SAFEHerps is an all-volunteer community network based in Tucson, Arizona, that exchanges resources and services to support pet herpetofauna. We help people keep their animals, facilitate rehoming and adoptions, and campaign to improve ethical treatment of captive reptiles and amphibians. 

Our mission is to find homes and reduce suffering for pet reptiles and amphibians, as well as supporting and educating their guardians. 

OUR VALUES

Herpetofauna deserve the same respect as all other living creatures. Reptiles and amphibians are sentient, sensitive, and intelligent (yes even crested geckos). As their keepers, we have a moral responsibility to educate ourselves about their needs, recognize their capacities, and treat them as we would treat ourselves.

Adopt, don’t shop. The exotic pet trade in herpetofauna, just like every other pet trade, exploits animals and creates immense suffering. We can reduce this suffering by choosing to adopt canimals instead of purchasing from breeders.

We educate the public about the care of herpetofauna. Caring for reptiles and amphibians sourced from across the world is complex and standards are changing. Many new pet owners do not receive enough education about the care of their pet from breeders, stores, and rescues. SAFEHerps strives to provide abundant and up-to-date information about the needs of pet reptiles and amphibians.

We make rescue work sustainable through community-based collaboration. All animal rescue is extremely challenging and expensive; herp rescue is even more so, given the specialized and highly diverse needs of pet herps. The traditional nonprofit model of pet rescue cannot work financially for herps. We address the urgent need for herp support and rescue by sharing our time and resources with each other through a voluntary, collaborative, community-based, non-hierarchical structure of distributed (networked) support and innovation.

Sometimes euthanasia is the greatest mercy. SAFEHerps makes a humane death possible when this is best option for the animal.

We express our love for reptiles and amphibians by confronting the ethical failings of the exotic pet trade. Through thought leadership and advocacy, we seek to improve the lives of pet herps.