Reptiles are more than welcome in this neighbor’s home.
Most people have a preconceived notion that reptiles, especially snakes, are disgusting and frightening creatures. Many of them suffer from herpetophobia — a fear of reptiles. Drew Moore-Hicker is not among this crowd. He instead hopes to educate the community about the true nature of reptiles.
“I love putting an animal in someone’s hand that’s afraid of them, and showing them there’s nothing to fear,” Moore-Hicker says.
He works at the City Veterinary Center, but another job awaits him at his neighborhood home. For the past year, Moore-Hicker has housed displaced reptiles and small mammals. He calls his program R.A.R.E. (Reptile Animal Rescue and Education). All of his life, he has been rescuing animals, but his recent efforts are more organized and long-term. His place is cramped (his reptilian roommates get the living room), but he never takes on too much.
“If I can’t personally take the animal in, I know places and people that could,” Moore-Hicker says. “I won’t take in anything venomous or something like a crocodile or an alligator. I’m not going to endanger myself or my neighbors.”
The Dallas Zoo, various nature societies and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty (ASPCA) often refer people to him. Recently, he was contacted by someone nervous about parting with his beloved Burmese python.
“He called me up kind of upset, saying, ‘My wife’s making me get rid of my snake. I’ve had my snake longer than my wife,’” Moore-Hicker recalls. “She’s pregnant, and they’re going to have a child, and the wife’s like, you can keep the iguanas, but you have to get rid of the snake. That’s understandable. That’s responsible pet ownership.”
Informing people about responsible pet ownership is vital to Moore-Hicker’s cause. Too many times, he has seen neglected animals brought into the vet or heard horror stories about people letting their animals free in the wild. At an early age, his parents instilled in him the importance of taking care of his pets. This also fueled his passion for reptiles.
“I couldn’t have a dog or a cat because we always lived in apartments, and I was allergic to cats,” Moore-Hicker says. “I could catch a lizard and keep it. My dad would take me out, and we would go early in the morning and look for snakes on the highway.”
His most recent project is figuring out whether he can turn his reptile rescue venture into a nonprofit educational center. It would provide Boy Scouts the opportunity to earn merit badges, and school children the lesson of responsibility with animals.
Providing proper care for these animals is financially draining. He buys crickets every day for his bearded dragons and pre-killed rabbits and rats for his snakes.
“They eat before I eat,” Moore-Hicker says. “That’s the rule. I can walk to McDonald’s and get a $1 cheeseburger; they can’t.”
This gentle man with a green Mohawk feels connected to reptile stereotypes. He, too, says he has been wrongly perceived. He fights to save the animals and to showcase their beauty. He pulls up a kitchen chair and watches his animals.
“I look at how happy and peaceful they are, and I think, ‘I did this,’” he says. “It makes me feel good. That’s why I do what I do.”
