• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

Opening a Reptile Rescue in NE Ohio

So far this month we have taken in over 70 animals...20 from a small rescue closing, several from people moving, or evicted We have rehomed just shy of 50, including a record 25 on Sunday, March 20! March will be our busiest ever for adoptions and our second busiest ever for intakes, behind only October 2013, the infamous Struthers seizure). We now have a vet in one half day per week and a vet tech in two half days per week.
Altered our operating hours slightly this month and are no considering a capital campaign to buy the building we lease. This would allow us to expand our quarantine/medical area and add large tortoise (and if we can negotiate it with the state of Ohio) an alligator display. (lots of leatgalese involved here that I won't bother you with unless asked).
 
It's been awhile since I updated. We have passed 300 herps adopted out for the year, already exceeding last year's totals. We have taken in close to 400. Volunteers have been great, we have received a turtle grant form the Petco Foundation (to purchase Pit Tags, additional tubs and filters plus upgrade electric) and are also now affiliated with PetSmart Charities and the Bissell Foundation. Public hours five days a week if you are ever in the area (we had only enough volunteers do to three days when we frist opened).
 
Ended 2016 with 510 intakes and 394 adoptions out. Now have veterinarian/vet tech or vet assistant volunteering each day of operation. Picked up sponsorships from Zilla Products (Outreach sponsor) and the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (Educational sponsor). We are suffering some growing pains due to the volume of work and volunteer lack of experience, but all in all going well. We have only abotu 25 animals available for adoption right now (not counting red eared sliders in the mix), the lowest number we have ever had.
 
Fantastic turn around! Keep up the good work and thank you for providing the updates.
 
On November 15, we adopted out our 1,000th animal (in less than three years of operation). We have a remarkable group of volunteers who have made this possible.
We currently house over 350 animals at the facility, not counting a juge colony of hissing cockroaches that was just donated to us:)
We are open to the public five days a week, so if you are ever in NE Ohio, stop by and check us out.
 

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It's really interesting to see how this has gone from start to now, please keep up the updates, and congratulations on already saving and rehoming 1,000 animals - that's got to feel good!
 
I adopted a Diamond/Jag Carpet Python (still named Crystal) from Herps Alive last year, and she's doing great! We've since moved back to Minnesota, but I hope you guys thrive for years to come, you'll be on my Amazon Smile roster!
 
Squeeji said:
I adopted a Diamond/Jag Carpet Python (still named Crystal) from Herps Alive last year, and she's doing great! We've since moved back to Minnesota, but I hope you guys thrive for years to come, you'll be on my Amazon Smile roster!
Click to expand...

Glad to hear Crystal is doing well. We do an outreach program every summer in Columbus, MN, 90 minutes from you. Maybe we can arrange a visit next summer.
 
We finished 2017 with an 80 animal intake yesterday from an owner who passed away in an untimely manner. Dart frogs and chameleons. FLocal frog breeder coming over later this week to confirm some ID. 697 intakes in 2017. 419 adoptions. Thanks for your support, no matter what form it has taken.
 
In the caetgory of Never a dull moment in reptile rescue. For the 12/31 pickup, we took (with permission) a few disusesd exo-terras to house some of the frogs in. Yesterday, we found these two guys in a piece of cork. Not exactly a species most rescues will ever see. Our guess is that the owner was unaware there were eggs in the cork log and that he moved it to another cage, where they hatched.
 

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Adorable! What a crazy find!
Glad you were able to take in such a large gecko/frog collection.
I wish you continued success with the adoptions!
 
Things a reptile rescue hardly ever says to its clients (and that a rescuer never thought he would say):
"I am sorry. We currently have NO ball pyhtons or leopard geckos available. But if you would like a leachie, a leaftailed gecko or two or a pair of chohouha geckos...or maybe a dozen dart frogs o a couple Panther Chameleons, stop in."

The surprises never end and today was no different. Thank G-d for our great volunteers.
 
Need some "Wisdom of the Crowd" advice. Our adoption policy is straightforward and has been in place since about six months after we opened. We do not post animals on our FB page until they are vet cleared and have met other requirement (worming,for lizards and tortoises, eating 2-3 times f or snakes, etc). However, visitors to the rescue may begin the process and if their application is approved, with a 25% deposit we hold the animal until it is cleared. If for any reason the animal is not cleared, the customer has the choice of a refund, transfer to a similar animal or to wait until the selected animal is cleared.
Here is the problem After our surpirsing gecko intake Thursday, which we shared generally on FB, but not specific animals or adoption fees, one of our FB likes sharesd the fact on a leachie FB page. As a result, we had over 100 inquiries about these animals, despite having a pinned explanatory post on our page as to what the procedure would be. While many of these folks would not qualify out of hand Example -"I will adopt all your lizards and even give yo some money."-or- "I will take all the leachies. How big are they and how many are there?" Some do seem qualified and if walk-ins don't reserve all the animals by the end of the week when they would become available, we will make them available to these on-line folks.
Simple question -Is this policy reasonable and if not what can we do do to improve it? Thank you for your help.
 
I think your policy is perfectly reasonable wrt priority of adopters (local first before opening up to shipping) as well as ensuring that the home is a good fit for the animal.
 
Sunday we did our 500th adoption of 2018 wehn we sent this king snake home. Our total currently stands at 510, topping the 424 we did last year.We believe it is the highest number of adoptions and 501(c)(3) reptile rescue has ever done in one year. (If someone has other info, polease let me know).
 

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We ended 2018 doing 519 adoptions, but 696 intakes (2nd straight year of intakes in the 690s). We are currently housing about 350 animals, but our adoptable inventory is quite low (good and bad) right now. This is why a rescue needs to have a business plan and be able to rely on other revenue streams -- it is not about the money, but as (to our knowledge) the only rescue in the United States that operates on a humane society model (set hours where the public can view adoptable animals at a facility with a small retail sales area) we have to pay the rent and utilities (electric alone was $1255 last month). We were non profit exhibitors at Tinley in October and will be back in March, so please stop by and say hello. October Tinley crew is pictured.
 

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