Episode 159: The Story of Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue With Jessica Katz

This week, Charlie and Colman are joined by Jessica Katz, Founder and Executive Director of Chicagoland Exotic Animal Rescue. CLEAR’s mission is to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned and stray bird, reptile, and fish species that are commonly found in the pet trade, and rehome them to a household that will be the very best fit for their needs. CLEAR also strives to educate the community about the unique care needs of these uncommon pets. 

CLEAR was first conceptualized by Jessica Katz during her graduate program at Regis University. After procuring a Bachelor’s Degree in animal science and wildlife biology, Jessica received a Master’s Degree in nonprofit management in 2012. Beginning with her first job in pet care at age 16, Jessica saw that there was a gap in the culture of how people cared for birds, reptiles, and fish: dogs and cats have multitudes of local and nationally-based rescue organizations, while exotic animals were often abandoned, illegally released, or relinquished to the few exotic animal organizations that were already at or beyond capacity. After rescuing her first parakeet from the woods in Michigan in 2015, an opportunity to facilitate change and promote a different kind of pet care culture presented itself. Several like-minded individuals came together in August of 2021 to form CLEAR’s founding board.