Exotic Animal Rescue & Pet Sanctuary (EARPS, Inc.)

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United States
Indianapolis, IN
Exotic Animal Rescue & Pet Sanctuary (EARPS, Inc.)

We rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome small exotic mammals, reptiles, birds, and more.

08/07/2024

Resting Beardie Face.

Spicy Ketchup arrived with a serious black beard and a bit of a head twitch. He was very stressed out. We had hoped some time in his foster home would help him calm down, but the black beard never went away.

We became concerned he may have a medical issue, but he received a clean bill of health from our vet. There’s nothing wrong with him – his (foster) mom had him checked! He may look grumpy, but he’s actually very sweet and handleable. That’s just how his face looks.

If you’re interested in adoring him, or any of our other bearded dragons in rescue, you can apply online anytime.

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

08/02/2024

We had several rats altered a few weeks ago, who are all still recovering from surgery. Once their incisions heal, they’ll be available for adoptions in various pairs and trios.

We spay and neuter all rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs both to stop the breeding cycle and help prevent reproductive disease as they age. Rats, especially, are prone to mammary tumors, which can be reduced or prevented with spay and neuter.

That means that each rat costs us much more than their adoption fee in vetting alone – plus food, litter, cages, and the massive quantities of hammocks and fleece they chew through on a daily basis. We are able to continue this work thanks to generous donors as well as adopters who pay above and beyond our standard fees.

If you’d like to help cover these recent vet bills, you can contribute below or through PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo.

http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

07/28/2024

Help! Please fill out an Adoption Application so I can be released!

07/25/2024

In his adoption era.

Baby loves to sing along to music, even if he doesn’t always know the words. He just wants to hold your hand and belt his own lyrics. He’s looking for love after a recent loss, but it’ll be a Cruel Summer if he can’t find a forever family of his own.

You can apply online at anytime: http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

07/16/2024

Brellna and Maylie would like to wish Savannah J. Goins a happy release day! You can read about their namesakes in her newest book, Whisper of Weapons – the first book in a yearlong series featuring animals familiars and fantasy.

07/13/2024

Today we took in 8 strays – 7 rats and a bearded dragon. We hold all intakes for 30 days, but unlike our giant friend earlier this week, most are rarely reclaimed. They’ll be quarantined, spayed/neutered as needed, and assessed for any medical concerns before adoption.

But if you’re interested in these species, we still have a few of each from previous intakes who are already adoptable. You can apply online or donate to their care fund below and through PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp.

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc CashApp: $EARPSinc Venmo: -inc

07/10/2024

Meet Virginia.

We picked her up last night after 911 dispatch contacted us about a “12-foot, 100 pound snake.” Now, stray reports are often exaggerated, so we grabbed a box, started thinking about what supplies we’d need to gather, and assumed we were picking up an 8-10 foot boa.

And then we walked up on a 12-foot, 100 pound albino Burmese python. She was surrounded by police officers and several neighbors standing 10 feet away, having spent over an hour trying to figure out what to do before we were called.

Our president walked up, grabbed her, asked another board member to help lift, and we walked off carrying her over our shoulders. The social media and news reports were helpful – her owner reached out right away and made plans to pick her up this morning.

He’d been on vacation and the pet sitter let him know one of his snakes had escaped. After verifying proof of ownership, we arranged to keep her overnight so he could rearrange his travel plans to make the trip.

They have been reunited, and Virginia is safe and sound at home tonight. With her quick return, this one didn’t cost us anything but time, but all donations go towards our efforts to save more animals like Virginia.

http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

07/08/2024

We are frequently in need of transport volunteers to help get animals to us, out to partner rescues, or to and from vet appointments. Our most frequent travel is between Indianapolis suburbs and Bloomington, but sometimes have a need for more local transport or longer distances. If this is a need you can help with, please apply as a volunteer on our website.

http://earps.org/get-involved/volunteer-application

We also occasionally hire transport when we get really desperate. If you’d like to help pay for a pet taxi, you can contribute below or through PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo.

http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

07/02/2024

Contrary to popular rumors, no rodents have been chewing on our internet lines, but our domain is having issues. It should be back online here shortly. All of the animals are very sad that access to the email and website have been impossible. Please bear with us as we get everyone back on their wheels.

(We’ve been informed everything should be back up and running in 15ish minutes.)

06/24/2024

Each month, we choose a new name theme to help us keep track, give us a quick reference list for intakes, and have a little bit of fun! Our fosters love trying to guess the theme as they pick up new rescues, but this month is a tricky one to guess.

Our animals are all getting names from Whisper of Weapons - a new series releasing next month written by a long time volunteer and foster, Savannah J. Goins. Her fantasy books feature interesting characters, creative animals, and unique fantasy names – complete with a pronunciation guide!

We’re so excited to announce our naming takeover and support Savannah’s latest series. She is an incredible author and dedicated volunteer – dragon writer by day, dragon wrangler by night. You can preorder Whisper of Weapons now, and watch PetFinder throughout July as its namesakes are released for adoption!

https://a.co/d/0gir4rBz

06/17/2024

Beldon & Dane with a public service announcement about the importance of staying hydrated…

It’s going to be crazy hot this week. Stay safe out there, friends!

06/07/2024

This week, we were contacted by a family who had purchased two “female gerbils” only to quickly discover that was not the case. Three litters later, they reached out to us for help.

We have the gerbil family in foster homes now. The boys will be adoptable when their intake hold is up. The adult girls will be adoptable after a pregnancy hold, once their litters are weaned. And the babies will have some growing to do until we can accurately separate them and start the process all over again.

This is a continuous problem with pet stores. They sell animals without properly sexing, often because they’re still too young to confirm. Then the new owners are left with a mess a few months later when they realize what has happened.

If you’re interested in adopting gerbils, we do have a few others already available from previous intakes. Adoptions will help us make room for these gerbils as they grow and need separate cages. You can apply online at any time.

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

05/31/2024

Stop by and see us tomorrow 2-4pm at Central Library downtown! We’re bringing a few fun critters to help kickoff the Indianapolis Public Library summer reading program.

05/20/2024

Relish (on the left) came to us from a shelter. Chinchillas are very social, and we wished we had someone she could befriend and had hoped to quickly find her a forever friend once her intake hold was up. But as always, in the world of animal rescue, wishing can be a dangerous thing.

Mustard (right) arrived last week, though he’ll need neutered before they can be introduced. And then something funny happened. We often give our animals titles, taking on a Little Miss or Mister when taking to them, but Mr. Mustard just didn’t sound right so this guy got a totally different moniker. Any Clues?

If you’d like to help with their vet care, you can contribute below or through PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo.

http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

05/17/2024

We love a good happy tail, and we’ve had a lot of them lately! There have been 11 gerbils adopted so far this year, and we are really enjoying the fun pics everyone is sending. There are just so many fun ways to set up a gerbil cage and enrichment.

We still have 10 more gerbils looking for their forever family. You can apply anytime on our website!

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

05/16/2024

It has been a very expensive vet week around here - over $1200 so far!

We took in a few animals last week that have high veterinary needs already. Large parrot exams, nail trims, f***l, and bloodwork add up quickly even on a healthy bird like Pickles. Ferrets require a vaccine series which is fairly pricey even when they’re otherwise healthy (Chutney isn’t).

And we said goodbye to Tripod yesterday after her x-rays showed complete destruction of her bones from the cancer we had already suspected. But we gave her a shot, showed as much love as she allowed, and offered dignity in crossing the rainbow bridge to end her severe pain and suffering.

If you’d like to help with these expenses, you can contribute below or through PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo.
http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

05/15/2024

Tripod is back at the vet for a recheck today. We’re going the medication she’s been on for the last few weeks have made a difference and reduced swelling. If not, she’ll have x-rays to see what else may be going on and check for metastatic cancer.

We’re looking at another few hundred in vet bills for her today, and then making quality of life decisions based on the findings.

If you’d like to help with her care and our other vet expenses, you can contribute below or through PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo.

http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

05/06/2024

We recently took in a hedgehog with a “swollen leg” who had been to the vet a few months ago. Unfortunately, the owner’s vet did not sedate her for the exam and was unable to see anything since she remained balled in her defensive position.

We schedule a sedated exam with our exotic vet as soon as she arrived, named her Tripod to go with our photography theme assuming she may need an amputation, and got to work earning her trust so she would let us keep an eye on her injury.

She has two swollen limbs as well as swollen lymph nodes. We are trying antibiotics, pain meds, and anti-inflammatories to see if we can rule out infection. Cancer is still a possibility, but with multiple limbs affected, an amputation is sadly not a curative solution.

She’ll be living her best left in foster care while we give the meds a chance to work, then head back to the vet for a recheck and quality of life determination. If you’d like to help with Tripod’s vet bills, you can contribute below or through PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo.

http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

03/14/2024

Did you know it’s officially Adopt a Rescue Guinea Pig Month? Show us your rescued guinea pigs!

Han and Vivien have been in rescue for more than 2 years waiting for their turn to get picked. Vivien arrived as a young adult. Han showed up soon after as a juvenile, and she took him under her wing. They’ve been together in rescue ever since.

You can learn more about adoption and apply online at any time.

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

03/08/2024

It’s been a real expensive year so far - 20+ rats spayed and neutered already this year. And then this week hit, and we realized that was nothing!

Seven reptile exams on Monday, four gerbil neuters Wednesday, and today we have a cockatoo, seven finches, and three ferrets in for exams.

We’re so grateful to our friends at VCA Stoney Creek Animal Hospital, and to all of our supporters and donors who have made it possible to rescue 100+ animals in the last two months and cover all their vet care.

If you’d like to help, you can contribute below or through PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo.

http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

03/05/2024

Happy Birthday to our fearless & dedicated Pres!

02/20/2024

Several of our gerbils were neutered today, to get them ready for adoption as soon as they are healed. One of the little rascals is pulling an UGG, so Hashbrown is sporting a new wrap to keep his incision safe as it heals.

Dr. Lempert and the team at VCA Stoney Creek Animal Hospital are doing everything they can to make sure he and his siblings are well cared for. We love that they love our critters as much as we do!

Spay and neuter is a huge part of our mission to stop the breeding cycle, keep our social creatures housed in groups, and for the health benefits it offers to some species. It is also a huge part of our budget!

If you’d like to help, you can contribute below or through PayPal, CashApp, and Venmo.
http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc
CashApp: $EARPSinc
Venmo: -inc

02/15/2024

Snakes may be cold-blooded, but they’ll warm your heart! Reames is a 9yo ball python looking for a retirement home to live out their golden years.

Ball pythons can live up to 20 years, so while they may technically be a senior, there is still a lot of life – and love – for the right family.

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

02/15/2024

This father/son duo are a cuddly treat! We would love to see them adopted – and not just because we recently accepted another breeding family intake.

Guinea pigs often arrive pregnant, and we will care for the litters, spay/neuter the parents, and work to find their forever homes in the pairs and trios that make the most sense for their happiness and wellbeing.

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

02/15/2024

These cuties will tweet straight to your heart! This is a tightly bonded pair of budgies from our large intake last fall. But if you’re looking for a larger flock, they still have plenty of other friends who are also adoptable.

http://earps.org/adoption

02/15/2024

These sweet girls will CHEWS you every time! Did you know? Gerbils are the best recyclers – all your cardboard are belong to us.

Lean Cuisine and Digiorno are our last adoptable pair of gerbils right now. Check out our care guide to learn more about gerbils, then apply online to adopt today.

http://earps.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Gerbil-Care-Guide.pdf

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

02/14/2024

Spice up your life with this cute young thing! AC/DC is one of several bearded dragons currently available for adoption. They are one of the most common – an lovable – reptiles in our rescue.

You can apply online at any time:

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

02/14/2024

Find your next soulmate at EARPS.org! We have adoptable animals in several species looking for a forever home. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, you can still apply online to be added to the waitlist for future intakes.

http://earps.org/adoption

02/14/2024

We may not have any lovebirds right now, but these three would love to be your birds!

This trio was part of a large intake in the fall, and we have many other budgies available to adopt as single bond candidates, pairs, trios, or ready made flocks.

http://earps.org/adoption/adoption-application/

02/14/2024

Klin and Arctic Ocean are our newest couple! They have each been in rescue since our intake freeze and have recently made friends in their foster home. They are now adoptable as a bonded pair.

Guinea pigs, like many species in our rescue, are highly social creatures, and we work hard to keep them with friends and find bond mates to keep them happy and healthy.

You can read more about Guinea pigs in the care guide on our website.

http://earps.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Guinea-Pig-Care-Guide.pdf

Address

Indianapolis, IN
46268

Telephone

+13178092153

Website

http://www.earps.org/

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Videos

Beldon & Dane with a public service announcement about the importance of staying hydrated… It’s going to be crazy hot this week. Stay safe out there, friends!

What happens when you order a custom painting? The animals get to work! Larcan here is working hard on our first custom order! https://www.etsy.com/shop/EARPSInc

Did you know? There are 49 species of tortoises, some of which are legal to own while others are not and who all have very different needs. EARPS was provided an opportunity to learn more about this this week when we discovered that an owner surrendered tortoise was not a yellow foot as we were told but rather a Gopher Tortoise which is federally listed as threatened and protected in many states. Gopher tortoises are native to the southeast states where it is illegal to possess (or even to handle besides getting them out of immediate harm) however in Indiana they are legal to possess without a permit. We suspect the previous owner brought the tortoise home as a souvenir from vacation. We are very thankful we were able to learn about this species now as their care is different from that of yellow foots and now this little nugget can be provided the best of care. While this is turning out well unfortunately many cases do not. Do not remove wild animals from their habitats. If you see an injured animal contact the appropriate authorities to assist who have the training and knowledge to care for the different species. Please, for the love of Cal, leave the wild animals wild.

We’re still here!!!

Valedictortoise. First in her class, last to the finish line.

Meanwhile, at the rescue…

To be continued…

Taking advantage of our newly cleaned hallway for a tortoise and hare race!

Year round we are amazed with the donations and support we receive for our exotic animals. 2021 is looking to be our largest year since we began our current record keeping in 2016 and there is no way we could do it without the support you provide. Throughout the day tomorrow we will be highlighting some of the things your donations have allowed us to do. If you would like to make a donation this Giving Tuesday you can do so through Facebook or through the following apps: http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc CashApp: $EARPSinc Venmo: @EARPS-inc

Did you know? Ferrets are extremely social animals and should always be housed in a pair or group! These groups will spend 18-20 hours of their day sleeping! Those other 4-6 hours often spent running, jumping and playing like Saffron and Phlox did in the ball pit at furcon!

Have you ever seen the names we come up with for our animals and thought, "I could do that!" Well now is your chance! For the month of September we want YOU to name our incoming animals! For any donation you can send us a name (Keep it PG please!) and we'll use it for one of our animals! Keep an eye out to see who gets your chosen name! http://PayPal.me/EARPSinc CashApp: $EARPSinc Venmo: @EARPS-inc