Reptile rescue aims to reduce stigma through education (10 photos)

Cold blooded, warm hearted.

That’s the motto Eden’s Reptiles co-founders Ernie and Ruth Rowntree live by every day.

The couple has been operating a reptile shop and rescue out of their home on Westridge Road for the last two years, providing a safe and loving sanctuary for a wide assortment of animals and reptiles.

From snakes, lizards, and turtles to frogs, bearded dragons, and geckos, many of the animals they house are rescues – some in better condition than others.

While not an officially recognized rescue, Eden’s Reptiles works tirelessly to ensure the animals’ physical and emotional needs are addressed before putting them up for adoption.

“We take them in because there’s nowhere else for them to go,” Ernie Rowntree says.

Prior to founding Eden’s Reptiles, Rowntree worked as an animal lab technician at York University for 12 years. Before that, he volunteered in an endangered sanctuary in Toronto where he got his first experience with reptiles.

He and his wife Ruth keep track of the animals’ eating, shedding, and excrement patterns to make sure they’re all staying healthy. But it’s not just their basic needs that are being looked after.

 “We believe in everyday touch,” Ruth Rowntree says. “Every animal, every day, gets some form of touch.”

Malnourished, abandoned, and sometimes abused, many animals are brought to the couple from a wide spectrum of backgrounds and situations – some of them more upsetting than others.

Once trained and healthy, most of the rescues are eligible to be adopted to good homes. Depending on their situation, others will stay under the Rowntrees’ permanent care.

The couple recently started an outreach and education program so residents of all ages can visit their home to interact with and learn about the reptiles.

“It’s very important people can hold and experience the animals,” he says. “We’re not a zoo, you don’t just look at them – you can come and actually play with them.”

Through their teachings, Ernie and Ruth aim to break some common misconceptions about the reptiles that some visitors may have had before walking into their establishment.

“We have a lot of people that walk in scared of snakes,” he says. “In our time here, all but one have walked out touching a snake. If we get an adult that touches a snake for the first time, it makes our day.”

The Rowntrees have expressed their disappointment with the city’s current regulations that do not allow residents to own certain reptiles like the boas and constrictors.

Under the proper training, supervision, and care, the couple remains adamant these animals deserve a place in the Sault, especially since other municipalities in northern Ontario already allow it.

“Our by-laws are not reflective of what they’re allowing our pet stores here in the Sault to carry and sell,” he says. “To expand the education, we have to get our by-laws updated.”

“The people of Sault Ste. Marie deserve to have this experience, and a place to get their food,” Ruth Rowntree adds.

Ruth identifies herself as the city’s ‘bug lady,’ as she looks after the upkeep of their crickets, worms, beetles, and other bugs so the smaller reptiles are properly fed.

The rodents they have on-site like mice and rats are euthanized, frozen, and then fed to the larger reptiles.

“It’s very important they have healthy food,” he says.

Since establishing Eden’s Reptiles two years ago, the Rowntrees are profoundly grateful for the community’s support they’ve received, and they look forward to continuing their operations for reptile lovers across the area.

“The community is amazing, and the outreach we get is incredible,” she says. “The money we raise goes right back in to caring for the animals. Every little bit counts.”

“We’re just a couple of people who love reptiles, and we want everyone else to as well,” Ernie Rowntree adds. “We just want to spread the love.”

To book a private, family, or group tour, residents can email [email protected], or call 705-450-2788. There is no charge for viewings, but donations are accepted.

A take-out and delivery menu is also available on their Facebook page for local reptile owners looking to purchase bugs, rodents, and other foods for their animals.