Hoppy, Healthy & Safe

05/28/2026

A few updates and an introduction:

1st and foremost: THANK YOU. Thank you for your love, patience and kindness during the last couple of weeks while I processed the loss of Marge that compounded with the many other losses in the last year and THANK YOU to all our new followers and those who donated on behalf of Agnes- because of you we’ve been able to get some meds on hand that will be a life saver for animals and have a financial buffer for when animals come in needing care.

2nd: I’m hoping to get caught up on adoption and volunteer applications and surrender requests this weekend. If I’m able to do so we will be re-opening to owner surrenders on 6/1.

3rd: Don’t forget to join our new Patreon! Introductions to all of our ambassador animals and a new blog post will be up tonight!

4th: meet Frat! Frat transferred to us a few months ago after the amazing rescue he was previously with saw his potential as an education ambassador. He’s done a couple small programs and we’re so excited to have him joining Baguette in the snake rotation for this summer!

05/19/2026

It only seems fitting that an animal that was in and of herself a movement would spark a larger movement to help animals everywhere. In honor of Agnes, the amazing beaver who changed peoples perspectives and brought the eyes of the world (literally) on Indiana’s native wildlife and the great work of The Pipsqueakery we are joining the

This movement, started by our friends at The Pipsqueakery, turns a sad time into a life changer. Bringing together rescues, wildlife rehabs and animal lovers together to honor a memory.

All donations made in honor of Agnes will be going towards medical care for the animals in our care.

Please mark any donations with and make sure you’re sharing your favorite Agnes or other animal memory! This picture of Agnes smiling in her sleep is easily one of mine!

🦫 links in comments 🦫

05/17/2026

Hi friends. Kelsey here. My sweet beautiful Marge has passed. In order to protect my own well-being and mental health we are shutting down owner surrenders for a bit. We will continue to assist with crisis care situations.

For owner surrenders of exotics please reach out to our friends at Chicken Nugget and Gang Indyclaw Rescue Mango's Miracles

I’ll make sure to post when we’re re-opening.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

05/16/2026

I’m sitting here at 2 AM wondering how we do this. Why we open our hearts over and over, knowing how much heartbreak can come with it.

As you may or may not know, Hoppy, Healthy & Safe is entirely ran by volunteers. Every person involved has their own job, family, and pets at home. On top of that, they choose to devote their time, energy, and love to caring for animals that are not their own.

Tonight, though, that is not what is weighing heavily on my mind.

In April, I adopted a new cat from a rescue I love dearly. There is even a BunBun connection there, which makes it feel all the more special. She is the sweetest cat with the best RBF I have ever seen.

She is also very, very sick.

Sick enough that I spent the night at the emergency vet, where she remains for the foreseeable future. I am exhausted, both physically and emotionally, but more than anything, I’m overwhelmed.

Why?

Because unbeknownst to me, a tribe was rallying around me.

First, one friend showed up with a McDonald’s Diet Coke and cookies. Then another arrived with a second Diet Coke and French fries. They sat with me for hours, talking about pets, wildlife rehab, life, and complete nonsense.

And in that moment, it hit me.

This is how we keep going.

These two incredible women dropped what they were doing to show up for me. They offered support, love, and a reminder that I was not alone in the hard.

My heart is both broken and incredibly full.

How much better would life be if we all made a point to remind each other that we are not alone?

So that is my ask for this weekend.

Love each other. Show up for each other. Help each other see the good, even when life feels hard.

05/15/2026

Have you ever wondered what goes on in my (Kelsey's) head? Wanted to hear the rescue stories and rants that we don't share on social media?

What about see behind the scene updates from the animals in our care? Want to take an extra step in supporting a particular animal?

We have started a Patreon so you can do all of those things! Every donation goes straight to our mission and you can get a fun little update in return!

First posts will be going live this weekend so make sure you're signed up!

https://patreon.com/HoppyHealthySafeExoticAnimalRescue?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

05/14/2026

The rabbit's out of the bag! We were selected as one of the 2026 beneficiaries for Indy PAAW - Indianapolis Professionals Advocating Animal Welfare Ales for Adoptable Tails!

Make sure to save the date and come join us and all our other friends on September 19th!

As voted on by our membership, this year's Ales for Adoptable Tails beneficiaries will be the following Central Indiana animal welfare groups!

- Dog Category
- Cat Category
Hoppy, Healthy & Safe - Exotic Category

Save the date for our September 2026 event!

05/13/2026

It’s decently well known that you should watch what you say if you’re in the rescue world.

Case in point: a few weeks ago I threw out a remark to my mom that I’d really like to have hermit crabs.

Last week we were contacted about hermit crabs whose owner had sadly passed away.

Meet LeFou, Cogsworth, Lumiére, Plumette and Chip.

These guys may end up being for adoption or may stay with us to help educate on proper hermit crab care and why you shouldn’t buy them on vacation.

05/08/2026

This is a sign of good things. In November we took in a handful of animals into our temporary foster care program . They were split between 3 foster homes and tonight they all came back BECAUSE….tomorrow they’re going home!

This. This is why we exist.