By Kimberly Dougherty
At the Arizona Animal Welfare League & SPCA, space is kind of a big deal. Space for our dogs, cats, and critters to feel free, space for “drop it,” “come”, and “go get it!” Space to store kibbles and treats, space to 
save more lives, and space for our baby exotic animal ambassadors who aren’t going to be babies for long! US Storage Centers truly understands the need for space, and Slinky the Savannah Monitor is getting a much-needed new crib!
Today, Slinky plays an important role at AAWL. As an animal ambassador, Slinky educates the public in a unique and hands-on way. He helps teach kids of all ages about exotic animal species, respect for all kinds of creatures, and how to be a responsible pet owner and individual in society. Slinky touches the lives of countless people during summer camp, school field trips, animal presentations, and volunteer events. However, Slinky has come a long way to hold this position.
When Slinky crawled his way into the care of AAWL, he was a mere 10 grams- the size of your index finger. He was sick with a terrible prognosis; the veterinarian wasn’t sure if Slinky would survive.
But Slinky is a fighter. With the help of his caregivers, he overcame illnesses such as intestinal parasites, sepsis, kidney infections, and calcium deficiencies. Caring for Slinky involved numerous x-rays, blood tests, check-ups, and medications. With hours of volunteer care, tons of hard work, and lots of love, Slinky inched his way to good health. In over one year, Slinky went from having a very poor prognosis to outgrowing every enclosure we can find here!
AAWL is thrilled to say that Slinky now weighs 5 pounds, a whopping 190 times the size that he was last year! Slinky is healthy and constantly growing right before our eyes. So much in fact, we’re expecting Slinky to double in size by next summer! His quick and impressive growth leaves us in an urgent need of a specially built enclosure large enough to allow Slinky to live a comfortable life; a life filled with activities that better encourages his natural behaviors like digging, foraging, and lounging. US Storage Centers has provided Arizona Animal Welfare League and Slinky the funds to make this happen! With the room to grow, Slinky will live a happy and healthy life so he can continue to change as many lives as possible.
Keep watching our blog for updates on Slinky and his adventures!
