non-existent and housing usually consisted of fish tanks. Many of these early reptile pets had short lives simply because so little was known about them and even sharing information was a challenge—few books had been written and the magazines dedicated to keeping reptiles did not begin to appear until the late 1980’s.
Since those early days much has changed. According to the American Pet Products Association, as of 2015 there are over nine million pet reptiles in the United States. Not only is there a large variety of reptile species available in the pet trade, but also chameleons in particular have become hugely popular and readily available pets.
As often happens when animals are offered inexpensively at pet stores, people make impulse purchases but have little knowledge on proper care. *Editor’s Note: see Karen’s prior piece Think You Want a Chameleon. Unlike the early days of keeping there is plenty of information available, unfortunately it is often poor or incomplete information.
The combination of inexpensive animals and lack of accurate care information often leads to sick animals and confused owners. Sure, some people may think animals, especially reptiles, are disposable but in many cases, chameleon keepers want to properly care for their animals but may not know what to do, or maybe they can’t afford a vet or they just may be overwhelmed. Traditional animal shelters and rescues can only do so much and are often unable to properly care for reptiles, especially chameleons. Out of need, and a passion for reptiles, experienced keepers began taking in sick and unwanted animals. This grew into the reptile rescue industry we have today.
According to the IRS, there are currently 30 recognized 501(c)(3) reptile rescues operating in the United States. The first non-profit rescue that is dedicated solely to rehabilitating chameleons and educating keepers is Chameleon Education and Outreach, or ChamEO.
Chameleons and ChamEO
ChamEO was founded in 2005 by Elisa Hinkle. Elisa started out like many, bringing home a cute chameleon from the pet store. Shortly after that she got involved with her local herpetological society and quickly became the go-to person for chameleons rescued by the society.
“I didn’t set out to become a rescue. It just happened on its own.”
Full disclosure: I volunteer for ChamEO. I am an administrator on the ChamEO forum (www.chamlist.org) and I strongly support the ChamEO message of proper husbandry, sharing knowledge and building community. I also have selfish reasons. I am learning so much! I have taken in many sick & injured chameleons over the years so I understand the time and money involved, at least on a small-scale. Being able to tap into Elisa’s experience and insight has been invaluable to me in caring for both my own chameleons and some rescues I have taken in recently.
Since the early days of taking in needy chameleons, ChamEO has grown into so much more than a rescue. Yes, Elisa always has chameleons who are either being rehabilitated or are ready to be adopted, and she now has a state of the art greenhouse to house them in; but she is so much more than a “rescue.” She spends as many hours answering questions and helping keepers with problems as she does caring for chameleons. She writes and publishes brochures and guides on caring for chameleons, she attends reptile shows to educate new (and not so new) owners on proper care. She has even been known to make home visits to help keepers correct their husbandry and rehabilitate their chameleons without needing to relinquish them to a rescue. Elisa is clear-cut about her mission: “… The work we do here is for the bigger picture. We never turn down a chameleon in need of a home, but we also know most keepers want to do right by their animals.”
If all this is not enough, Elisa makes sure to connect with her supporters, volunteers and contributors on a regular basis. In addition to being passionate about chameleons, Elisa is a trained chef. Twice a year she hosts a champagne brunch for ChamEO supporters and local keepers & breeders. Having attended I can verify that both the food and the company are amazing! For those unable to attend the brunches, she also puts out a newsletter so ChamEO supporters can keep up with everything that is going on.
In addition to all this, Elisa is currently working on a couple of long-term projects: A ChamEO retreat to Madagascar and a group-breeding program with C. brevicorne and C. oshaughnessyi.
The trip to Madagascar will happen in 2017 and participants will enjoy local cuisine, culture and of course, chameleons in their natural habitat. More information will be posted on the ChamEO web site as plans are finalized.
The breeding program is a passion of Elisa’s. The brevicorne and oshaughnessyi species have not been imported into the US in many years. They are rare, expensive and not much information on keeping and breeding them is available.
Many people would see dollar signs every time an egg is laid but not Elisa. Not only is she is spending her own time and money bringing in these species and rehabilitating them, the offspring will go to experienced keepers who are participating in the breeding program. Notes will be kept and experiences shared to increase success for all keepers. As always, the goal is building community, educating others and making a better life for chameleons.
Costs of Reptile Rescue
I wish that were the end of the story–a better life for chameleons. But the reality is, all this comes with a price. Much of it is monetary: keeping the greenhouse running costs money. Feeding chameleons costs money. Veterinary care, medications, operations, all of it costs money. Elisa spends a lot out-of-pocket but she also relies on donations from supporters.
Less talked about are the emotional costs. It’s not fun to care for a sick animal; it’s exhausting and heartbreaking. It’s an even worse feeling to lose one.
Another challenge is dealing with the owners. People feel bad when their chameleon gets sick. They feel they have failed or they don’t want to be judged, so they hide it. It’s especially bad if they lost a chameleon they adopted from ChamEO. People don’t want to admit that an adoption animal is ill or worse, dead. Elisa is working to end this stigma, the fear of failure, and the judgment. She posts extensive vet notes and care info on all her chameleons. She is open and honest when a chameleon doesn’t make it and posts details and necropsy information.
Always the goal is to build community, educate, and keep chameleons healthy.
Elisa sums it up very eloquently
“I have opened myself up for you, for your judgments and your criticism. So please respect that and do the same. If your chameleon is sick or is behaving differently, let me know. I have always been available to anyone for their chameleons, especially ChamEO adoptions. So LET ME HELP!”
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Anyone who wants to return the favor and help ChamEO can visit www.chameo.org. Donations are always welcomed, as are any questions about chameleon care. Information about the Madagascar trip and the breeding project is posted there as well. In addition, Elisa is currently looking for experienced chameleon rehabbers to share information on the chamlist forum so if that is you, contact her for more information.