“Reptiles, amphibians and arachnids may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they are just as deserving of proper care and attention as any animal that we take responsibility for,” says Dawn Robertson of the North Island Reptile Rescue Society. The NIRRS is dedicated to seeing that these animals get the care they deserve.

The society serves Vancouver Island, Canada. It was founded by hobbyists who often found themselves being given unwanted reptiles (shades of Alligator Bob, the Chicago gator rescuer who refuses to give his last name). Its work is very necessary in an area where the SPCA doesn’t currently accept reptiles, and wildlife centers can do only so much.

About 50 animals have been taken in by the society this past year, and 40 of those have been adopted. The rest stay with foster families, just like other pets awaiting new homes. So far, there have been no unadoptable reptiles. If the society receives one that’s too sick for adoption, it will be rehabilitated with the help of a vet.

What inspires someone to adopt a reptile? Dawn says many people who think they’re scared or disgusted by reptiles change their minds when they meet one. And reptiles can be “a good alternative for people with allergies, or who don’t have appropriate space for more traditional household pets.”

Some types of reptiles will let you interact with them, while others do better going their own way as display pets. (You can think of them as your own tiny wildlife preserve.) Research will help you decide what kind is for you.

And if you do decide to adopt a reptile, check for a rescue society in your area.