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Who We Are...

GHAR is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to educating and providing forever homes for reptiles. Our organization offers experienced foster homes and veterinary care for reptiles in need.

Interested in adding a reptile to your family? There are a good number of healthy reptiles placed in our foster network just waiting for their forever homes. We also provide services if you should find an abandoned reptile. We predominately work in Atlanta and North Georgia.

All of our members have many years of reptile handling and education experience. Therefore, we also provide education events for a modest fee for summer camps, schools, home schools, daycares, and birthday parties. The fees go directly to helping us care for sick and injured reptiles. Drop us a line at gharescue@gmail.com for a quote.

Pet of the month: Ziggy!

young adult, approximately 1-year-old, female, Bearded Dragon. Ziggy loves to climb and watch out of the topmost portion of her enclosure. She's easily handlable but needs breaks during handling sessions, which is typical of a younger beardie. She has a slight section (mere millimetres) which is missing from her tail. This is more than likely due to a pet store which housed several babies together, but it causes her no problems and is completely healed.

Pick up in Decatur

A bit about our Founders:

Kathy Smith came to the reptile community with an interest in bearded dragons and she most definitely is the mother of all lizards. Kathy has venomous handling training, experience with larger snakes and lizards, and has a passion for rescue. She worked for 10 years with reptile rescue all over the state of Georgia before forming GHAR, and has also been featured on The Weather Channel, "Critter Fixers: Country Vets," and Central Georgia CBS's "Tegu Taskforce." Kathy was also nominated for "Lizard Personality of the Year" in 2017 from The Reptile Report. Additionally, her animals have been featured on the FX show, "Atlanta" and she has worked as an exotic animal handler and wildlife handler for additional television series.

Dr. Katie Bell is a teacher by day and a reptile handler by night. She has worked with Bear Hollow Zoo in Athens, Georgia, animal shelters throughout North Georgia, and with larger pet store chains, learning about the most up to date husbandry and working to ensure that reptiles kept as pets get the proper care. Not only does Katie have reptile experience, she also has had training with larger exotic animals and aquatics--she has a story about being bit by a bear and yet lives to tell the tale. She has been featured on "Critter Fixers: Country Vets" and has done animal education for over 20 years with children. There isn't an animal on this earth that doesn't have Katie's admiration.