Phoenix Herp

The Phoenix Herpetological Society is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization and is a statewide facility that includes a surrender facility,  education program, summer camps and rescue and rehabilitation.

In 2001, three people had a vision to make a difference for reptiles in the state of Arizona.  There were plenty of organizations to rescue all species of animals from dogs and cats to birds and rabbits. There were no facilities for the intake of reptiles.  People who own reptiles as pets had no outlet to relinquish ownership if needed or a place to acquire additional information on care and husbandry. In addition, native species were being destroyed due to lack of education. These three individuals Russ Johnson, Daniel Marchand and Debbie Gibson launched the Phoenix Herpetological Society (PHS). The mission was to have a facility to house reptiles until forever homes could be found and to educate people on responsible pet ownership and the importance on conservation and desert safety.