04/15/2025
Dear Friends and Followers,
I apologize in advance but this message is coming from a broken heart and it is difficult to w**d out the emotion.
Some of you may have been exposed to a very hateful post that was recently posted about the rescue by one of our former volunteers. Sadly, this was a person that was welcomed into my home where the rescue is based. This person came in under the guise of being a volunteer and foster and was given many animals to foster for the rescue.
During the time this person was considered a team member, they were setting out to harm the reputation and mission of the rescue by taking photographs of animals and enclosures and plotting to post them in an unsavory light, without context, and even entering my home at times when I was not home, taking things without permission and staging photos. This person has made this post as a vendetta against me and the rescue in part because they were upset that I would not adopt certain animals to them, or adopt animals to them at a fee they wanted.
They were also upset that their recent complaint to Animal Control failed to produce the result they were looking for.
I honestly should have terminated this persons volunteer/foster status several months ago when they were observed by another volunteer stealing from the rescue. I should have also terminated them when they sold animals belonging to the rescue to a pet store without my knowledge and were deceitful about the fee that they collected for them.
Rather than feed into this persons need for attention, I will simply say that our rescue has always been open to the public and if anyone cares to come and see the animals and their housing in person rather than take the word of someone that is deceitful all it takes is a phone call to schedule an appointment with us.
As far as the personal attacks on my lifestyle I do not feel that I need to explain to anyone my medical conditions that caused my retirement from a “regular job” or divulge financial information from my retirement, pension, savings and income from outside sources.
It is sad that anyone is so threatened by us or jealous of our success that they lower themselves to this level.
This will undoubtedly be a rough time for us to traverse, but we will continue to evolve and be a force in our community.
For those that feel they can do better, by all means please do. There are enough animals in need for anyone wanting to open their own rescue.
I truly appreciate the love and support that has been shown. We will continue to promote only positivity in the rescue and online. There is no room for hate at this organization. Thank you to all for your love and support.
SARR&E is Tucson's only licensed Reptile Rescue, and a 501(c)3. We provide STEM-Based Educational Presentations to classrooms, clubs & groups.
