Snake rescue centre in urgent need of help

By: Jaqui Hewett
Short URL: https://archive.backabuddy.co.za/jaqui-hewett-5547606363212827990
Date Created: 16 March 2023

Funds Raised:
R 185

Fundraising Target:
R 20 000

Personal message

Hi All Reptile Lovers

My name is Jaqui Hewett and I have or actually should say had a snake rescue and rehab center in Cape Town, South Africa. I received my first ball python in November 2019, a pinstripe ball python. I instantly fell in love with him and two weeks later along camber Indiana, a beautiful normal. As I am located in the Western Cape the reptile restrictions are extremely severe compared to the rest of South Africa.

I recently lost ALL my reptiles to Cape Nature including bearded dragons, geckos, corn snakes, ball pythons, Boa Imperators, retics, a carpet python, house snakes and my Chinese water dragons.

The reason for the seizure was due to the fact that not all the reptiles were on permit. I do have reptiles on permit and those stayed behind but the ones that I had permits for that was on my cell phone I could not show them as they had confiscated my cell phone.

So basically the guy at the petshop where I had bought my first two ball pythons offered me some snakes in December 2019 and never mentioned the fact that I required permits as he should know these things, the documents that I got from the Petshop he told me was just a Petshop requirement.

Then COVID hit us, I received many requests for either medical help with their reptiles (I had learned a lot of treatments due to the fact I received 8 ball pythons completely emaciated and suffering from RI. There was no way that I could turn them away, I got them onto antibiotics and started with nebulizing twice a day, they survived and are looking amazing and eating and shedding well, we did, however, lose one of the ball pythons as the RI was too severe, all the others did well with tube feeding up to eating on their own, they are such fighters :-) .

So basically I saw a snake for sale on a WA group during COVID and bought the snake, this was the first time that I came into contact with a transport permit. I did the process, got the permit and then realised that I was in deep trouble, I did try and contact Cape Nature during COVID but there was no response, I did not want to sell the snakes as that would be making things worse for other innocent people.

I have also in this time had people surrended snakes and geckos to me as they could not care for them. I took them in, I did not want them to die of starvation or medical conditions. I paid for all the vet visits, medications and cultures from my own pocket.

My reason is for asking for help is that we NEED to create a USARK in the Western Cape to protect these reptiles as Cape Nature has no issues with euthanasing innocent reptiles.

I personally also need help with my legal fees as we are taking this case as big as it can get. This needs to be shared on all platforms. There are so many other ways of dealing with "illegal" reptiles, you can resell them with papers, and income for CN, and they can send them back to provinces where they are legal. But, nop, they want to kill them, innocent reptiles that could go to zoos, good homes.

I am pleading for help as I am possibly looking at a 3-year jail sentence probably suspended, just for loving reptiles. Look at my Google reviews on Scales and Tails.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your help every little bit helps

Statistics

Fundraising target

R 20 000.00

Donations to date

R 185.00

Funds raised offline