My name is Leslie and I am a seasoned, professional animal keeper decades of experience in caring for, teaching about, and designing habitats for exotic and domestic animals. I have practical experience across all taxa, though I specialize in reptiles and amphibians. My full-time gig is the natural History Museum in LA, Senior Manager of Living Collections. I also worked at LA Zoo in enrichment for 7 years, and have a huge variety of volunteer and paid experiences with exotic animals- since 1998!
Thinking of getting a new animal? Want to improve your animal's life? Let me help you plan!
I consult on, design, oversee, and build happy animal habitats, and help with care plans- call me your Animal Care Counselor! Whether it be a total habitat rebuild, or a yard spruce-up with a vet-approved custom care plan, I can find a way to improve the life of an animal and it's caretaker. You can buy whatever you want online, (and I may recommend you do that at times)! But what I provide for you is professional perspective and experience.
raptors
opossums
rats
venomous and non venomous snakes
turtles and tortoises
terrestrial and aquatic amphibians
marine aquariums
pond animals
tarantulas, and and other invertebrates
Robert Poe, artist, designer, editor, my husband. He makes my visions come to life with professional plans, creative use of materials and expert fabrication.
Holly Richards DVM, provides guidance on my care plans as needed. She is also a seasoned zookeeper and animal trainer.
Friends from all corners of the profession! I have connections to professional aquarists, contractors and biologists to advise me when I need to bend an ear.
Send us a message!
BeNiceToSnakes@gmail.com
-Leslie
We know that you want to provide the best possible life for your animal(s) and that you want to do it at a fair price. We will consult with you at your home and provide a professional assessment of all aspects of the animal's life including any or all of the following; a secure habitat (indoor or outdoor), filtration, lighting, exercise equipment, enrichment, diet, gardening for your pet, care plans, and veterinary referrals. In most cases, my consult fee is just $75/ hour
We can provide some deliverable items as such as custom built pens, catios, plumbed terrariums/ aquariums and care plans. Our team is extremely creative, experienced and resourceful. We also want to be as sustainable as possible. Let's talk about your dream and your budget!
For needs we cannot provide directly, such as those that require a contractor, we can work with your contract team or recommend and oversee one, and guide them in their work per our agreed upon design choices.
Another amazing feature we offer? A One of a kind service called "Chat With a Vet". Many people have immediate questions about when and if they should see a vet, or just have general questions about something like nutrition. This online chat is 15 minutes and you can present your situation to an experienced exotic vet, Dr. Holly Richards.
We believe you don’t have to choose between protecting wildlife and enriching your cat’s life. That’s where we come in — your Care Counselors.
What We Can Do for You:
Prevent wildlife deaths in your yard.
Create a fun, safe environment for your cat.
Extend your cat’s lifespan.
Reduce risks of diseases like feline leukemia and flea-borne typhus.
I’ve made tigers happy in their zoo homes — I can make your cats happy in theirs.
Here are some images to inspire you to choose Happy Habitats.
These are not my images, just a collection of some of my favorites!
Images here are from:
My Pinterest Board for Catios!
I can help you plan and design you ideal respite for your furry friends using the sites above, my local LA resources, and my deep love of cats and wildlife.