A few of the animals that were recently under the care of Archie's Exotic Pet Rescue. (Image Credit: Archie's Exotic Pet Rescue)

By David Opinko

Archie’s Exotic Pet Rescue permanently closing

Mar 5, 2026 | 10:01 AM

An animal rescue that looked after bunnies, lizards, snakes, turtles, hamsters and others in the Lethbridge area will soon be a thing of the past.

Archie’s Exotic Pet Rescue, formerly known as Archie’s Angels Rabbit Rescue, has announced its permanent closure on April 30, 2026.

Board member Natasha Spate says it was a difficult decision, but one that ultimately had to be made.

“There’s been several circumstances, including the lack of a suitable facility, financial constraints, the shortage of board members, limited fosters and adopters, reliable volunteer availability, and the toll and ongoing physical and mental burnout,” says Spate.

She says burnout has been the biggest factor, as the logistics of running a volunteer animal rescue are tough.

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Archie’s was formed seven years ago, and in that time, they have rescued, cared for, and rehomed over 450 bunnies and other exotic pets.

Spate tells LNN that she is “incredibly proud” of the work they have done with the rescue and the lives they have helped to save.

However, she explains that “We have our own lives and responsibilities, and this organization grew so fast that we needed a lot of help just to function.”

Spate admits that she, along with many others who have been part of Archie’s over the years, went into it unaware of what they were rescuing these animals from.

“There’s lots of abuse, there’s lots of irresponsible pet ownership, there’s lots of uneducated pet owners, unfortunately, and lots of people in the city who dump their rabbits, so we actually had a never-ending battle of rescuing rabbits from outside,” says Spate.

Things became more difficult when they lost their intake house, meaning that the board members ended up housing dozens of animals in their own homes at any given time.

“And then you add all the other aspects of rescues, like rescuing the animals, vetting the animals, finding fosters for the animals, and once you do find the fosters, you have to educate the fosters and you have to supply the fosters with everything they need and offer support,” says Spate.

She adds, “There’s tonnes of travelling and taking animals to adoption events so that there’s exposure, and there’s the social media aspects and trying to advertise them online and then on the website.”

All of this work while the number of board members dwindled from eight in the beginning to “just a couple,” and volunteer support had been inconsistent.

Spate says there is also a high financial cost to running an organization like this.

At the time the group had decided to wind operations down back in fall 2025, they had 35 animals in their care.

The animals not only need food and related supplies, but vet care and specialized treatments for exotic animals are often expensive.

“Because we are an exotic rescue, we actually don’t qualify for a lot of the grants that are offered for cat and dog rescues, so that adds a whole other layer onto it. A lot of our funding just comes from us just going out fundraising and donations from people,” says Spate. “As times get tough, those tend to dry up.”

All of the animals previously under Archie’s care have been transferred to other organizations or local families.

Some were sent to the Alberta Animal Rescue Crew Society (AARCS) in Calgary, while Spate says Petland in Lethbridge has also been “an amazing support.”

In Archie’s absence, Spate says the options for adopting or surrendering exotic pets are extremely limited.

“That’s what’s been so heartbreaking about us closing is we know there is a huge need, and we know people depended on us so badly. The thing I can stress is it’s so crucial for community members to donate their time to the organizations that they love and they want to see thrive because they depend on it.”

The hay distribution service that many owners of bunnies and other small mammals rely on will be discontinued. Spate recommends ordering through Hop for Hay, a private business based out of Coaldale that gets hay from the same source as Archie’s.

You can see Archie’s Exotic Pet Rescue’s Facebook post below that announced their closure.