SARONA — It was a bittersweet day at Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary in Sarona as people had to say goodbye to their snakes, fish, lizards and other animals at the Exotic Pet Surrender Event.
J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue, along with Hunt Hill, Pet Advocacy Network and University of Wisconsin Sea Grant/Water Resources Institutes, hosted the event to provide a compassionate alternative for individuals who could no longer care for their exotic pets.
This is the first time Hunt Hill has hosted such an event. J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue is based in Neenah, and they host many surrender events around the state. Many pets include fish, invertebrates, reptiles, pet birds, small mammals and plants. Their effort is to prevent the harmful release of these exotic pets into the environment and ensure their well-being through proper rehoming procedures. They do not take in pets such as dogs and cats or those that are venomous.
“The last one I did (in Stevens Point), we got 51 animals,” said J&R’s event coordinator Renee Schulz.
J&R takes in these pets at their shelter near Neenah, where they are rehabilitated and briefly quarantined before they are adopted to new owners.
“We rehabilitate,” said Schultz. “We’ll take them to the vet if they need it.”
Schulz said the pets they get the most are fish, along with snakes, especially ball pythons. She said though it’s rare, they have received alligators.
Kyle Dohney drove two hours from Eau Claire to surrender a ball python named Athena. He had rescued her from somebody who had abandoned her.
“The owner just left her,” Dohney said. “I just wanted to find her a better home.”
Dohney said he already had three other snakes, so a fourth was just too much. He was sad to have to give Athena up, though.
People were encouraged to share their stories on how they got these pets, including a leopard gecko, a ferret, a skink, mice and more.
“An animal with a story is more likely to get adopted,” explained Schulz.
When asked what the most “phenomenal” pet she had seen surrendered at J&R, Schulz said definitely a golden child reticulated python.
“He’s an intense snake,” she said.
There were 80 organisms surrendered Saturday afternoon, including a hairless rat, guinea pigs, goldfish, lizards, snakes, a bearded dragon and even a palm tree. People got the chance to take a last photo with their pets while meeting animal ambassadors.
“The support and participation we received at the Exotic Pet Surrender Event in Sarona were truly heartwarming,” said Schulz. “It’s inspiring to see our community come together to provide a safe and loving environment for these animals in need.”
Schulz said this is the second-longest surrender event she’s driven to, next to La Crosse.
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