We first saw sugar gliders in a pet shop in 1996.  They were very expensive and we coult not afford them.  The next time I came across a sugar glider was in 2001 at the Phoenix Home Show.  The exhibitor was demonstrating his very tame and bonded glider and I fell in love with sugar gliders all over again.  I wanted one so badly, but my husband was against it.  I am not one to pout, but I pouted for the rest of our time at the show until my husband relented. 

I have had many animals, including exotic birds throughout my life and felt completely comfortable with the gentleman selling these creatures and felt he was giving me proper information on care and habitat.  I was not adept at researching on the computer at this point.  We chose the most docile and sweet little glider in the group of 40 or so babies he had housed in the small cage. 

Within two days I was attemting to contact the man who sold me the glider because my glider was shaking and seemed weak.  The exhibitor finally called me back and gave me some tips.  By that night, my little baby was lethargic.  I could not reach the exhibitor and called around to veterinarians, only to find that most did not know how to treat a sugar glider.  I finally got ahold of a local vet who told me my joey needed emergency attention immediately, to take it to the emergency vet and she would talk them through the procedure to treat my sugar glider for dehydration and hypoglycemia. 

My baby survived the night and I took her in for a follow-up the next morning.  The vet informed me that my sugar glider joey only weighed 20 grams and that this was less and most of her newly-out-of-pouch joeys, that my baby was severely dehydrated and had been pulled from it's mother before it was fully weaned. 

We then embarked on a 24/7, every 2-hour feeding schedule.  On the 5th day, my baby began vomiting.  Within hours, she was lethargic again.  I called the vet who came in on her day off to take the joey home with her to try to save her.  My vet called me several hours later to let me know my baby did not make it. 

I never realized how heartbreaking it could be to lose a little animal I had only had for days.  I had lovingly hand fed this baby 24/7 every two hours.  We spent time together like a mother and newborn.  My heart was crushed by her loss. 

I contacted the exhibitor who told me he would replace the animal the next time he was in town. 

I embarked on a quest for answers.  I took to the computer and learned how to research.  I found out that this particular exhibitor had a horrible reputation for this and other similar situations, leaving a trail of people with sick and/or dying gliders.  Some of his customers were lucky and had healthy gliders for now, but the effects of improper diet can take years to show. 

I searched for a local breeder, but was disappointed with the hobby breeders in my area using gloves to hold their joeys and allowing rampant inbreeding. 

I decided to become a breeder that concentrated on providing proper information on all aspects of sugar glider care.  To allow people to come visit with their joeys until they were ready to go to their new homes.  To be available for follow up and emergencies. 

It was not long before I began to be contacted, not only for joeys, but by people that were looking to get rid of their gliders.  I began to take in rescues with the intent to provide them permanent, loving homes.  I had no idea of the magnatude of unwanted gliders.  I soon ran out of room. 

Limiting my breeding operation so I could take in and take care of rescues, I tried to keep up.  With some of the local recuers leaving the state, I decided to neuter my males and concentrate solely on rescuing and rehoming; however, I did not have the funds to do so. 

Recently, with the birth of a white-faced blonde female and her normal sister in October '06, I pledged to use the proceeds of their sale to finally fund the neutering of all breeding males.  I finally accomplished this goal on the Thursday and Friday before Christmas 2006. 

2007 is a new year and a new look for the Affinity Sugar Gliders website.  We are a fully-fledged rescue and rehoming operation.  I hope you enjoy learning about sugar gliders and the plight of unwanted sugar gliders. 

Laurie Gallagher

Feel free to e-mail me any comments or questions at:  contact@ affinitysugargliders.com