Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue - CLEAR

14/03/2025

Hooray for repeat adopter Cheri and her new Three's Company! Congrats to the Gouldians and their new forever home! 🤩

13/03/2025

In the past month or so, CLEAR has accepted 4 critters (3 parakeets and a leopard gecko) with profound health issues, including two parakeets with broken legs and a parakeet who is missing a leg. Yesterday, we spent nearly $800 on veterinary care at Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital to give our residents a chance to rest, recover, and heal. We are so grateful to our friends at CE!

The runway to recovery for these animals can be long and include multiple vet visits. 100% of your contribution supports the care of our critters, so please consider spreading the word about us and making a donation today. Hope (AKA Little Boy Boot) and the rest of our population is grateful!

donation link: paypal.com/donate/?campaign_id=HJX8M2AN2JYML&source=url

10/03/2025

Just in time for spring break, it's Sunny! Although he was found outside in February (not ideal for a species native to Australia!), this handsome lemon-lime boy is much more of a spring chicken. Sunny is a relatively relaxed male parakeet who would benefit from a male sibling or a forever family who can work with him on socialization.

Do you have room in your heart and home for a spring break boy? Consider filling out a foster or adoption application today! clearescue.org/adopt

09/03/2025

It's a beautiful, sunny day 🌞
It's warm and windows are open
Perfect for long walks and patio talks
We're preparing for those first calls
About spring birdy strays

Keep your fids (feathered kids) safe inside
Make sure the window screens are tight
Watch those doors and properly latch them
Or else our stray squad will have to go catch them
Sweet little birdy strays 🦜

What do you do if you find a stray bird or reptile in the City of Chicago? Call us 773-349-2882 and we'll try to help. 🌞

06/03/2025

Happy homecoming to our favorite green queen, RuPaula! Rupaula found a forever home with repeat adopter Rachael, and we are SO GLAD for this formerly stray girl. She came, she WERKed, and she went home with a happy ending- what could be better? Hooray!!! 🤩💚💙

05/03/2025

Happy Wednesday, CLEARies! We wanted to start our day off talking about this adorable adoptable. 🤩🤩🤩

Miss Woody was found as a stray under a log at Harms Woods in Skokie- and we are forever grateful for the Cook County Forest Preserve law enforcement officer who called us about her. Woody is a gorgeous adult super pastel ball python, and while we're still getting to know her and her personality, we do know that she'd be a great addition to any reptile-savvy household.

Could Woody be the sweet noodle for your home? Consider filling out an adoption application today! www.clearescue.org/adopt

28/02/2025

These two cuties are still with us. HOW?!

Oberon (green, male) and Titania (blue, female) came to us after their human mother was diagnosed with cancer. She took excellent care of them and made sure to give them everything they needed to have happy, enriching lives. These two are especially unique because they are already on a pellet diet, which is the healthiest option for parakeets. We hope that they're forever family will be just as caring as Oberon and Titania's first human.

Could these two be the Bard's own songsters for your life? Consider filling out an adoption application today! clearescue.org/adoptapp

26/02/2025

Happy Wednesday, CLEARies! It's just one week until our Cool Animal Facts Trivia! An Online Benefit for CLEAR. We hope you'll join us next Wednesday, March 5th @ 6 PM CST. You can join us from anywhere on Google Meet. Trivia will be 3 rounds, each consisting of 10 questions. The winner will receive a fabulous prize and bragging rights. 😃

We will be accepting donations via our PayPal account before, during, and after the event. While there is a suggested donation of $10 for participation, we are grateful for your generosity-- no matter the amount.

22/02/2025

Adoptable Alert! Meet Reptar!

Reptar, an adult male Merauke blue tongue skink was left at a Chicagoland pet store in pretty rough shape. Native to Indonesia and other similar localities, this omnivorous species requires excellent husbandry to be kept successfully. We're thrilled to say that our boy now has a clean bill of health, despite missing a few toes. Reptar is currently thriving in a bioactive tank with 80-100% humidity, he likes to burrow, much on fresh veggies, gut-loaded bugs and other proteins. Reptar is about 20" from tip to tail, and he is thriving under the dedicated care of his foster mom. This boy's adoption fee includes everything he needs in a 36"X18"X18" bioactive tank, although he would be even happier in a larger enclosure down the road.

Could Reptar be the sweet boy for you? Consider filling out an adoption application today! clearescue.org/adoptapp

21/02/2025

Happy Friday, CLEARies! For our last "How are Animals Real?" segment we present Education Ambassador, BonBon the Ska-nure.

"Bon Bon is a green-cheek conure with a surprising love for ska music. From bopping along to Reel Big Fish to forming a deep bond with her adopter, her story highlights the importance of bird rescue and proper parrot care. In this episode of How Are Animals Real?, we talk with Frieden Johnson, a board member of Clear Animal Rescue, about Bon Bon’s journey from being relinquished to finding a forever home. We also discuss why adoption is critical for birds like her, the social needs of parrots, and how music plays a role in enrichment. Spoiler Alert! This bird loves SKA!"

Support Clear Animal Rescue: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?campai...
Learn more at Clear Rescue’s website: https://clearescue.org/

20/02/2025

For our next Creature feature with "How Are Animals Real?" we have... Cosmo!

"Cosmo is a nine-year-old leopard gecko with an interesting history. As the only animal in his home that predates the rescue, his story highlights the importance of proper reptile care and long-term commitment. In this episode of How Are Animals Real?, we talk with Jessica Katz, Founder and Director of Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue (CLEAR), about what makes Cosmo such a healthy gecko, how leopard geckos store fat in their tails, and why shedding is a crucial part of their care."

Thanks for the love, Jim and Andi!!!

19/02/2025

Hey CLEARies, we need your help! Do you have a tall vehicle?

Are you available to transport a 36" high terrarium (must stay upright) from just west of Midway to Jefferson Park on Saturday at 11am? Your crested gecko copilot Disco (and all of us here at CLEAR) would be super grateful!

Please email [email protected] if you can be of assistance.

Send a message to learn more

19/02/2025

How are animals real?! There's a new youtube channel dedicated to this question-- and CLEAR got to help bring brings some real animal content to the channel.

And their first feature? Bella, Queen of the Budgies! Watch here: https://youtu.be/3qY_6geA4C4?si=zmeByIhCC7nguREJ

"Bella is a parakeet with a big personality. Known as the Queen of the Budgies, she plays a key role at Clear Animal Rescue by helping new birds feel at home. In this episode of How Are Animals Real?, we speak with Jessica Katz, Founder and Director of Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue (CLEAR), about Bella’s backstory, why she’s a permanent resident, and what makes budgies such unique and social pets. Jessica explains the importance of flock behavior, how to care for a parakeet, and how Bella calmly accepts her daily medication, a result of trust-building."

We hope this channel, full of living aliens, leaves you asking, How are animals real?"

-Jim O'Connell & Andi Sharavsky

18/02/2025

Canaries Herbie and Kirby, dumped in an alley just before new year's, have found their forever home with CLEAR alum canary Nimbus and our favorite canary maven, Phyllis. We're so happy for this sunny flock!

14/02/2025

Happy Love Day, CLEARies! We hope that your day is filled with all the love and kindness. All of it. Happy Friday, CLEARies 💙💚💙💚

11/02/2025

Adoptable Alert! Meet Elphaba (Elphie for short)

Miss Elphaba defies gravity every single day. Found as a stray on a frigid day in January, Miss Elphie is truly a strong girl. Although Elphie has an old elbow fracture and a dislocated toe, she doesn't let her injuries stop her from living her best life. Elphaba needs pain medication twice a day for these issues, but she takes her meds like a champ and loves to chirp up a storm in-between. Elphie is drawn to other female parakeets and steps up for fingers like a champ, so a home where she can be the center of her adoring fans' attention with or without a budgie sister would be ideal. Don't settle for S**z- our Elphaba is truly the Wiz!

Could Elphie be the magic you're missing in your life? Consider filling out an adoption application today! clearescue.org/adoptapp

11/02/2025

In late 2021, CLEAR was invited to assist a snake breeder in Old Irving Park with responsibly rehoming her collection of reptiles as she struggled with a terminal cancer diagnosis. When she introduced me to the 2008 hatch year female amelanistic corn snake who would soon be known as Jubilee, she said "I've never had a problem with this snake."

"That's going to be our education ambassador snake!" I replied. Jubilee is gorgeous! I named her for cherries jubilee, and her cheerful reddish-orange coloring echoes her inquisitive, gentle nature. She is the first snake I ever cared for, and I've learned so much from her! After 3 years- and at the ripe age of 17, CLEAR given Jubie the opportunity to retire from her education engagements and live out the easy life with Audrey, a corn snake mom with nearly 20 years of experience. Audrey had met Jubilee at a prior education event and was enchanted by her, so when she reached out to us looking for a new corn snake roommate, it seemed like an excellent match.

Best of luck, Jubilee and Audrey! We love you both so very much.

10/02/2025

Happy Monday, CLEARies! How are we already almost halfway through February? This morning we wanted to remind you about a virtual event that promises to be fun for the whole family! What is it? Cool Animal Facts Trivia on March 5th! Our trivia night will be 3 rounds of 10 questions each. There is a $10 suggested donation-- that can be paid directly to our PayPal. We will be playing on Google Meet-- so stay home and be cozy while you earn bragging rights!

Event details: facebook.com/share/1Drge1uXyV/
PayPal: paypal.com/donate/?campaign_id=HJX8M2AN2JYML

We hope to see you there, CLEARies 🤩