Mr. Drew and His Animals Too, a natural science and exotic animal rescue and rehabilitation center, is preparing to move 12 miles east from the city of Lewiston to the town of Poland. Both are in Androscoggin County.
The nonprofit will relocate from a leased space at 20 East Ave. in the Lewiston Mall to a 10,000-square-foot lease at a former Family Dollar store at 1395 Maine St. off Route 26 in the Poland Crossing shopping plaza.
Robert Baldacci of F.O. Bailey Real Estate and Steven Johndro from Androvise Realty brokered the deal.
“There’s a lot more potential,” said Drew Desjardins, who owns the rescue center and natural history museum with his wife Susan Desjardins.
Rehab and outreach
The organization is rooted in Desjardins’ lifelong interest in animals. He formerly owned and operated a pet store and an aquarium maintenance service and developed a rehabilitator and outreach program for injured, neglected and unwanted exotic animals to either find them good homes or for educational purposes.
Desjardins started Mr. Drew and His Animals Too at the couple’s home 15 years ago as a solo operation traveling with an array of animals to clients in Maine and some parts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
They moved the operation into a local mill space, and relocated to the Lewiston Mall about two years ago. During its first year of operation there, the Mr. Drew brought 50,000 people from Maine and beyond into its education center featuring rescued and rehabilitated exotic animals that can be observed, touched and sometimes held; a geological center with rocks, fossils, gems and crystals; and a library of natural science books.
The animals are mostly reptiles. Desjardins said he works closely with the state for the protection of exotic animals.
Solely funded by donations, payment for traveling educational programs and entrance fees to the center, the year-round business has about 20 employees, plus volunteers. Susan, known as Mrs. Drew, takes care of administration.
The operation takes in animals from owners no longer interested in taking care of them or are sick, provides services such as reptile wellness checks and husbandry and feeding suggestions and rehomes them when appropriate.
Flexible space
In searching for a new location, several communities reached out, said Desjardins.
“I wanted to keep it in Lewiston; it was my home. But it just wasn’t going to work,” he said.
At Poland Crossing, he said, he found a space that was a bit bigger with an open layout.
“We’ll be able to utilize the space better and we’ll be able to have possible outdoor usage, which we didn’t have in Lewiston,” he said.
Desjardins credited the town for its reception and said the operation fits well with others nearby, such as the Maine Wildlife Park, operated by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 11 miles south on Route 26, and a rockhound attraction called Poland Mining Camps.
Preparation for the Poland space includes cleaning, removing years of wax build-up on the floors, designing and building out floor plans and upgrading the electrical and plumbing systems.
The layout will include a separate space for retail with its own entrance, two party spaces, back-room space for a kiln and lapidary machine for use during special events, a new marine touch tank, a planting and growing area, with a plan to host outside movie nights and night-time astronomy observation.
Army of supporters
Then comes the transfer of animals.
“I have a large army of supporters,” said Desjardins. “One post on social media and they’re all signing up to help out.”
The cost of the move is largely defrayed by those supporters, who are even supplying box trucks for the transfer.
Desjardins said he’s aiming to open in Poland by mid-August or early September.
This month, he had over 80 shows scheduled across Maine, at schools, nursing homes libraries, birthday parties and more. He was recently in Massachusetts.
“I’m always on the road,” he said. “That’s our biggest funding.”
He continued, “We’re not in this to make money. We’re doing this because it’s my passion and we want tor provide something for generations to come and to make children aware of the world around them.”
