A.N.A. Critters ~ We are "ANOTHER NOAH'S ARK".

Bella came to A.N.A. Critters as a few day old kitten after being seen thrown out of a truck window. We don't know what happened to Bella's siblings, but its safe to assume they suffered the same fate. Cruelty to cats is not uncommon. Most people see cats as a nuisance. They fail to realize that they, along with other animals, know fear, joy, hunger, pain and even loss. 

Bella loves to travel and advocate for feral cats stressing the importance of TNR and humane care for feral cats. She's also part of our antibully program with Buddy! You can follow Bella and her adventures on Facebook's Bella TheBrave page.

Moana is a year old Juliana pot belly pig. Moana loves her marshmallows and giving piggy kisses! Moana came to us after an urgent plea for rescue due to abandonment. No one would claim her as their own and shelters were full. Travelling from house to house looking for food and shelter, Moana became a traffic hazard. An order was given for her to immediately euthanized. With the help of animal advocates  and rescuers; we were able to get Moana safely here at A.N.A. Critters.

Awe yes....Willow! You won't meet a more special iguana than Willow. Willow came to us back in 2022 due to not doing well. Willow had a huge infection on her nose concealed by a scab which looked "harmless". Upon intake and treatment,  the scab fell of revealing a horrific infection. The infection was so bad that it ate a hole in her palate! We were told by two veterinarians to euthanize her. That she'd never heal. Well! With the help of local herbs, Willow healed perfectly! The only evidence of her medical ordeal is a little indent on the tip of her nose. She's a true miracle and a testament to the wonders of God's creation! 

Cruiser and Sheldon are sulcata tortoises. Sulcata tortoises are third largest tortoise species in the world. Cruiser came to us from a family in NJ. Sheldon came from Jim Thorpe PA. Both boys just got too big for their families. Fully grown sulcata tortoises can weight over 200 pounds and live up to 100 years.

Louie is an American alligator who came to us from a private owner who became afraid of him. Sadly, Louie hasn't had a good experience with people and was forced to live in an unnaturally small enclosure. Louie is three feet long and about four years old. We are hoping that now that Louie is in a bigger and more natural enclosure ...that he starts to feel and grow like the magnificent alligator he is! Louie is just one example as to why we need to be responsible when it comes to proper pet ownership. Baby alligators are adorable and yes you "can" keep them in a large aquarium for a few months. But, what are you going to do when they get five or six feet? Is this really fair? Morally right? No. No it's not. Zoos, aquariums and rescues are filled with unwanted animals. Buying an animal, you cannot commit to 100%, has a high chance of being euthanized. That's a sad reality and fact. Do better. Be fair. 

Its not everyday you get a call for an alligator! That's exactly what we got on 9/19/2025! Brandy, named after the Brandywine Valley SPCA, was found swimming at a warft in the Potomac River. Alligators are illegal to own in Washington. Its truly a miracle she was found unharmed. Between the boats, propellers, other predators and the upcoming winter....Brandy's life was in jeopardy! 

The Brandywine Valley SPCA was kind enough to meet us in Allentown so that we didn't have to go into Washington. Brandy is now our "not a good pet" ambassador, who teaches that just because you "can" have an animal doesn't mean you should! We have a responsibility to the animals, which includes realizing when its BEST to just leave them alone and in their natural habitat. 

For safety reasons and while Brandy learns about being an animal ambassador, yes unfortunately at this time we need to secure her mouth. She IS an alligator after all! But, if you look closely, and unlike other alligator owners, we soft wrap Brandy's mouth. We use cotton gauze first then vet wrap and then tape. Other people just tape their mouths which is so horrible and cruel because of the sensitivity of their skin! Imagine ripping a bandaid off and then putting a new one one only to rip it off again over and over again! OUCH! Thankfully some people are starting to use our method! Those extra steps are much kinder to the alligator. The last thing we want is for Brandy to associate going out with pain! We want the experience, for EVERYONE, to be positive! 

Chipper Jones is one of our oldest animal ambassadors here at  A.N.A. Critters. Chipper Jones was also born feral. He was also born blind, has a heart murmur and suffers from FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease). Chip absolutely LOVES people . He loves showing children, and adults, that being different is OKAY! Chip HISSES at BULLIES! So BEWARE. Bullying is NOT ok with Chip.

Chipper Jones has crossed to Rainbow Bridge May 7th 2022 at the age of 14. Forever in our hearts....Chipper's memory and legacy will never be forgotten . 

Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are perhaps the most famous of all known insects. Equipped with a unique air bladder, located in the abdomen, these funny insects make a "hissing" sound when startled.  Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches are also used in medical research to help doctors and nurses learn about carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange in the body. 

WOAH! What is THAT?!? Is it a snake? A lizard? What in the world?!!!! How weirdly fascinating!

Say "Hello" to Sez-zay! Sez-zay is an European legless lizard! These fascinating and unique creatures are rare as pets! As a matter of fact they are so rare that only a handful of zoos in Pennsylvania actually has one! So how did we wind up with Sez-zay? Sadly, Sez-zay is a victim of wildlife trafficking and wildlife kidnapping. Sez-zay was stolen from the wild. Sez-zay knows freedom but, due to people's selfishness and need for "something cool", was taken from her home and forced to live a life in captivity. That's not fair! Or right! So Sez-zay is now in our care after being initially purchased at a reptile expo. Her purchaser realized that she was a bit too much to care for, but not before giving her owner a good bite! At that point she was given to us. Truly a sad story! 

So what does the future look like for Sez-zay? We are committed to all our animals in providing the BEST home possible. Unfortunately, because of the laws we cannot send her home. So Sez-zay will help us teach people the difference between a lizard and a snake. A true imposter! 

The difference between snakes and lizards starts off with; snakes do not have eyelids or ears, lizards do. From there we move onto other anatomical differences and habitats. 

****** Note ******

Sez-zay is a speciality animal ambassador. If you are interested in having Sez-zay visit your school or educational program; we ask that you please request her. She is not a regular program ambassador due to her nature.

Hi! My name is Eleanor! I am an African Grey Parrot! African Grey Parrots are extremely smart, can have a huge vocabulary and capable of reasoning. These magnificent birds are said to have the intelligence level of a 5th grader. Perhaps Eleanor just might be "Smarter Than A 5th Grader"...we'll let you decide! 

Sadly, these beautiful birds are on the endangered species list despite being so popular as pets. Black market buying, poaching and deforestation is the main cause for the decline of this specie in the wild. 

If you've ever visited us at events; then I'm sure you have met Hershey and Philsberry. Pot belly pigs and kune kunes are also called miniature pigs. Mini pigs can STILL get big. They can get upto 300 pounds but, are still smaller that standard pigs which can get over 600 pounds. Pot belly pigs also continue to grow up to their fifth year.  Pigs do make good pets however, you need to remember that they are very inquisitive and destructive if not properly cared for and kept busy. Pigs are very smart.

Peanut is our 20 year old beautiful ball python also referred to as a "royal" python.  Ball pythons are a smaller constrictor and a popular pet due to its docile temperament. 

Peanut was given to us in an effort to save her life. When we received her she was quite thin. The family who had her didnt know what to do, as she stopped eating for them for several months. Turns out that Peanut didn't want frozen thawed rats....she wanted live. This is the dark side of rescue and snake ownership. I can't stand feeding a live rat. Not just for moral and ethical reasons but, for safety as well. Feeding live is not only stressful for the rodent but can be dangerous for the snake as well. Bites from rodents can be fatal and lead to severe injuries, infections and problems shedding. But....thats what Peanut wanted and needed in order to keep living. I'm pleased to announce that Peanut is doing great! 

As part of our educational program we stress the importance of safe and respectful handling of snakes. Too many times we see fellow educators and snake owners putting their snakes around their necks...wearing them like jewelry. Cringy. We teach and show students the dangers of treating a snake like that and how you SHOULD handle them. Not only is this safer but, shows that you can still have fun handling these fascinating animals responsibility and respectfully.