10/21/2026
I hate that I have to do this. I shouldn't have to say this. But here goes.
This is a PSA to all Texas breeders. USDA breeders, pet store breeders, Hobby breeders, backyard breeders, oops litter breeders. This is for you.
Ravenscar Blair is not a Dumping Ground for pedigreed or non-pedigreed Hedgehogs that come from your facilities.
Problem: The Hedgehog Welfare Society does state that no Hedgehog will remain homeless. We accept all hedgehogs from any situation. However, this is the problem that I'm having in Houston. So buckle up and here goes.
When breeders tell their owners (even when they have a contract to return the animal if it cannot be cared for), to contact the Hedgehog Welfare Society for help in finding a home for that animal, I have a problem with you.
Your contract States you take the animal back, therefore, you should take the animal back. No matter what the distance or the reasoning, it is in your contract. You are obligated for the life of that Hedgehog if you call yourself an ethical breeder.
Solutions? We have a few.
1. Work directly with your owner in helping them find a new family to take over the Hedgehog's care. That will nullify your contract and you, as a breeder, can step aside.
2. Make a plan with your owner to pick up your hedgehog or have your hedgehog delivered back to you directly. Depending on the age, you can always rehome that Hedgehog again. If it is not of an age to be rehomed, that animal is still your responsibility.
3. If the Hedgehog is injured or ill, that is when an owner can contact the Hedgehog Welfare Society. We will take in any animal that is ill or injured immediately. It is not fair to rescue stations to expect us to take in your Hedgehogs that you bred and will continue to breed. That is not being an ethical breeder.
4. If a breeder cannot or will not comply, the Hedgehog Welfare Society will step in and we will take possession of the animal.
We do things differently in Texas. We're a very large State and we only have four rescue stations. My station, in Houston, handles everything from Austin and below. That is a very large territory. I take in hedgehogs from everywhere. Hedgehog Welfare Society is not the only rescue that contacts me, and, I have owners contacting me from my page.
As a breeder, you should understand my dilemma.
Example: I have a pet store, in my town, that breeds willy-nilly. Every Hedgehog I get from them has a horrible case of mites. These hedgehogs are with their new owners just a couple of months, then the mite bloom is so intense that the owners don't know what to do. The pet store denies they have mites and refutes all culpability. Then I get a call. Frantic owners who say they cannot afford vet care.
Curing a case of mites is not cheap. In Houston it runs about $200 for one vet visit. Then you have to go back after possible eggs hatching for a second treatment and skin scrape. I am not a money tree.
Breeders... you need to make sure that your new owners have those emergency funds so that they can take their little pokies to the vet. If you guys all did that, I would receive less calls.
You also need to really look at who you are selling to. You need to make sure these people understand that a hedgehog is "for the life of the hedgehog". There is no give backs. Unless you have a contract. If your contract says you take them back, guess what, you take them back.
So, if you're a breeder and you got this far, I applaud you. You can complain in the comments or you can agree. It's really up to you. But I'm going to scream this from the rooftops. You breed and sell an animal, that animal is your responsibility. It is not my responsibility. Unless of course, you are unethical. Then it's on me.
Just like HWS, RBEH will leave no Hedgehog homeless. But, we demand that all breeders remain ethical if they want the title.
