About CERR

We, at Riverside Reptiles Education Center (RREC), have established a non-profit organization 501(c3), Conservation and Education Reptile Rescue (CERR), Inc., to fulfill an increasing need for a place of shelter, appropriate food and care, and veterinarian services for confiscated and surrendered reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and large non-native aquarium fish.  Riverside Reptiles Education Center, established in 2003 for educational, environmental outreach, now has a brick and mortar 13,000+ sq. ft. zoo opened in October 2020. For twenty years before the zoo’s establishment when the business was residence based, the owner/manager Brian Kleinman had received calls and emails about re-homing reptiles and amphibians.  Now that the zoo is a known CT attraction, the calls and emails from various town animal control officers and DEEP officers who have captured or confiscated illegal reptiles, and personal pet owners who want to surrender their exotic creatures have increased. The zoo currently has a finite ability to help due to limited space and funds, so Conservation and Education Reptile Rescue, Inc. was created. Conservation and Education Reptile Rescue, Inc. is unique because these animals are unique.  Animal rescues are typically dogs, cats, and farm animals so a rescue devoted to a collection of often misunderstood native and exotic animals is out of the ordinary.

 

With grant funding, donations, and fundraisers, Conservation and Education Reptile Rescue, Inc. can promote community, state and regional awareness of the need of a shelter/rescue for confiscated, illegally owned and/or surrendered reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and large non-native aquarium fish by advertisement via media sites and outreach programs.  We will be able to further educate those who have a current interest, curiosity, or science career plans about the history, care, and feeding of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and large non-native aquarium fish. It is also of great importance that people understand exotic and non-native species cannot be released into the wild without causing ecological problems.

 

Conservation and Education Reptile Rescue, Inc. will be able to continue a regimen of great care for the previously rescued animals already established at RREC and accept more animals that need our assistance.