Mabel the Rescue Dog

Hi, I’m Wooper! Yes, I know, I’m not a dog, but I’m Mabel’s new little sister. And I’m a rescue just like she is! I’m an axolotl, which is an aquatic salamander. When salamanders are babies, they have gills and they live underwater. But an axolotl’s gills never go away when they grow up. So, we’re like permanent baby salamanders!

Molly has always wanted an axolotl, but something didn’t feel right to her about buying an animal from a pet store. So, she had been hesitant to bring another amphibian into her life (she used to have two salamanders.) But then one day she just happened to be scrolling through PetFinder for fun. When she clicked the “other animal” tab, she saw me! She hadn’t even realized exotic pets like axolotls could be rescues!

She adopted me from J&R Aquatic Animal Rescue. They’re a newer rescue that takes in surrendered exotic animals like me. Most animal shelters and rescues won’t take in unusual animals, so sadly, many people release them into the wild, thinking they have no other options. But domesticated animals cannot survive in the wild, especially if they don’t naturally live in that area. So, the rescue works hard to ensure that defenseless animals don’t get released in the wild and left to die. They help find good homes for animals like me!

I arrived at the rescue along with a lot of other baby axolotls. Apparently, a lot of axolotls get surrendered if they’re missing a leg. After all, we love to eat anything we can, so if baby axolotls are kept in the same aquarium together, they might bite at each other’s feet! But don’t worry, we can regenerate body parts, so I already have four legs again.

Even though Mabel’s site mostly focuses on dogs, Molly thought it would be important to share my story too. After all, dogs aren’t the only animals who need saving. So, if you’re ever considering getting an exotic pet, please check to see if you can rescue one. Pet stores don’t always treat their animals the best, so if you can find a kind rescue like the one I was at, then that’s the best way to go! But it’s important to remember that you should only adopt an animal if you’re prepared and you’ve done your research.

If you have a rescue dog or any other rescue animal with a story to share, please visit the contact page. We’d love to help encourage more humans to save animals in need.

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