USDA-licensed nonprofit exotic animal sanctuary & wildlife rehab facility in Jacksonville, FL. Honestly, it's really simple- we're in recovery!
Our mission is to work with other recovering addicts to help save animals in need. Our mission: "To do what others won't, to handle what others can't, and to love what others don't." So, you wanna know our story, and why we call ourselves "Recovery" Rescues. Nick and I (Reeci) were both heroin addicts. We were the bottom-of-the-barrel gutter junkies you'd never even consider letting in your home.
We'd lost all trust with our loved ones, served jail time, lost custody of our kids, and were drowning in despair out on the streets. Friends and family were completely done with us. Neither of us ever dreamed we'd find a way out, and death would have been preferable to the lives we were living... and had we continued our ways, that's exactly where we would have ended up. One day, just like that, everything changed. Recovery WAS possible, and we were saved. We never knew each other in our active addictions- we met in rehab, and found mutual interests through our love of reptiles and exotics. We were both in the same profession, working as exotic veterinary technicians, and had even worked for the same doctor at different times! Thanks to Nick putting in a good word for me with the doctor I'd previously worked for, I was hired back into the field I loved- and was given a second chance to get my life back on track, saving animals while redeeming my broken, healing soul. I will ALWAYS be eternally grateful to Dr Darlene Lundberg Eslick, for having more faith in me than I ever had in myself, for showing me trust and love and encouraging me to be the tech I am today. Thanks, Doc, neither of us would be where we are today if it hasn't been for you giving us each a chance. When we first got together, we had a mutual mission - to save the ones who no one else thought were worth saving. Of course we identified most strongly with them because WE were the ones no one wanted to save - someone had to do it, and we figured we were the ones to do it. Nick's been clean since March 2015, I've been clean since April 2016, and we are truly living our dream. While also working full-time and raising two girls, we took in our first rescue - a bearded dragon we named Ducky. He was underweight, worm-ridden, and pissed off at the world. That was our calling - Ducky was the one who started it all. Since August 2016, we've taken in HUNDREDS of animals of varying species and medical conditions. We began on our own, through contacts in the animal and veterinary industries, but as word got out that we'd take in the un-save-able, more and more were thrown our way. We now partner with the FWC, taking in surrendered animals between Amnesty Events. We began our rescue in accordance with the 7th tradition of all 12-step recovery groups - with no outside funding. As we grew and expended, we realized that we simply could not save them all on our own dime, and became a 501c3 nonprofit in March 2019. We obtained our USDA Class C exhibition permit, to legally give tours and events with our Animal Ambassadors, as well as to adopt out some mammals and breed endangered species. We also obtained our Florida Wildlife Rehabilitation license, specializing in bats and wild reptiles- again, taking in the misfits that others do not want to work with. Bats are my heart, and every release gives us motivation to push harder and continue saving as many as we can! We provide mobile, hands-on educational events and "meet the animals" tours by appointment only. All proceeds from our events go to the day-to-day maintenance, feeding, and medical expenses incurred by the animals in our care. Many of the smaller educational events we provide for schools and scout troops are free, for the love of what we do. We offer very reasonable rates for birthday parties, private events, corporate team-building events, and other events. We offer individual sessions teaching husbandry, care, and handling of specific exotic animals - we can use our animals or yours, depending on your needs. We offer exposure therapy classes to help conquer fears of snakes or other reptiles. Contact us for more information, and let us know your needs! If you have a reptile or exotic pet in need of rescue or rehoming, please contact us. We are licensed through the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission to possess and exhibit Class III Wildlife and conditional/non-venomous reptiles. We are also exotic veterinary technicians; every animal in our care receives full veterinary services and wellness exams before rehoming or attending any events. When we DO rehabilitate and decide to rehome, our rehoming fees are nominal, and potential adopters are thoroughly screened. Please do not take offense! We care deeply for our animals and are passionate about their well-being - they are welcome here as long as they need to be until the right adopter comes along. This may mean that they wind up becoming a permanent member of our extensive animal family! Contact us for information on animals up for adoption. Our rates fluxuate on a case-by-case basis and are subject to change and/or negotiation based on individual circumstances. We are a legitimate 501c3 nonprofit, also recognized on GuideStar, and all income from private tours, donations, and/or additional fees are 100% tax-deductible. We do accept and train volunteers; however, spaces are very limited, and we cannot promise that we always have availability. We are always happy to answer any questions regarding husbandry or rehoming; however, being technicians in the veterinary field, our advice is just that - ADVICE. Please do NOT contact us asking specific questions regarding medical conditions of your own animals - we will kindly refer you to an exotic veterinarian :)
01/14/2026
I swear to god the universe is punishing me.
Tater is finally showing slow but sure improvement, but we've got not one but TWO dead cars - one that I'm still paying for and still owe 13k on - and we're down to just my 25 year old truck living 30 minutes outside of town. NOW Wookie is sick- in almost 9 years he's never had a single issue except for when he broke his leg a few years ago, and now he's severely congested to the point where he won't eat and is clearly miserable. I gave a steroid injection and started antibiotics immediately, and I'm praying that'll turn him around- this boy is my whole entire heart and if something happens to him, i quit life completely.
Any support is greatly and desperately needed. I don't know how much more i can take.
We're still running our PayPal donation platform campaign, linked below, and there are other ways to support us as well. Gift cards to Tractor Supply and Walmart are also massively helpful and can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
This is the first time in a while we've raised *almost* enough to cover a full week's worth of pig feed. We still have to come up with the cash for produce and hay so every little bit counts and goes a long way!! I'll make it through Saturday with feed at least so iv have a few days to breathe until we really need to start worrying again. You guys are awesome!
We're still running our PayPal donation platform campaign, linked below, and there are other ways to support us as well. Gift cards to Tractor Supply and Walmart are also massively helpful and can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
We haven't received enough in donations in the last few weeks to even barely scrape by and I'm freaking out. On top of everything that has happened with Tater that I've had to cover out of pocket, im just now opening my last bags of feed so I've got maybe 2 days to buy more before we're OUT-out. I covered most of Tater's vet bills, meds, and needs out of pocket, and despite working 2 full time jobs i can't cover all of the feed we need; we had not one but TWO vehicles die on us since January 1 and we're down to solely using my 25 year old truck with 225000 miles on it. To say I'm panicking is the understatement of the decade, we NEED feed, produce, and fencing supplies and i don't have it to cover. ANYTHING helps tremendously and is greatly appreciated!!!
We're still running our PayPal donation platform campaign, linked below, and there are other ways to support us as well. Gift cards to Tractor Supply and Walmart are also massively helpful and can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
Oh my god yall!!
Tater was injured Monday. Since Monday he's been completely lateral (on his side) unable to sit upright. For a week I've been having to move him, flip him side to side to clean wounds and prevent bed sores. He's been unable to sit upright so every feeding has been extremely messy because he couldn't sit up on his own to eat while spoon feeding him every bite.
This morning we woke up and he was completely turned around and sitting STERNAL (upright) on his own asking for breakfast!!! It's truly a miracle and the sense of relief i feel is tangible- this is the best thing that's happened all week and I'm so thankful!!! It's definitely a good sign and my heart is so happy and full 🖤🐽🖤
With literally every other aspect in my life having gone to hell in a handbasket this week, I NEEDED this sunshine in the storm!!!
We still desperately need feed and other supplies so any support is welcomed abs greatly appreciated 🙏 in Tater's name, will you contribute towards saving a life today?!
If you would like to send a gift card to Tractor Supply, Walmart, or Rural King, they can be sent to [email protected].
THANK YOU ALL for your kindness and generosity, you truly are helping to save lives and we appreciate you all! Our PayPal donation fund is still active and is a quick and easy way to show support by sending a one time donation or set up scheduled donations on your terms 🖤
Facebook says we somehow violated some community standards and that we're no longer a recommended page? But it won't say WHAT we did or HOW we violated. But I'm thinking that's why donations have slowed to an almost complete halt, and we DESPERATELY need feed, meds, and produce ASAP!! If you could like and share, we need all the help we can get right now, both financially and in becoming visible!
We're still running our PayPal donation platform campaign, linked below, and there are other ways to support us as well. Gift cards to Tractor Supply and Walmart are also massively helpful and can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
You know how, when you've had one of the worst days of your life where EVERYTHING that could possibly go wrong, did, you think "well, there's nothing worse that could possibly happen now!" and then you almost get like a sense of relief from it, because so much s**t has happened you can't even fathom how ANYTHING could make it worse? Yeah, that was yesterday, and that's when the universe said "oh, you think so, huh? Hold my beer!" ... and just kept kicking us while we were down, again and again Anna again.
We still haven't raised enough this week to even fully cover the feed and produce bills, I've only got a few days left of feed, and now with recent events i can't even cover my own needs, definitely not any additional sanctuary needs or feed out of pocket this week or for the foreseeable future.
Serves me right for thinking it couldn't get any worse, because the universe decided that was CHALLENGE: ACCEPTED.
We need any and all support we can get right now. I can't keep on like this.
We're still running our PayPal donation platform campaign, linked below, and there are other ways to support us as well. Gift cards to Tractor Supply and Walmart are also massively helpful and can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
$5 Friday! We're hurting bad for funds and there's NEVER enough time to do everything we need to do. Every bit counts and is greatly appreciated!!!
Here's a throwback to almost 4 years ago, little baby blind Tater and his brother Tot who is DEFINITELY no longer the runt! They were the cutest babies and are still such adorable, sweet boys!
We're still running our PayPal donation platform campaign, linked below, and there are other ways to support us as well. Gift cards to Tractor Supply and Walmart are also massively helpful and can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
I know I've said this before, but I'm saying it again.
We are recovering addicts. Our entire operation has been founded by, run by, and maintained by people recovering from the disease of addiction. We have busted our butts to build, be better, and break stigmas, and we focus our efforts on the ones we see ourselves in- the ones everyone has turned their backs on, the ones everyone had given up all hope for, because once upon a time *I* was the one everyone had given up on and just wanted gone.
I'm saying all this again now because transparency is extremely important to me- where the funds are going, what our current goals and initiatives are, and the good, the bad, and the ugly of running a small Sanctuary. We've shared our highs and lows with you all over the last 9 years, even if it doesn't necessarily paint ourselves in the best light, because I do believe in accountability.
You may have noticed lately I haven't really been updating as much as i usually do or engaging in as much conversation. I'm working 100+ hours a week at 2 full time jobs, running a household in mom mode as well as a rescue in vet tech/ business mode, dodging and weaving every hurdle in our way (which it seems there are just more and more and more lately), and now also providing intensive nursing care and hand feeding for a critically injured pig. I. Am. EXHAUSTED. Exhausted as in, falling asleep driving and grocery shopping. Exhausted as in *maybe* getting 2-3 hours of sleep each day if I'm lucky, and collapsing while carrying feed in. My health still isn't the best and I'm starting to have some repeat issues from last year popping up. Things like fundraising for Sanctuary needs are incredibly crucial and never ending but there just isn't enough time in the day- i simply don't have the time or mental capacity to research and write grants or seek out other funding options. We can't operate without funds but I can't find the time to actually work on securing them.
I Uninstalled messenger several weeks ago because I was overwhelmed even then, so I haven't responded to you, please don't take it personally. I'm not on social media enough to even see notifications for comments or respond appropriately because it's GO GO GO GO GO 21 hours a day.
If you see our posts, a quick like and share can go a long way in maintaining our place on the algorithm and helping us be seen. If you can't donate we understand and appreciate you anyway! If you have donated or plan to we cannot thank you enough for your support, we literally cannot do what we do without our amazing community and we sincerely love and appreciate all of you!
I'm doing the best I can with what we have to work with and we thank you all for continuing to bare with us 🖤🐽🖤
For those unaware, e-gift cards count towards our weekly goals as well! Rural King, Tractor Supply, Lowe's, and Walmart are staples that help keep the Sanctuary running, and a large portion of our supplies come from those places. E-cards can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
On top of what we need for Tater and his recovery, i just opened our last bags of feed so I'm freaking out about needing that as well! We've still received a minimal amount of support and I'm scrambling trying to gather additional antibiotics and other meds we need to get him through. The ONLY silver lining is that Tater now has a good appetite and is drinking some on his own- we're still supplementing with re**al fluids while pumping him full of meds to ensure he doesn't dehydrate on top of everything else, but when he lunged for the spoon i was feeding him off of today my heart SANG. THANK GOD for little miracles! Look at that beautiful messy face 🖤🐽🖤
If you cannot donate we understand! Times are tough for everyone right now, and I don't think any of us are immune. Just liking, commenting, and sharing our posts go a long way towards helping our voices be heard.
For those unaware, e-gift cards count towards our weekly goals as well! Rural King, Tractor Supply, Lowe's, and Walmart are staples that help keep the Sanctuary running, and a large portion of our supplies come from those places. E-cards can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
Tater update-
He's still not out of the woods yet, nowhere close, but this is a good sign and gives me hope! Not only is he eating but he's ENTHUSIASTIC about it! When pigs are SICK sick and lose their appetite you know you're in trouble, and he had been refusing everything we offered him the past day. The only fluids we were able to get in him were given re**al, and most meds were re**al or injectable. I've been offering various treats the past 24 hours and he's refused to even open his mouth, until FINALLY he grudgingly took a bite of an apple and it's like something awoke in him. Praise God! When he held his head up for more i cried like a baby!
We still haven't received enough in donations to even cover feed this week, and we're going to go through produce like gangbusters getting whatever we can in Tater. I also need to restock on meds, electrolytes, re**al fluids kits, and wound care supplies so that I don't use up everything we have on hand now and then not have any for the next emergent! Anything and everything helps tremendously and is greatly appreciated!!
If you would like to send a gift card to Tractor Supply, Walmart, or Rural King, they can be sent to [email protected].
Our PayPal donation fund is still active and is a quick and easy way to show support by sending a one time donation or set up scheduled donations on your terms 🖤
Sweet Tater and his brother Tot came to us at just hours old. A breeder i knew wasn't able to care for their needs- Tater was blind and Tot was the runt of the litter, considerably smaller than the rest. Rescue friends orchestrated getting them to me across Florida within literal hours, and we raised them by hand alongside our kids, dogs, and other animals. For the past almost 4 years they've always been favorites here at the Sanctuary because of their happy go lucky attitudes, always happy to meet new friends.
As they've aged, we've come to believe that Tater isn't 100% blind but definitely had significant vision loss, and Tot's chunky ass is definitely no teeny tiny runt anymore!
Lately with the electric fence issues we've had, Tater figured out he can go in and out of the pig pen without getting zapped. The neighbor would text and say Tater was in his yard, i would go out there and call and he'd come trotting right back into the pen, please with himself and his adventures.
Since I've been working 2 full time jobs, the only sleep i get is generally from 12p-3/4p. I got home today and crashed, and woke up a text from the neighbor saying my pig was laying down in the ditch and it looked like his ears were gone. I was still half asleep and disoriented and ran out the house right as my husband was pulling up with our son, and he flew down the driveway and down the street looking for Tater while i ran behind him. I knew it was bad when i saw him slam on the brakes and the look on his face when he got out. We didn't have a stretcher in the car so made a makeshift one out of a car sun shield, thankfully Tater is still a pretty small pig. We got him home and set up a bed/ infirmary with blankets and a heater while assessing his injuries, and while we don't know for sure what happened, it looks like what I've seen with dog attacks. Thankfully it looks way worse than it actually is, and we've got amazing veterinarians as well as pretty much a full scale animal hospital at our disposal so we got him cleaned up quickly and treated for pain, fluid loss, and injuries with some heavy duty antibiotics on board. Now it's just a waiting game while we see how he heals, and at the slightest sign that he's not improving we'll have to figure out a way to raise the funds and get him to the university. The doctors we work with have high expectations for a complete recovery.. 25 years of vet tech experience and 15 years in wildlife rehab makes me confident in our abilities and in the care he's receiving. Now, it's just a waiting game.
We HAVE to get the fence fixed, and a bed a financial backup plan in the event that things go south and we need to make the 2 hour trip to the university. Right now we can barely cover feed and produce so we can REALLY use community support! Please pray for Tater's speedy recovery and please send all the love, light, and positivity you can manifest his way! He's the best baby and this is literally my worst nightmare come true.
We're still running our PayPal donation platform campaign, linked below, and there are other ways to support us as well. Gift cards to Tractor Supply and Walmart are also massively helpful and can be sent to [email protected] 🖤
Help support Recovery Rescues Inc. by donating or sharing with your friends.
01/05/2026
Today my worst fear happened. Tater got out of the pig pen and something attacked him. Thank God i worked for a pig specialty vet and have access to veterinary resources and knowledge most don't because we'd be screwed. Luckily we had all medications and necessary treatment items on hand to triage and provide immediate care, but we're not out of the woods yet and we've got to get him to a physical vet. We'll monitor him overnight with video consults with our pig expert vet, and if he worsens, develops a fever or shows any indication that he does anything other than improve we'll load him up and take him to the university, but that's my last choice because we simply don't have he funds to even get him seen. This is why we've GOT to get our fence fixed ASAP!! Please pray for Tater, right now he's warm and resting comfortably covered in blankets with plenty of pain medications and antibiotics on board. Any amount is greatly appreciated and desperately needed, especially if we have to load him up and take him to the university tonight!
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Recovery Rescues Inc. posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
So, why "Recovery" Rescues? It's simple. We're in recovery!
We were he**in addicts. Crack heads. Bottom-of-the-barrel gutter junkies. We didn't think we'd ever find a way out. Friends and family were done with us. Death would have been preferable to the lives we were living.
And one day, everything changed. Recovery WAS possible, and we were saved. We met in rehab, and instantly bonded through our love of reptiles and exotics, and from being in the same profession - we were both exotic veterinary technicians. When we got together, we had a mutual mission - to save the ones who no one else thought were worth saving. We identify with them because WE were the ones no one wanted to save - and now, with over 7 years of clean time between the two of us, we are living our dream.
Immediately after leaving rehab, even as we struggled to rebuild destroyed lives and relationships from the ground up, we knew we had bigger things in store, and we jumped right in. While also working full-time and raising two girls, we took in our first rescue - a bearded dragon we called Ducky. He was underweight, worm-ridden, and pi**ed off at the world, and we had to do SOMETHING to help him. Ducky was our first; he was the one who started it all. Since August 2016, we've taken in hundreds of animals of varying species and medical conditions - from a water monitor with multiple medical conditions, to chronic respiratory snakes, to a raccoon who beat the odds and managed to survive distemper, to a rescued racehorse with a bad attitude and trust issues - and SO many more. Some animals have become permanent sanctuary residents; others we’ve treated for medical conditions and rehomed. We’ve lost a few along the way, as is the nature in rescue work - it’s a tough pill to swallow when you KNOW you can’t save them all.
We began on our own, through contacts in the animal and veterinary industries, but as word got out that we'd take in the unwanted and un-save-able, more and more were thrown our way. We now partner with the FWC, taking in surrendered animals between Amnesty Events and during special circumstances.
We started our rescue efforts in accordance with the 7th tradition of all 12-step recovery groups - with no outside funding. However, as our mission has expanded and we continue to take in more and more animals needing human assistance, we simply cannot do this by ourselves anymore. We became an official 501c3 sanctuary in May 2019, meaning all donations are tax-deductible for you, and have grown exponentially in just that short amount of time. We are now a USDA-accredited sanctuary and are FWC licensed wildlife rehabilitaters. At this time, the only native wildlife we take in are rabies-vector species, primarily bats and raccoons, because, again - we take the misfit ones no one else wants to deal with.
Because we are still small, and very new, our sanctuary is located on our own private property. We have snakes and monitors in our bedroom right next to the bat cages, and baby raccoons in our kitchen. We rescue and rehabilitate reptiles, exotic mammals, and wildlife on [mostly] our own dime. As a nonprofit, we are just now able to take in outside funding from donations, events we provide, and other sources of revenue such as grants and corporate sponsors.
We provide mobile, hands-on educational events using our rescued "animal ambassadors." All proceeds from our events go to the day-to-day maintenance, feeding, and medical expenses incurred by the animals in our care, as well as continuous expansion of our facility and caging. We offer reasonable rates for birthday parties, private events, corporate team-building events, and other events. We offer individual sessions teaching husbandry, care, and handling of specific exotic animals - we can use our animals or yours, depending on your needs. We offer exposure therapy sessions to help conquer fears of snakes or other reptiles or wildlife. Contact us for more information, and let us know your needs!
As we expand to accommodate for further native Florida wildlife rehabilitation efforts, our needs will grow tremendously. Please visit our Amazon wish list or contact us directly if you wish to help. We are always happy to take in and train volunteers; however, we prefer to work with recovering addicts who are wishing to expand their knowledge and skills and have a need to give back to society. We of all people know and understand how much animals can help heal a recovering addict’s soul!
If you have found injured or orphaned wildlife in need of assistance, or have an exotic pet or reptile in need of rehoming, please feel free to contact us. Lord knows we have no room to judge - our interest is solely in providing the animals the best chance possible to live their best lives. We DO NOT take in cats or dogs! We will take in occasional farm animals in special circumstances.
We are always happy to answer any questions regarding husbandry or rehoming; however, being technicians in the veterinary field, our advice is just that - ADVICE. Please do NOT contact us asking specific questions regarding medical conditions of your own animals - we will kindly refer you to an exotic veterinarian.
