Critter Camp is a
Not-For-Profit
Registered
Charitable 501c3
Tax Exempt
Corporation

Critter Camp is a
100% NO-Kill
Shelter/Sanctuary
Operated by
Volunteers

All income
supports the
rescued animals
Come meet them all!   Schedule a tour today!
Contact Us: 815-266-1342   info@crittercamp.biz  824 Church Street, German Valley, IL 61039
Check out our first You
Tube listing- "How Quagmire
the Bearded Dragon got his
name"

Here Quag is doing his
mating dance because he
sees Fiona the female
Beardie nearby. They are
housed separately and not
in each others' view so they
can relax & not be agitated.
Critter Camp
Exotic Pet Sanctuary
We did not set out to create a shelter or sanctuary in the beginning. Our
Director, Beth, is a single mom who was homeschooling her two gifted
daughters and her son with special needs while incorporating their pets into the
lessons. They had the usual pets, a dog, cats, hamsters, & gerbils. However
they decided to add ferrets and ended up taking in a rescued ferret and his
cousin. Then came the hedgehog, another gerbil and parakeet. Before long
word got out & people were bringing them their unwanted animals. They used
these opportunities to learn about the new animals in all subject areas - reading,
writing, math, geography, science, etc. When they had nearly 30 animals they
decided they had to either stop accepting the homeless critters or make it a full
time endeavor and become a licensed shelter. We have grown to care for over
300 animals of 30 different species, utilizing about 20 regular  and hundreds of
one-time volunteers, and becoming a registered 501c3 non-profit organization.
Volunteers from miles away come to help us at Critter Camp. They help clean
cages, build enclosures, exercise, feed and play with the animals.
We believe that:
At a certain point re-homing pets, particularly the unusual and exotic ones, at all costs
often serves only to make the people involved feel better about themselves, irregardless
of the stability and continuity of care the elderly, abused or ill animal, actually needs.
Euthanizing such animals brings the rescuer down to the universally despised level of
“puppy-mills” in that if an animal is no longer useful to humans it must be killed. This is
incredibly heartbreaking. Again, people bred every one of these pet animals for human
enjoyment and/or profit, therefore we as humans have an obligation to provide quality
care for these animals for their entire lives whether or not they are “pet quality.”

"Beth at Critter Camp runs the best most responsible animal sanctuary that I personally
know of. She is so caring and honest with her facility and her funding, and that is
something that I can honestly say is hard to come by. Beth is the sweetest most
personable person that I know. She would do her best to help you with your animal or help
your animal or animals in need, and that is what really and truly brought me to know her.
Beth is the most honest and caring and trust worthy person in the "sanctuary" business
that I know. I can truthfully say that Beth and her facility is what it is, A "true"
sanctuary. It is my pleasure to know Beth, and to call her a friend of mine. So please
donate, anything that you can to help her, and all the babies that are located at her
facility. Anything rather is be big or small anything would help her greatly and I know Beth
would be more than grateful to you. Please take the time to read about her and you will
see what I see. A wonderful woman with a heart of gold!"
Sincerely,
Capuchin-monkey-mom

The current batch of critters living here include:  Phoebe the miniature
Dachshund, Chi Chi the poochon (poodle & bichon mix); Zeke the border
collie/retriever/whatever mix; Senya, Angel, Tiger, Rascal, Sam, Sabrina and
Junecat, Momma Kitty, Muffin, Mitty, Cheetah, and Tweak & Crazy the cats;
Bandit, Blizzard, Meggie, Stephanie, Thumper, Jesse, Daphne, Slick, Wiggles,
Capn Sparrow, Wench Wabbit, Jack Rabbit, Cutie, Babies, Lilo, Morgan,
Chopper, Snicker, Snickers, Cocoa, Bloo, Buster, Heckle & Jeckle the rabbits;
Coco, Freedom, Beebo, Fergi, Casper, Snowball (boy), Ruby, Rose-A-Belle,
Flash, Ginger, Spotty, Coca Bean, Joey, Millie, Henny Penny, Ruff, Piglet,
Precious,  Mama, Niblet, Caramel,  Butter, Oscar, Precious, Brownie (boy),
Stripe, Friskie, Henry, Punkin,  Missy, Sam, Whiskey, Lucy the guinea pigs; Don
and his 9 female ratties, Sandy, Slam, Blossom, Bubbles, Buttercup, Kia, Feme,
Junior, Ruby, Midnight, Spooky, Cocoa,  Cow, Heifer, Beagle, Chu Chu, Basil, 3
boys, Mike, Bob, Willie, Sean , Phil, Gus, Cheddar, Dove, Oreo,  Honey,
Princess & Luna, & Pepper the rats; 13 new mousies- including Snow Pea the
runt, 8 baby mousie pups born to momma that came in pregnant: Dr. Zoidberg,
Floyd C. Hush, ;  Logan, Remy, 12 new white mousies from the Global Exotics
raid and the 30 pups they just had,  Heckle, Jeckle, Divot, Dart, Peanut,
Snowdrop, Michelle, Sam, Cutie, Pepsi, Lily,& Queenie  the mice;  Nugget,
Ruby, Hoppy, Popcorn & Emma Grace the degus ;  Pip, Lone Ranger & Tonto,
Uma, Hemi, Big Al, Snickers, Felix, PJ, Moonie, Stormy, Mellow, Curly, Puddy,  
Dolomite, Karma,  Buffy, & Storm the ferrets; Ruby, Twinkle,  Major,Tom,
Conga, Fiona, Baby Harry,  Barney,  Henry, Thing 2,  &  Doc,  Sneezy, Sleepy,
Bashful, & Grumpy the Gerbils, Gaston, Fuzzlebutt, Ceti, Rosemary's Baby,  the
hamsters; Mr. Tiny , Ceti, & 3 new  chinese and russian white hamsters, 32 new
Roborovski hamsters from the Global Exotics raid, Long Body the ball python;  
Phoenix and Blonde D the bearded dragons; Ricky , Lucy, Bucky, Aries, PJ,  the
hedgehogs;  Alberta, Abby, Irma and Millie the box turtles, Zeus the Golden
Greek tortoise, Scream the iguana, Germ the fire belly toad; Hair the tarantula;
Peter the Quaker Parrot,  Parro  the parakeet; Shadow the Arctic Marble Fox,
Guinness and Meeko the Kinkajous, Jackson the Green Wing Macaw, Verde
the Yellow Naped Amazon Parrot,  Momma, Papa & Junior the white doves,
Bart Junior and Chirpy Boy the basilisks, Homey the homing pigeon, Belle, Sam
& Skyler the Cockatiels, Jelly Bean, Dolce the chinchillas,Fella, Stubbs, Fred &
Ethel, Bert, Punch & Judy, Speedie, & Baby Junior the sugar gliders, Tiny Tim
the rooster,   Pogo the short tailed opossum, 11 Texas spotted Ground
Squirrels from the Global Exotics raid, and Zoey & Quiggly  the fennec foxes.
Animal statistics 2007:
113 taken in
52 animals left us - 43 Died & 9 Found New Homes

Adoptions arranged: 7 ferrets, 1 iguana, 2 gliders, 1 beardie
These animals never came in here, we arranged adoptions between pet owners needing to re-home their pet and
prospective owners.
About Us
2009 Stats:
Critter Camp
Rescued 120
more pets!
We took in 28
mice, 24
ratties, 2
basilisk
lizards, one
raccoon, one
fennec fox,
10 gerbils, 1
pigeon, 2
chickens, 6
hamsters, 2
cockatiels, 5
ferrets, 1
chinchilla, 5
rabbits, 5
sugar gliders,
3 hedgehogs,
8 guinea
piggies &
more!
We arranged
adoptions for
or relocated
16 more  pets
such as a red
fox, an
American
alligator,
several
turtles &
tortoises, and
a prairie dog
& we took
care of the
hundreds of
critters
already here!