Spock's Sanctuary

11/03/2024

10/31/2024

We don’t know if you saw, but Cole and Bo were on TV today!! We were honored to get to join Iowa Live for this segment about the sanctuary! Just in time for Halloween!

If you want to see more, check out the article at:

https://www.weareiowa.com/article/entertainment/television/programs/iowa-live/everything-from-tortoises-to-tarantulas-visit-spocks-sanctuary-to-meet-bo-the-boa-constrictor-and-other-ambassador-animals-paid-content/524-d01c6728-36cf-481e-95af-ac2fe3473adb

Spock's Sanctuary is dedicated to improving the lives of exotic animals, educating owners and the public about their unique needs. For more Iowa Live, visit ...

10/31/2024

Due to unforeseen circumstances the sanctuary will be Closed tomorrow Nov. 1.

10/22/2024

Happy National Reptile Awareness Day!

We wanted to take a moment to highlight the amazing animals that call our facility home. The graph below shows the animals that we have had come through the sanctuary as rescues, surrenders, abandonments, and any number of other circumstances over the time we have been open. Both past and present animals that have come through our doors have given all of us at the Sanctuary a huge appreciation of these creatures, and just how much they are misunderstood. From our micro geckos to our gentle boa constrictor, each animal carries with them their own story and personality that makes them unique.

We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with these animals and wouldn't change it for the world! Through the ups and downs of this last year being open to the public, these animals have shown us just how important and valuable it is to appreciate the creatures we share this world with.

Thank you to everyone who has come through our doors and listened to their stories, interacted with them, and loved them with us for just how special they are. We hope to continue to spread love and awareness for reptiles through our efforts even beyond this national holiday!

10/13/2024

Due to unforeseen circumstances we will need to extend our closing to today, October 13th as well, thank you for your understanding!

10/12/2024

Tomorrow, October 12th, our shop will be closed, see you all Sunday!

09/10/2024

🖖Hi all! Have you ever wondered where the "Spock" comes from in Spock's Sanctuary?

In June of 2020, Cam and Cole were bored at home during the Covid pandemic and decided to head to a pet store for a new companion. Originally, we planned for aquatics, and we picked out some crabs and fish to bring home and take care of. When we went to check out, the pet store informed us that since we didn't already have a tank seasoned for aquatics, we couldn't take any home that day.

We could, however, purchase a reptile. We spent lots of time looking at their 3 lizards and finally decided that the chameleon was the animal we felt most attached to. We named him Spock because the feet of chameleons are fused into a Vulcan greeting for maximum grip on branches. We asked the pet store what seemed like a million questions, and they gave us answers, so we felt prepared to take him home. We asked about how much space he'd need, how hot his light had to be, and how often we'd need to change his water dish, among SEVERAL other questions.

On our way home, we started doing some googling to supplement the information that the pet store gave us. We quickly discovered that everything the pet store had told us was either A) lies to make him a more appealing purchase or B) misinformation that they hadn't double checked, making them unequipped to have been selling him at all.

We threw out every waking minute of the next 2 weeks to accommodate his needs the way he deserved. Where we had been told to house him in a glass 10 gallon fish tank, Cole built him a custom 4x2x7 foot enclosure out of screen to allow him the space and airflow that he actually needed (plus some). Instead of rocks for decor that he couldn't grip to move around, we filled it with snall trees and vining plants that gave him coverage and comfortable footholds. Most importantly, chameleons can't see stagnant water, so he hadn't had a drink in weeks when we took him home. We threw out the dish and replaced it with a dripper and regular mistings so he had access to water in a form he could see and drink.

We realized that our struggle to figure out Spock's care on our own is something that other keepers deal with too, and decided that about 40 years in the future, we'd start an animal rescue to help other keepers avoid those struggles. The world had other plans for us, and we jumped into it six months later (a story for another day). We did what we could to help others have the resources we wished we'd had, and we chose to name the company after Spock because he was the inspiration for everything.

As a veiled chameleon, Spock's lifespan should have been about 4-6 years, as this is a live-fast, die-young species. When we took him home, he was already into his adult years, and we knew we wouldn't have him around forever. In the summer of 2022, Spock passed in his sleep. He lived a full life, but it was a devastating loss to us.

We met Gregg after having seen his work on Facebook, and we knew right away that we trusted him with Spock's memory. Preserving reptiles is incredibly difficult, and Gregg did an absolutely incredible job. We're so blessed to get to have Spock around, especially with all of the impact we've been able to make in his name with Spock's Sanctuary.

Come to Spock's Sanctuary at 2102 Milton Ave in Des Moines to get a chance to meet the animals we've been able to help, and maybe consider adopting one while you're there!

08/16/2024

It’s back to school time, which means summer is over… BUT the fun does not have to end!!

Spock’s Sanctuary is a great opportunity to combine education with entertainment. AND better yet, WE DO FIELD TRIPS! Bring your class (or we can come to you!), youth groups, etc., to share our love and knowledge for exotic animals with people of all ages.

For more information on visiting Spock’s Sanctuary as an individual, group, or in a field trip setting, visit https://www.spockssanctuary.org/education! We can not wait to see you there!

08/10/2024

Headed to the State Fair? Looking for something more to do in the area?

LOOK NO FURTHER! Spock’s Sanctuary is only ONE EXIT AWAY! We’re open Mondays and Fridays from 5pm to 8pm and weekends from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 5pm. We have a wide variety of exciting animals to visit, touch, experience, and learn about.

Stop in and learn with us! 🦎

2102 Milton Ave in Des Moines
Exit 11 off I-235

08/03/2024

Such amazing work! I can’t say enough how much I recommend Reagan for any pet portraits you may want!!

08/02/2024

So honored to have been recognized for this award!!

We have officially completed our NINTH summer of our CYstarters program! We wanted to express our gratitude to each and every one of you who attended Demo Day to support our students. HUGE congratulations to our award winners and to the current CYstarters cohort for officially becoming CYstarters alumni! 🎉

CYstarters Alumni Award ($2,500): Grant Stotts (Chain Wrestling), Mia Nichols (C’est La Crepe Food Trailer), and Cam and Cole Reiman (Spock’s Sanctuary)

Ted Bair Student award ($1,000): Ella Schulte, founder of You Mag
Ted Bair Supporter Award: Mindy Bergstrom (small business owner and entrepreneur)
Clayton Mooney award ($250): Kaden Bowie, founder of VickSum Pay

Mystery Judge awards ($1,000): Andrew Walton (Morbid Living), Ellie Lashier (Joyful Melodies), Chloe Mettenbrink (SockzUp), Jonathan Duron (TagLink), and Dani Rothman (Bustle Row Bridal).

08/02/2024

Looking for a tank for your scaley loved one?

Well, look no further! Spock's Sanctuary has a bunch of used tanks for sale at reasonable prices. And... it gets better! We also have supplies for setting up your enclosure! That makes Spock's Sanctuary a one-stop shop for all of your reptile needs.

We are open this weekend from 9-12 and 2-5 on both Saturday and Sunday or feel free to contact us via our website at https://www.spockssanctuary.org.

07/28/2024

Spock’s Sanctuary will be closed this Monday, July 29th! Sorry for any inconvenience!

07/17/2024

Just another addition to our “World Snake Day” events!! It was a blast coming out and visiting again!

07/16/2024

Today is World Snake Day so

LET'S CELEBRATE SNAKES! In honor of today, we would love for you to tag a snake loving friend so they can join the celebration!

Be sure to keep an eye out for some more World Snake Day related posts from us here at Spock's Sanctuary!

07/16/2024

07/14/2024

Want to support our small business?

While there are various ways to show your support, we wanted to highlight a few here today!

Spock's Talks is a newsletter from our team to you! Coming to you twice a month, it keeps you informed on our events, animal recuses, new information, and more for as little as $2 a month!

Sponsorships, on the other hand, are a more directly involved approach. You can sponsor one of our ambassador animals or pledge to support all of our animals together. This sponsorship comes with a monthly update on the ongoings of the sanctuary while also showing support for specific animals, stories, or efforts by the sanctuary!

If you want to support our small business in either of these ways, check out https://www.spockssanctuary.org/supportus. If not, no worries! We appreciate your support in any form you can give it to us! 💚🦎🐸

07/07/2024

Hot days like yesterday and today make me so excited for our upcoming event, Cold (Blooded) Treats!

Grab your tickets now to join us for a chance to cool off from the heat!

spockssanctuary.org/events