Our Story

Winston was once owned by someone who was unsure of his needs. He was found in a box in front of the entrance of a zoo called The Great Lakes Zoological Society, in Michigan. He was in pretty rough shape from what I heard. Not to mention, it was pretty cold since it was in October (average 50° F in Michigan). There was stuck shed on him, was underweight and just needed a bit of tender love and care. As upsetting as this was, we try to think they had good intentions by taking him to the zoo. They were probably ashamed with his condition which is why he was left there in the box by himself with no clear explanation. This happens a lot. Reptiles are often bought and kept improperly because of the lack of correct information.

The zoo took Winston in as their own and brought him back to good health. He stayed there to educate the public and seemed to have an active happy life with zookeepers that loved him very much. About five years later, the zoo was going through some financial issues. As a result, all the animals were placed in sanctuaries or rescues.

After 8 months of doing my research, I wanted to talk with anyone that had hands on experience with tegus. Nothing better than talking to someone that can give you some pointers. So I went to some expos. In February of 2015, there was a rescue at the Birch Run Expo. After chatting with them, they mentioned they had a tegu in quarantine that just came from the zoo named Winston. While talking about Winston, I fell in love. Never even got to see him. Not even a picture. I just had this feeling. So I filled out some paperwork, did an interview over the phone weeks later and a digital inspection (I lived too far for them to see in person). After a month of waiting, hard work and proving that I was serious about adopting Winston, he eventually came home. In March 20, 2015, he became a member of our family and continues to live the rest of his life in lizard luxury.

Because of Winston’s past and learning how common this issue is, we want to educate the world about being responsible with reptiles. It is sad knowing how many are neglected and left in poor conditions. Most times it’s from lack of knowledge. So, we are here to help as much as we can by sharing our experiences with you! Hope you all enjoy our blog and help us spread reptile awareness.