CommUNITY Champion: Central Florida nonprofit serves as sanctuary for more than 500 exotic pets

PROTECTING SOME OF THE SLOWEST ANIMALS ON THE PLANET. YOU WON’T FIND ANY DOGS OR CATS AT CRAZY CRITTERS, BUT YOU WILL FIND A VARIETY OF TURTLES, BIRDS, AND EXOTIC ANIMALS. WESH SANIKA DANGE INTRODUCES US TO THIS WEEK’S COMMUNITY CHAMPION CRESTED GECKO, BOAS AND TURTLES. OH MY. KEN AND CHERISE PURVIS HOUSED MORE THAN 500 EXOTIC ANIMALS AT THE SIX ACRES OF PRIVATE ANIMAL SANCTUARY THEY OPERATE IN EUSTIS. THIS IS A RED EARED SLIDER, A HAVEN FOR EXOTIC ANIMALS WHO HAD TO BE SURRENDERED BY THEIR OWNERS. CRAZY CRITTERS HELPS THEM FIND A NEW HOME. THE 500 AND 1C3 ORGANIZATION WAS OFFICIALLY FOUNDED IN 2018, BUT THEY’VE BEEN OPERATING AS A NONPROFIT SINCE THE DAY THEY BEGAN. WE ADOPTED THE RED FOOT TORTOISE FROM THE COLLEGE STUDENT, AND WE STARTED POSTING ABOUT HER STORY AND MAYBE A FEW OTHER PEOPLE CONTACTED US RIGHT AFTER THAT. THE FACILITY HAS GROWN EXPONENTIALLY SINCE THEN, HOUSING MANY SPECIES OF ANIMALS LISTED ON THE CONVENTION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES. IT’S A TREATY TO PREVENT SPECIES FROM BECOMING ENDANGERED OR EXTINCT BECAUSE OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE. CRAZY CRITTERS ALSO WORKS WITH THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE AS AN AMNESTY LAW. LOCATION. THEY HAVE A PROGRAM WHERE IF YOU ARE UNLICENSED AND YOU HAVE A PET THAT DOESN’T HAVE A LICENSE, YOU CAN JUST TURN IT OVER TO THEIR PROGRAM WITHOUT BEING FINED OR, YOU KNOW, THAT WAY. SO WE HELP WITH THAT. WE HELP WITH LAKE COUNTY ANIMAL SHARE, LIKE THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE WITH EMERGENCIES AND CONFISCATIONS. BOTH DEPARTMENTS THERE AND COMMUNITY TO DEDICATED SOLELY TO THE ANIMALS THAT HELP PUT THEM ON DISPLAY AND DON’T PROVIDE PUBLIC TOURS. SO WHAT YOU’RE SEEING HERE IS A RARE LOOK INSIDE. AND IT IS A FULL TIME JOB FOR THESE TWO. WORKING LITERALLY AROUND THE CLOCK. I GET UP AT ABOUT THREE TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO ANSWER EMAIL MESSAGES, BECAUSE USUALLY PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO REHOME THEIR ANIMALS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. MOST OF THE FOOD AND SUPPLIES FOR THE ANIMALS ARE GROWN ON SITE, AND FOR THE MORE EXPENSIVE BILLS, A PLANT NURSERY HELPS SUPPLEMENT INCOME. THEIR DEDICATION TO THIS CAUSE THAT MANY MAY NOT THINK ABOUT MAKES THEM A WESH 2 COMMUNITY CHAMPION. PEOPLE LOVE THEIR PETS. YOU LIKE AS A AS AN ANIMAL RESCUE. I THINK WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HEAR ALL THESE NEGLECT STORIES OR ABUSE STORIES, BUT REALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S ABOUT PEOPLE WHO INVEST TIME AND MONEY INTO PETS AND THEN LOSE THEIR ARM IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND CAN’T PICK UP SOMETHING ANYMORE, OR HAVE CANCER TREATMENTS THAT ARE SO FINANCIALLY, YOU KNOW, WREAKING, YOU KNOW, THAT THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMAL PROPERLY AND THEY WANT TO REHOME IT BEFORE IT GETS NEGLECT. SO THAT’S, YOU KNOW, WHY WE’RE HERE. SANIKA DANGE WESH TWO NEWS. AND THEY’RE HERE NOW. JOINING US THIS MORNING, THE FOUNDERS OF CRAZY CRITTERS CHERISE AND KEN PURVIS. GUYS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. THANK YOU. IT’S AN HONOR. OH WELL IT’S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL JUST LAND THAT YOU HAVE THERE WITH SO MANY UNIQUE ANIMALS THAT YOU’RE TAKING CARE OF. SO TELL ME THESE ANIMALS. OTHERWISE THEY’D HAVE NOWHERE TO GO. THANK GOODNESS FOR YOU GUYS. YES, IT’S ACTUALLY AGAINST A PROTOCOL FOR A LOT OF SHELTERS AND SUCH TO TAKE THE EXOTICS. SO. OKAY, WE’RE HAPPY TO DO IT. CHERISE CAN THEN TELL ME, HOW DID YOU BECOME SO FAMILIAR WITH THESE EXOTIC ANIMALS? WHAT MAKES YOU GUYS. WHY ARE YOU GUYS ALLOWED TO TAKE THEM? WELL, PART OF IT IS ME. MY FRIEND’S DAD WORKED FOR THE CENTRAL FLORIDA ZOO, OKAY? ALL OF HIS LIFE, AND THEY ALWAYS HAD THIS STUFF AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND THEN BEFORE WE STARTED THE RESCUE, WE RAISED RATS AND MICE AND SOLD RATS AND MICE AND WE, YOU KNOW, BRED ANIMALS AND STUFF TO. AND A LADY NAMED SANDY FISHER CAME TO ME ONE DAY. SHE WAS PASSING AWAY, HAD A BIRD, AND SHE SAID TO ME, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD YOU START THIS FOR ME AND MY, YOU KNOW, IN HONOR OF HER? AND SO I WAS LIKE, YES, MA’AM. YOU KNOW, AND THEN IN THIS PROCESS, SHE PASSED AWAY. OH, WOW. AND THEN ABOUT A MONTH LATER IN THE MAIL, COME A CHECK FOR EXACT AMOUNT TO START THE CRAZY CRITTERS. SO IN HER HONOR, INSTEAD OF JUST, YOU KNOW, NOT DOING WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THE MONEY, I TOOK THE MONEY AND DID STARTED THE PROCESS OF THE RESCUE, TOO. AND THEN AS WE DID, THE PROCESS, THERE’S A FWC AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED. ANIMAL CONTROL. OKAY. SO YOU HAVE ALL OF THEM KIND OF COME ONTO THE PROPERTY AND HELP OUT AS WELL. YES, MA’AM. YES. ABOUT EVERY ANIMAL THAT COMES THROUGH ANIMAL CONTROL IN LAKE COUNTY, WE COME AND GET OR THEY BRING IT TO US. OKAY. SO CHERISE, WHAT ARE YOU HOPING FOR? THE IN THE FUTURE OF THE SANCTUARY? I THINK KEN AND OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT THE CRITTERS THAT WILL LIVE 100 YEARS WON’T HAVE TO WEAR. WONDER WHERE TO GO OR BE ABLE TO PLACE ANIMALS THAT MAY NOT LIVE THAT LONG INTO COMMON PET KEEPERS HOMES, BUT TO FIND TLC AND TRUE LOVE AND CARE FOR EACH EXOTIC ANIMAL THAT NEEDS A HOME. OKAY, AND IF FOLKS ARE WATCHING THIS AND THEY THINK, OKAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON’T KNOW IF I CAN ANY LONGER CARE FOR MY EXOTIC PET. HOW DO THEY FIND YOU GUYS? HOW CAN THEY REACH OUT TO YOU? MOST PEOPLE FIND US ON FACEBOOK OR INSTAGRAM. OKAY. AND WHAT’S THE WHAT IS YOUR YOUR TAGLINE? CRAZY CRITTER CRITTERS, INC. OKAY. AND WE’RE AT THE CRAZY PLANTS NURSERY AND PEOPLE CONTACT US ON BOTH PLATFORMS. EXCELLENT. WELL, GUYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING AND