Ready Set Rescue's Mission

About Ready Set Rescue

Ready Set Rescue is an Amarillo-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit animal rescue and educational organization focused on rescue, rehabilitation, responsible placement, animal welfare, and community education.

What began years ago with helping animals one at a time has grown into an organization caring for reptiles, exotic animals, birds, small mammals, and felines while creating educational opportunities that help people better understand the animals around them.

Today, Ready Set Rescue combines hands-on rescue work with responsible animal care, public education, community outreach, adoption, surrender assistance, and long-term care for animals who may not be candidates for traditional placement.

Our Story

Ready Set Rescue did not begin as a large organization.

It started more than a decade ago with a simple desire to help animals that needed somewhere to go.

Over the years, one rescue led to another. Our experience grew, the species we worked with expanded, and what began as helping animals personally developed into something much larger.

In 2025, Ready Set Rescue officially became a nonprofit organization, allowing us to continue building a structured rescue focused not only on helping animals in immediate need, but also on improving how people understand and care for them.

Since then, our programs, facilities, partnerships, educational work, and community involvement have continued to grow.

Who We Are Today

Ready Set Rescue works with a wide variety of animals, with a strong focus on reptiles and exotic species.

Our work may include:

• Reptile and exotic animal surrender and rescue

• Feline rescue and placement when space allows

• Rehabilitation and recovery

• Adoption and responsible placement

• Long-term and permanent animal care

• Species-specific husbandry

• Educational ambassador programs

• Community outreach

• School and private educational programs

• Public animal education through Critter Worx

Some animals eventually move into carefully selected adoptive homes.

Others remain with us permanently because of their history, medical needs, temperament, species-specific requirements, or their role as educational ambassadors.

Every animal is treated as an individual.

Animal Welfare Comes First

We believe responsible rescue is about more than simply taking in animals.

It means knowing what we can responsibly support and providing the animals already in our care with the housing, nutrition, enrichment, sanitation, veterinary attention, and species-specific care they need.

Because of that, intake availability may change depending on space and resources.

We would rather responsibly care for the animals we have than accept more animals than we can appropriately support.

The same philosophy guides our educational programs.

Animals are never treated as props or required to participate in interactions. Their health, behavior, comfort, and individual needs determine when and how they participate.

The animal always comes first.

Education Is Part of Rescue

Helping an animal after something has already gone wrong is only one part of rescue.

Education gives us the opportunity to prevent some of those situations from happening in the first place.

Many exotic animals enter rescue because their size, lifespan, housing requirements, behavior, diet, or long-term needs were misunderstood before they were acquired.

Through our ambassador animals, community programs, events, school visits, and Critter Worx, we help people learn about proper husbandry, responsible ownership, animal behavior, conservation, and the commitment required to care for different species.

We want people to leave with more than a memorable encounter.

We want them to leave understanding the animal better than they did before.

Critter Worx

As Ready Set Rescue continued to grow, so did our educational mission.

Critter Worx: A Wild Encounter was created as a public educational experience where families can meet and learn about some of our ambassador animals while directly supporting the nonprofit.

Located inside Westgate Mall in Amarillo, Critter Worx allows us to combine animal education, rescue stories, responsible interactions, and fundraising in one experience.

Admissions, memberships, events, and community support through Critter Worx help fund the work Ready Set Rescue continues behind the scenes.

LEARN MORE ABOUT CRITTER WORX

Built With Our Community

Ready Set Rescue would not be what it is today without the people who have chosen to support it.

Volunteers give their time.

Families visit Critter Worx.

Businesses donate materials and services.

Community partners help us build better spaces.

Donors help cover food, veterinary care, supplies, equipment, and facility expenses.

Adopters provide animals with new beginnings.

And every person who shares our mission helps another person discover what we do.

This organization continues to grow because our community grows with us.

Looking Ahead

Ready Set Rescue continues to grow, but our purpose remains the same:

Provide responsible care for animals who need us while helping create a community that better understands, respects, and cares for them.

There is still much more we want to build, improve, and accomplish — and we're excited for what comes next.

SPONSOR US OR AN ANIMAL

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VOLUNTEER WITH US

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