International Reptile Rescue is a rescue/sanctuary specializing in only reptiles. We believe, DO ONE THING AND DO IT WELL. You don't do any animal a service by knowing a little about a lot of animals. We've been rescuing reptiles and assisting authorities since the 70’s and considered the oldest Reptile Rescue in North America. We are absolutely a NO KILL organization and one of the few rescues qualified and specializing in dangerous reptiles like venomous and crocodilians. Few rescues or shelters are trained in how to safely and humanely work with the larger, potentially dangerous reptiles which results in many being unnecessarily euthanized. International Reptile Rescue/Hart’s Reptile World is the growing vision of Mary Esther Hart who’s been interested in reptiles since childhood. For many it’s just a ”phase“ she’s still waiting to outgrow. During the late 70’s teachers asked her to bring some of the animals to their classrooms or bring their students and classrooms out on field trips. During the 80’s when reptiles became popular as pets it also meant that many were getting loose. Being well known for her work with reptiles, police and animal agencies from across the U.S. and Canada started calling for her help and expertise. In 1980 the collection was opened to the public as Hart’s Reptile World and was open for over 25 years but closed in 2002. Mike Brown joined the organization in 1998 and is now an integral part of animal care. Hart’s Reptile World could not be where it’s at today without the wonderful, dedicated and self sacrificing volunteers we’ve had over the years. Reptile rescue takes a certain kind of confident personality, thick skin to cope with horrific situations and independent spirit and we have been blessed to have our share of volunteers with just that kind of spirit. Our vision is to acquire property and build a state of the art Reptile Facility/Sanctuary that is again open to the public. Won’t you join our vision.