Sorry Guys!

After my PTSD meltdown earlier this month, I went to California to "pull myself back together." After about a week, I started feeling like myself again; after two weeks, I came home.

And I find myself falling apart again, never really knowing what the triggers will be that take me from fine & happy to sobbing.

PTSD is a bitch.

So in an effort to reduce stress, stop the guilt overload, and keep my sanity, I'm pulling back again. So I'll be blogging less and posting less, etc.

I'm sorry! I thought after 20 years of the trauma not being a problem that it wouldn't/couldn't/shouldn't be a problem again. :(

Blah.

Thanks for all your love and support.

Another Savvy, rescue 192

On Saturday night, a friend from back home in Utah sent me a link to a local Salt Lake City ad that showed an adult savannah monitor not in good shape.

Poor baby! The ad originally listed the Savvy & set up for $300.

I immediately got my rescue sister on it. She managed to get the guy talked down to $50 for just the Savvy. The poor baby was stuck in a 55 gallon tank with ONE light-- a single 75 watt bulb set 18 inches above the bottom of the tank and programed to turn on for only 4 hours a day. :(

Again we feared he'd be in bad, bad shape and were happy to find he wasn't *too* bad. Every time the sunshine would hit the plastic transport box he was in, the savvy would stretch out and bask in it.

The second Marybeth got him home, he went into her bath. He was SOOO happy to splash and soak. He had at least 3 or 4 layers of old shed on him and was happy to soak it off. At first, when Marybeth would lightly splash water onto his back to get him all wet, he'd respond by whipping his tail and splashing her back.

After awhile, Marybeth reached up and started scratching his head. Oh he liked that! Then he started whipping his tail to splash her when she stopped!

After helping to get a layer or two off, she took him outside for some direct sunshine time. He did great on a leash.  

Marybeth will keep him until I get home and then I'll find him either a new home or a foster home to take care of him. I'm relieved that he was a fairly easy rescue-- especially since right after he got to Marybeth's house, she took in a small Nile monitor for our rescue brother.

Diego, rescue 191

I found Diego on Craig's List and I couldn't ignore it. Look at this ad:

The ad even said the 10 gallon tank was too small but they couldn't afford a new one. Diego is a year and a half now and has been in a 10 gallon tank his whole life.

Since he obviously had never had a UVB light either, I was prepared to find a beardie with Metabolic Bone Disease. Imagine my shock that his bones were perfect! :O WOW! He is incredibly healthy and strong though a tiny bit on the skinny side. 

Diego is one of the mellowest beardies I have ever had. We held him and loved on him and he didn't flinch. Because we were down in San Diego, I wanted to go to the San Diego dog beach with my daughter. Since we had Diego, he went along with us, and he did great! 

I plan to get him back home to Utah and get him set up in a 40 gallon tank. He'll be an easy & quick adoption. In fact, I may even look into adopting him out as a Emotional Support Animal because he is SO mellow. 

I've been snuggling with him almost every night here too. He's not crazy about the other beardies here, but once he's in his blankie, he forgets all about them. 

2 Beardies + 1 Uromastyx in *ONE* Tank, rescues 188, 189, 190

So yes, I'm on vacation. But I'm not dead! ;)

Last night I picked up 3 reptiles off this ad:

Once I read the ad, I realized that there were two bearded dragons and one uromastyx in the single 40 gallon long tank.

Today, I got them all set up in individual tanks. 

In the big tank is the 2 year old male bearded dragon named Pancho. Once we wrapped him up in a soft cloth diaper last night, he wouldn't leave it. He has a hammock in his tank now and he won't leave it. 

Gramps is the smallest of the 2 beardies even though he is around 8 years old. He obviously had severe MBD when he was little because he has an underbite and misshapen mouth. His upper lip was stuck out and coated with lots of junk (dirt, old food, old shed, etc.) I cleaned off his mouth and he looked better. 

He's an adorable little guy and loves to hang out with us on the couch. He got a water bowl and spent 20 minutes swimming in it. Then he parked himself on his soft hammock for a nap. 

The uromastyx is pretty stressed from all the moving around. Every time I pull him out, he pees on me. :( I'll let him settle in to his new tank before I trim his nails and give him a bath. I'm pretty sure he's a Mali uromastyx. 

So now they are all in clean tanks with fresh clean paper towel and NO smell or dead things. Once I get them home in a few days, they will get better water bowls and UVB lights. 

An HUGE SHOUT OUT to Liam L, Ginger S, and Jordyn H who helped me pay their fee ($150 total) and for their basic tank supplies. THANK YOU!!! 

On Vacation

I suppose looking on Craig's List while "on vacation" wasn't the best idea I had, but I'm only on vacation-- I'm not dead! ;)

While on Craig's List, I found two ads that need help. Which means I need help with the money. I still have $150 in my Rescue account but these will cost more than that. Plus then I'll need to get them set up into tanks, etc. So if you can, please help! If not, no worries!

First beardie that I will be picking up on Friday for $60 but with no supplies. Yes, that's a full grown adult dragon in a 10 gallon tank.

Then there is this ad for a Uromastyx with two bonus beardies. This one will be $150 for everything.

I always hesitate to post pics in advance because sometimes in the rescue world, people undercut you and try to rescue the critters before you can get there. I know, it's lame & frustrating.

These pick ups are already arranged, but I am just trying to gather some extra money to pay both fees and have extra for getting them into appropriate set ups.

If you can donate, please click HERE.

And I promise to stop searching on Craig's List for the remainder of my vacation time....

Quick Update

I'm trying to think of how to give a brief, but insightful, summary into how life fell apart last week. One of my kids is adopted and has a severe case of Reactive Attachment Disorder along with a handful of other difficulties; also the older he gets, the more bipolar he is becoming. The end of school always throws him off and last week (being the last week of school) sent him into a tizzy that ended up with him triggering some pretty intense PTSD symptoms in me (something that I hadn't dealt with in almost 20 years). My reasons for the PTSD are found HERE in my book "Not Another Sarah."

It was quite the meltdown for both of us. :( In order to pull myself back together again, I put everything "extra" on hold-- including my rescue. I'm down to 5 tortoises, 1 turtle, 9 beardies, 1 snake, and 3 geckos. That's all I can handle right now. ;) These are my babies anyway (with the exception of one sickly sulcata tortoise) and it's easy enough to continue their care.

My amazing hubby is currently at home taking care of the zoo and I am in LA (where I'm from) taking a bit of a breather, trying to build up my emotional stamina again. Today my daughter & parents toured Catalina island. Anywhere near the beach is a blessing for me. I have salt water in my blood, I tell you! I'm already missing home and looking forward to returning.

So enjoy this picture I took and know that I'll be back soon.