Mending Souls

05/07/2026

Honey is away for a trial stay with her potential new family! Yesterday she did great with intros to meet her maybe siblings, a pittie sister and bully brother ❤️ This is an older pic of her in foster care, not at the new home. I just wanted to share the update! Fingers crossed she will have a finalized commitment by Monday 🤞🏼✅️

03/25/2026

❌The rats were nearly adopted but the person found other rats before finishing her enclosure to come thru with getting these guys.
❌The gerbils had a couple inquiries but the 1 interest who actually set a date ended up ghosting on us.
❌ Sugar gliders always gain a lot of attention but very few people have the patience for a discussion about the true needs of gliders and safe products to use for them. Which aren’t the cheap [deadly] ones btw.
❌The ball pythons get very little interest, as you can find them around every corner in so many colors and patterns available to pick like candy! Very few people value their life.
❌And it’s a similar story for the poor beardie. He’s had people ask about “buying” him with intentions to shelf him in a tiny glass box. He’s had SEVERAL people ghost on him. Many of them over the not-so-cheap requirements for adequate UVB. Many of them simply don’t want to send a picture of their enclosure because they know it’s not ethical. He’s had people send pictures of an immaculate setup but they end up going with another beardie. A younger, friendlier, or more colorful morph is always more attractive than a rescue in need! Especially if the breeder doesn’t ask you any questions about your setup and all you do is hand over the cash to take your pick of fresh new babies. Or you run into a “deal” rehoming.

Unfortunately this is the world we live in. Exotic pets are just as susceptible to neglect, hoarding, and dumping as cats and dogs. People can be just as uninterested in their adoption when the screening process becomes the slightest bit inconvenient.
Sorry not sorry.
I have very flexible standards for your choice of husbandry and diet. But I will always ensure proper education first and ethical standards for the health of the animal. We always hear “I’ve had them before” or “I’ve done my research” and that’s great but it doesn’t mean you skip the screening process! My job is to make sure these animals don’t get failed AGAIN because most of them are here from being failed in their first home. Lack of education and lack of commitment is usually why they’re here and it’s my job to ensure their next home has all the tools for success. These creatures are not a status trophy to display or a toy to purchase for your kids. Even animals like “just a rat” or “just a lizard” deserve a life of proper nutrition and enrichment. If you’re not interested in considering the animals needs then you’re not fit to have an animal.

03/20/2026

03/07/2026

Some of our exotics that have been waiting for the right homes! Experience not required but you will need a bit of patience to talk thru the screening process. This isnt a pet store for a quick sale. We make sure that everyone adopting 1 of our "unique pets" has the commitment, proper education, and correct supplies ready before approval.
Ready for adoption we have:
1 group of 4 female gerbils, pretty friendly
1 group of 4 male rats, handleable but not cuddly
1 pair of neutered sugar gliders, tame, high energy
1 adult male bearded dragon, not super tame
A few ball pythons, all handleable

01/27/2026

Some of you may be familiar with "Ghost" the leopard gecko! He was surrendered a LONG time ago with a group of neglected leopard geckos, and he was the last to get adopted. Ghost wasn't too keen on handling & 1 day after a routine tank cleaning he dropped his tail (a stress response). He had to wait thru a recovery period after that, for the wound to heal and to make sure the new tail that would regrow looked to be okay! When he was available to list for adoption again, he was now going to be limited to placement only with a mature adult who could understand leo behavior, stress signals, and would respect his comfort boundaries. Its not easy to find quality homes for some of these "common" pet store animals that are often seen as cheap & disposable, especially when most people want a friendly 1 they can hold at their leisure. We are so pleased to share that Ghost not only found an amazing dream home but is also thriving behaviorally in this environment!! We dont know how old Ghost was upon intake but leopard geckos can live 15+ years when cared for properly! Here's to hoping this guy has a long, happy life 💫 🦎

01/13/2026

Happy day for Frank!!! This sweet guy was taken in from the streets (oddly smelled like tires) and nobody came forward to claim him. We were sure he would be adopted pretty quickly after vetting but adoptions were very very slow last year! Suddenly in the past week Frank had several interests come in. This family was first to submit an approved application, and they drove 13hrs to come see Frank! He is now renamed Pugsley and on the way home to his brand new life (with a Boston terrier brother too) 🥳 🐾

01/03/2026

Some adoptions this week!! We got 2 gerbils into a wonderful adult home with a modern setup 👌🏼And Stitch the ball python was adopted by Ashley, an experienced snake mom who had been preparing for her next rescue! Everybody was thrilled to welcome their new pets home & we're super happy here to see these matches made 💜

Im still very limited for what surrenders can be taken. There's now a space in the reptile room, depending on species & habitat needs. The small animal enclosures do not have any space opened up since these gerbils were separated from a larger group, still waiting to all find their homes. (We are open to families/children adopting, I just require serious parents & ethical husbandry standards!) There's also a pair of sugar gliders that were taken in early December who have since been neutered & are available now for a home! We have a few long-time reptiles who are still waiting for the right homes & these poor gerbils who have had very little interest since they came in. Available pets can be seen at Petfinder.com if you're interested to take a look any time!

12/21/2025

With a major increase of sudden interest in my gerbils, gliders, and reptiles.... its time for the annual reminder that pets arent gifts! Or short term commitments at all. Please think seriously about bringing a living creature into your lives & DO NOT put that responsibility on anyone else who has not already expressed completely thought-out desire for the animal! Merry Christmas, all

12/07/2025

EXCITING NEWS

We are seeing an overwhelming number of unplanned litters here in Brevard, and we knew we had to step up for our community. SCFR is launching a no cost spay and neuter program for all breeds available to qualifying Brevard County residents and to those who love their pets but simply cannot afford to get them fixed.

We are finalizing the details now and expect to officially launch in January 2026. Giving back to our community has always been at the core of what we do, and we are excited to expand our impact even further.

11/15/2025

Steve Irwin was a major influence on me and much of my generation. His passion for wildlife was contagious! Many people in the animal welfare field today are doing what they do thanks to the inspiration of Steve. May his legacy live on!

Today is Steve Irwin Day!

It’s a day where we honour the extraordinary life and legacy of an Aussie legend.

Steve had a passion for conservation, and his organisation Wildlife Warriors continues this important mission to this day.