Haven Exotic Animal Sanctuary
"
I loved her for eleven years. I just couldn't give her what she needed anymore.
Margaret T., surrendering owner — Green Iguana, 2024
Green iguana basking contentedly under a warm heat lamp at Haven sanctuary, scales gleaming, posture fully relaxed
✦ Thriving at Haven

Celeste, green iguana, arrived underweight and defensive. She now basks for four hours a day and accepts handling from three volunteers.

Meet the residents
Macaws✦Servals✦Coatimundis✦Capuchins✦Tegus✦Sulcata Tortoises✦Kinkajous✦Ball Pythons✦Cockatoos✦Monitor Lizards✦Patagonian Cavies✦Fennec Foxes✦Macaws✦Servals✦Coatimundis✦Capuchins✦Tegus✦Sulcata Tortoises✦Kinkajous✦Ball Pythons✦Cockatoos✦Monitor Lizards✦Patagonian Cavies✦Fennec Foxes✦
The Residents

Every animal here has a name,
a story, and a next chapter.

We don't describe what we do. We show it. These are Haven's current residents — where they came from, what they needed, and where they are now.

Vivid blue and gold macaw perched on a wooden branch, feathers full and gleaming, looking alert and healthy
✦ Thriving — Daily flight sessions

Ptolemy

Blue-and-Gold Macaw

Arrived 2023: Owner passed away. Family unable to provide the social stimulation and flight space a macaw requires.

"He came in silent. Wouldn't touch the perch for three weeks. The morning he screamed at 6am, we all cried."

— Delia Okonkwo, Lead Avian Volunteer

Spotted serval cat crouching low in tall grass, eyes focused, body language showing natural hunting instinct returning
◈ Recovering — Learning to stalk

Sable

Serval

Arrived 2024: Surrendered by a breeder after a state ban on serval ownership. Declawed, unable to hunt, anxious around people.

"We planted a grass corridor. She spent the first week just sitting at the edge. Then one Tuesday, she went in."

— Dr. Priya Anand, Staff Veterinarian

"The hardest part of this work is watching an animal remember who they were before captivity. It's like watching someone wake up."

Tomás Reyes·Mammal Enrichment Volunteer, 4 years

Umbrella Cockatoo

Cleo

6 months apart
White cockatoo with visible feather plucking on chest and wings, looking stressed with ruffled remaining feathers
Before

Arrival, March 2024. Feather-destructive behavior from 8 years in a small apartment without flock contact.

White cockatoo with full regrown chest feathers, crest raised, posture relaxed and confident on enrichment perch
Today

September 2024. Chest feathers fully returned. Now teaches new arrivals the communal feeding call.

Cleo's feather plucking was behavioral, not medical — the result of profound loneliness in a species that naturally lives in flocks of 40. Six months of group housing, foraging puzzles, and daily out-of-cage time gave her back what isolation had taken.

47 animals currently in residence. Each one has a sponsorship page with their full story.

Meet the Residents→
Small coatimundi with distinctive long snout foraging in leaf litter, looking curious and healthy with bright eyes
✦ Thriving — Sanctuary permanent resident

Fig

Coatimundi · 2022

Arrived: Confiscated by Florida Fish & Wildlife from an unlicensed roadside zoo. Malnourished, socialized to humans, unreleasable.

"Most of these animals arrive with trauma responses that look like aggression. When you understand the difference, you stop reacting and start listening. That's when trust begins."

Dr. Priya Anand·Staff Veterinarian, DVM Exotic Species
Green tree monitor lizard on a branch, iridescent scales catching light, tongue flicking, alert and healthy
◎ Arrived Jan 2026

Mango

Green Tree Monitor

Arrived 2026: Surrendered by a reptile keeper facing eviction to a no-pets building. Healthy, well-socialized, needs 8-foot vertical enclosure.

"He was the most well-cared-for surrender we've ever received. His owner wept for twenty minutes before she could hand over the travel crate."

— Intake Coordinator, Marcus Webb

Small brown capuchin monkey sitting on enrichment structure, eyes bright and curious, surrounded by natural foliage
◈ Recovering — Social integration

Rosalind

Capuchin Monkey

Arrived 2025: Elderly owner, 81, whose mobility declined. Rosalind had been her companion for 14 years. Surrendered with a handwritten care journal.

"I called three places before Haven. The first two made me feel like a criminal. Haven asked me to tell them about her — her favorite foods, her sleeping spot, the sounds she made when she was happy. That's when I knew she was going somewhere safe."

Eleanor Hartmann·Former owner, surrendered Rosalind the capuchin
For Owners in Crisis

You loved them well.
Now let us take it from here.

Surrender is not failure. It is the last act of love — recognizing that your animal deserves specialized care you can no longer provide alone.

Haven accepts surrenders from private owners, estate situations, wildlife officers, and animal control. We do not charge surrender fees. We do not judge your circumstances. We ask only that you tell us your animal's story.

  • ✓A 15-minute intake call — no paperwork until you're ready
  • ✓Veterinary assessment within 48 hours of arrival
  • ✓Updates on your animal for as long as you want them
  • ✓Your name in their record — you are part of their story
Surrender With Dignity →Call Us Directly

Wildlife officers & animal control: call our emergency line 24/7 at (555) 555-0199

Support the Sanctuary

Every resident has a monthly
care budget of $180–$340.

Sponsor a specific animal — receive quarterly updates, their intake photo, and a handwritten note from the volunteer who cares for them most.

Sponsor a Resident →Meet the Residents
47
Current Residents
312
Surrenders Accepted
89%
Rehomed or Lifetime Care