D Kellogg and his wife Deborah don’t live like most people in Marion County do. They share their small home in Burns with a large number of reptiles and other creatures and run a reptile rescue and educational center out of their two front rooms that are open to the public.
The rescue is called D’zz Spot Reptarium and Educational Center Inc. and like the couple, it is dedicated to all things reptile. They also have fish, tarantulas and more.
The couple’s love for their creatures is evident from the moment they walk in the door and D begins calling them “beautiful” and other terms of endearment. Both talk to them like they are their children.
Every reptile has a story and D loves to tell each one with Deborah chiming in to add details. Both also point out facts about the reptiles and explain how to handle them which somehow makes even the snakes seem less mysterious and scary.
“Our mission is to educate the public about the importance of all creatures. We teach respect not fear,” said D, the main mastermind behind it all.
His wife Deborah is right beside him though and dreams big along with him.
One of their biggest dreams is to build a large facility that will house their current collection of reptiles, fish and more with indoor and outdoor enclosures. They plan to have several greenhouses to grow their own produce. They also plan to build a stream with a pond that will house their many koi fish and turtles. Besides the stream and pond will be patches of wildflowers, a gazebo that will fit 20 people and other attractions. Behind it all will be a wall with murals painted on it.
“We have all kinds of plans for our new building. The creek, pond and gazebo outside will be for people who don’t wanna go in the building where the snakes are. So they will still have a place to come and do like paint and sip parties or whatever they want to do,” said Deborah.
The main goal of the new facility is the same goal as their current location—rehabilitating reptiles and having a place to educate people about them.
“A lot of the people don’t understand what it takes. Most people don’t understand that a snake lives for 30 years. Tortoises live for 200. People get these guys on a whim and then they don’t know how to take care of them long term,” said D. “They don’t understand what equipment they need, what UV lighting level to use, how to care for them.”
While some of the couple’s collection of reptiles come from ones they have purchased or bred from their pets, most are rescues from people who could not care for them or mistreated them. D has many stories of abuse for his animals that he currently has and he has worked hard to help them heal from the abuse.
D explained that sometimes rehabilitation is treating their scrapes and wounds, cleaning them, pulling their sheds off when they get stuck in eyes, ears or other places, hand feeding them and other uncomfortable tasks. It’s also just being consistent and showing the animals that he treats them right and doesn’t abuse them even though others have.
“You just have to respect them,” said D.
Some of the reptiles come to them from pet stores as well.
“They will call me when one has an imperfection and can’t sell it or if they have too many and can’t get rid of them. We have a good relationship with pet stores. They know they can count on me to take rescues for them,” said D. “They understand what we’re doing, and they help us a lot with the education program.”
The couple also wants people to know that they are a reptile rescue, not wildlife rehabilitators.
“We are a reptile rescue for exotic, non-native reptiles, amphibians and some spiders and scorpions. If you have a pet reptile (snakes, lizards, turtles…) that you can’t take care of or found a non-native reptile that needs help that is not venomous, please contact us. We are not a licensed reptile rehabilitator for native species. We have helped snapping turtles that were injured and that is ok. But if you find a native wild animal, please contact the Hutchinson Zoo,” said Deborah.
The couple is big on recycling and reusing what they can both currently and as they work on their future facility.
They plan to open their new facility within the next year, but it will depend on funding and timing since they are doing all the work themselves. They are applying for grants but otherwise paying for everything out of pocket. They welcome any donations that people would like to give.
To learn more, visit the rescue or get a reptile in need of rehabilitation to the rescue, contact the couple on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DzzSpotReptarium or visit them in Burns. Donations are tax deductible as D’zz Spot is a 501c3 non-profit. You can send check or money order to D’zz Spot Reptarium, C/O Community National Bank, Burns, Kansas 66840.
